Ooh La La

From the desk of Ned P. Rauch:

In 1973, the Faces put out “Ooh La La,” their last studio record. Word is that Rod Stewart already had one foot out the door and was only marginally involved in the writing and recording of the album. Turns out that’s fine. What he does contribute is top-shelf. “Cindy Incidentally” borrows from Chuck Berry’s “Memphis, Tennessee” and provides a primer in all things Faces: chunky, distorted guitar from Ron Wood, raspily sung lyrics involving a girl, better days (either in the past or up ahead) and booze, and juke joint piano. Stewart and the band return to the lyrical theme (and musical arrangement) for the penultimate cut, “Just Another Honkey,” in which Stewart sings, “Leave my head, it’s wide open, so is the door, evermore.” The Faces saved the best for last, though: the title track. “Ooh La La,” written by Wood and bassist Ronnie Lane, might be the best thing this band ever did. It’s sung by Wood, which makes it a rarity: there aren’t a whole lot of examples of hits with vocals from Wood, who’d go on to become a Rolling Stone, and then, this year, earn a scolding from Keith “I snorted my father’s ashes” Richards for drinking too much. Impressive, in a way.
But not nearly as impressive as this line from “Ooh La La”: “When you want her lips, you get a cheek, makes you wonder where you are.” Who among us hasn’t experienced and wondered the same thing?

The Faces staggered on for another year or two before tumbling apart and into the Stones (Wood and piano/organ player Ian McLagan), the Who (drummer Kenney Jones replaced Keith Moon when Moon died), Slim Chance and multiple sclerosis (Ronnie Lane started his own band, moved to Texas and along the way got MS. He died in 1997.) and, in the case of Rod Stewart, super-stardom, super models, disco (barf) and jazz standards (barf, barf, barf).

But this record came before all that, and it’s a dandy. Get it.