How Come? [Import]

Ronnie Lane | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 24, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Start Up/Big Daddy
• ASIN: B00008Z1VF
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #470,869 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Poacher

2. Ooh La La

3. How Come

4. Kuschty Rye

5. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

6. Only You

7. You Never Can Tell

8. Chicken Wired

9. One Step

10. Just for a Moment

Editorial Reviews

UK compilation for the late bassist (The Faces, The Small Faces). Tracks include, 'The Poacher' and 'Anymore For Anymore'. 19 tracks in all. Over 70 minutes of music. Includes twobonus tracks recorded at Victoria Palace, London, March 1975, 'Stone' and 'Sweet Virginia'. 2000 release. Standard jewelcase. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "...I Hitched A Train...Where's She Bound...I Don't Really Know...", June 8, 2010

By 

Mark Barry, Reckless Records, London (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: How Come (Audio CD)

This unassuming little CD covering Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance repertoire has both plus and minus points... But what's not expressed on the front or rear sleeve is that it's actually a sequenced UK 7" SINGLES COMPILATION with two live rarities thrown in at the end. The sound quality is really superb too in places (but only iffy in others)...

Issued in 2000 and made in the Czech Republic, Neon NE 34553 breaks down as follows (72:54 minutes):

1. How Come
2. Tell Everyone
3. Done This One Before
1 to 3 are GM Records GMS 011 from 1974 (1 is the A-side, 2 and 3 are B1 and B2)

4. The Poacher
5. Bye And Bye (Gonna See The King)
4 and 5 are the A&B sides of GM Records GMS 024 from 1974

6. Roll On Babe
7. Anymore For Anymore
6 and 7 are the A&B sides of GM Records GMS 033 from 1974

8. What Went Down (That Night With You)
9. Lovely
8 and 9 are the A&B sides of Island WIP 6216 from 1974

10. Brother Can You Spare A Dime
11. Ain't No Lady
10 and 11 are the A&B sides of Island WIP 6229 from 1975

12. Don't Try And Change My Mind
13. Well, Well Hello (The Party)
12 and 13 are the A&B sides of Island WIP 6258 from 1976

14. Kuschty Rye
15. You're So Right
14 and 15 are the A&B sides of Gem Records GEMS 12 from 1976

16. One Step
17. Lad's Got Money
16 and 17 are the A&B sides of Gem Records GEMS 19 from 1980

18. Stone [Live]
19. Sweet Virginia [Live]

The eagle-eyed among you will notice that there's one 7" single missing - "Street In The City" b/w "Annie" on Polydor 2058 944 from late 1977. It's off the "Rough Mix" album with Pete Townshend and Neon couldn't get the licensing rights.

Proceedings open with his debut solo single from January 1974, the fabulous "How Come" and it's two cool B-sides (the A and B2 were non-album tracks at the time). The terribly English and wistful "The Poacher" followed in June 1974 (both charted well), but them comes an absolute gem. "Roll On Babe" (lyrics above) is second only to the genius of "Debris" by The Faces - it's one of my all-time favourite Seventies' songs. There's just something about the melody and mandolins that turns me to mush every single time I hear it and I'm thrilled to say that it has great sound quality here. VETIVER did a lovely version of it on their 2008 album "Things Of The Past" that I urge you to seek out - very Ryan Adams in a way. It's B-side "Anymore For Anymore" (the title of Slim Chance's first album) also sounds spiffing too.

After the wonderful promise of "How Come", "The Poacher" and "Roll On Babe", the subsequent issues are decidedly disappointing affairs - even as a rabid Lane fan it's hard to justify the awful dullness of "Brother Can You Spare A Dime". Things improve a little with "Kuschty Rye" and its piano and accordion barroom B-side "You're So Right". But the Eighties pop and shiny production values of "One Step" just don't suit him and end up sounding forced - and worse - the sound quality on the 1976 Island singles both sound suspiciously like crude vinyl dubs.

