Music Ramblings 2

With the sad lose to the music industry recently, that being the untimely death of Michael Jackson, I had a conversation with a friend who is only 20 about the fact that she barely remembers Michael Jackson as anything other than "a bit of a weirdo". At the ripe old age of 27, I am lucky enough to remember Jackson during his good years as "The King of Pop", I was lucky enough to see him in 1992 on the Dangerous tour, but I am digressing slightly...

This got me thinking about acts and performers who have had a strong past that is now slightly, if not entirely forgotten. After watching a documentary on BBC4 I was reminded about "The Faces", and the past that Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart shared (obviously post their time in the Jeff Beck Band) in this wonderful band.

Ronnie Wood, mainly thought of now as a rehab regular and his place in the Rolling Stones (1975 onwards), he hasn't changed much over the years... And then there is Rod Stewart, where do I start with this man? It is hard for me to think of him as anything other than a dodgy hair cut, leather skin/trousered warbler who drives the (not so young any more) ladies wild!

Seriously now, Ronnie Wood, is a rocker through and through, but Mr Rod Stewart, I can not shake solo "hits" (just because they were a success doesn't make them good) like "Have I told you lately" and him belting out "I am Sailing...." So here we are at my point of comparison, Jacko, truely amazing past, sketchy end (hopefully the last songs will be strong). Rod Stewart, awesome past, presently crooning his life away, trying to hang on to his rock 'n' roll past!

But when you look back to Stewarts time with the Faces, you are faced with one of the best examples of British 70's rock! So I offer you the Faces in their prime, when Rod still rocked...

From the album "A nod's as good as a wink...to a blind horse"



Also check out the lyrics to Borstal Boys...

"Cell block five, how I hate Bromide
With your coffee in the morning makes you so sterile
The corner gang never made a man of me boys
You know the walls are taller and the inmates scheme
There's no one here that's more than seventeen
Bet your life there's a riot tonight in the mess hall
A letter from your home town makes you sad
You read it when the warden's had a second laugh
He said sentimental rubbish ain't got no place in here boy
See the years roll on by
such a senseless waste of time
What a way to reform
Call out your number
who's a nonconformer
Shakey Brown didn't hang around
When a Molotov didn't do its stuff
He went back in there and said it with a sawed-off shotgun
You know Poker Sam couldn't lose a hand
If he did you was hit by a downtown tram
Or crushed in the path of a moving elevator
See the years roll on by
such a senseless waste of time
What a way to reform
Call out your number
who's a nonconformer
When I get out I'll get straight
If this old world gives me half a break
But, if you see me in the corner with a chip on my shoulder
Don't blame me"

Time to sleep.
Michael