But the two live tracks end it nicely - they're vintage. There's no band details provided and they appear to be licensed from "Lane Family Archive" specifically for this release. "Stone" originally hails from the wonderful "Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance" LP from July 1975 on Island ILPS 9321 and is an old Faces tune as I recall. There then follows a great cover version of "Sweet Virginia" from The Rolling Stones 1972 double "Exile On Main St." - it's very, very good. Both were recorded at The Victoria Palace, London in March 1975.

So there you have it - fab in places, mediocre in others, but all of it imbibed with that wonderful character of his. Like the artists John Martyn and Long John Baldry and the English DJs Alan "Fluff" Freeman and John Peel - it's hard to be rational about the gorgeous Ronnie Lane. I miss him.

Still - at the very least, the better parts of "How Come" remember him well.

Buy this import and enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best value ever, December 21, 2010

By 

bryant - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How Come? (Audio CD)

I bought this cd for a couple of bucks and dollar for dollar it is the best bargain I've ever got. Ronnie Lane is a treasure. A nice collection of songs, some his, some others. His voice is one of a kind and the choice of songs is comprehensive.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fishes with Eyes of Jewels!, October 2, 2010

By 

Barry McGloin "Baz" (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Come (Audio CD)

What a pleasant surprise! This CD of Ronnie Lane's singles is very good indeed. I found it quite by accident in a second hand bazaar and I recalled that his material had been praised in an early Rolling Stone Record Guide. Ronnie was bass player and songwriter with Steve Marriott in the Small Faces with its exuberant soul, R 'n B, rock, pop, music hall and psychedelic fun. He'd also been part of the rollicking rambunctious Faces with Rod Stewart and had teamed up with Pete Townsend for the modest gem that is Rough Mix.

'How Come' was the sole major hit single, and one that might have suited Rod Stewart's vocal as a Faces' hit, but conversely to my ears it is almost the least satisfying of the collection being standard early 70s material, apart from the lyrics. Ronnie Lane had a wonderfully subtle melodic sense which is heard to better effect on other tracks. He was also an impressive lyricist and unfortunately lyrics are not included here but they can be easily located on the internet.

The track listing for 'How Come' on Amazon is incorrect, as noted by Mark Barry in his generous review. The tracks should total 19 and span from the first single 'How Come' to a live version of the Stone's 'Sweet Virginia'. In fact the CD entitled 'Kuschty Rye: The singles 1973-1980' appears to be the same compilation with an additional 16 page booklet, which sadly is lacking here. However a reviewer of Kuschty Rye comments on the poor sound quality, also the price is prohibitive. The sound quality on How Come is very good as is the price, but the cover information is minimal. These singles are so impressive that they deserve a detailed booklet with an essay perhaps, but at least biographical and clear historical information, photos and Ronnie's (often) poetic lyrics.

His sense of melody developed finely to serve his tough but agile, light toned vocal style. It is quite distinctive and subtle and the songs resonate further with each listening. I enjoyed his version of Brother, Can You Spare a Dime with its trad jazz ending, hardly ''dull'' (sorry Mark); I found his reading appealing, plaintive, the arrangement inventive. It's all subjective I guess but I also enjoyed One Step where Ronnie's humour shines through.

The gems are many, The Poacher with its baroque arrangement, floating vocals, poetic lyrics (''Bring me fish with eyes of jewels/And mirrors on their bodies''), Roll On Babe, soft vocal, melody and mandolins, Anymore For Anymore vocal harmonies, acoustic texture ("And put the tinder to the timber/We'll light the night sky/Leave the ember/To fade with yesterday'') , Lovely - Small Faces style music hall with 'joanna' and sax, Don't Try and Change My Mind - mid tempo roller with slight cajun flavour ('' It's just a story, just a stage, just a scene, just a dream in a dream, nothing more''), Kuschty Rye with accordion, fiddle, great chorus, Done This One Before - love his vocal and refrain, and not forgetting the two top live tracks Stone and Sweet Virginia. There are a couple of weak tracks but many fishes with eyes of jewels!

As they say, one man's meat is another man's poison, it's all personal taste but this compilation hits the spot for me. If you like this I suggest that Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance and the aforementioned Rough Mix should do it for you too. Bon appetite!