Customer Reviews

Slide on Live

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Ron Wood steps out of the shadows of his Rolling Stones work on this live album.Always recognized as a top slide player ,Ronnie does not disappoint on this release.His chops have never been better,and any fan of the Stones would be well served by this album.Slide on Live brings out Ron`s blusey side.Accompanied by a strong supporting band,this album is a winner!

One would think guys like Ron Wood would slow down or take it easy, but Woody shows he's as into his music as he ever was. This is typical Wood, catchy, rocking, sly and FUN. I've seen Wood live probably a dozen times since 1975, with and without the Stones...this is why I keep going back. If you like Faces/Stewart/Stones 70s jamming rock, this is a great example of it.

All the classic songs that Ron Wood made famous with his old band mate ROD STEWART...performed live second to none. Bernard Fowler's voice is something else (Background vocalist for the STONES)..This album is as close to being at a live gig as there is. Its an addictive record that will always be in my CD multi changer...and should be in yours!

Although there is a studio CD Slide On This, I'd recommend the live disc....not all the same songs either. Ronnie keeps living his rock and roll life and as much as he is driven, he does a better job solo than Keith ever could....on this one he uses Bernard Fowler and Ian McLagan from the Stones machine. There are 7 of his own songs, one from Dylan, 2 that he wrote with Rod Stewart (Gasoline Alley & Stay With Me) and his Stones song Pretty Beat Up (which the Stones did even though they labeled the studio tapes "dog s____")....the tracks are from his 92-93 tour at the Ritz in NY, Avalon in Boston and at Budokan in Japan.....a great dose of Ronnie's guitar, lyrics, and slide, slide, slide.....and he even ends with a dose of his Faces days....finishes with a very nice version of Stay With Me.

I have always been a lifelong fan of Ron Wood's and this is by far my favorite live album of his etc. Its just great.

Ron Wood is best known for his membership in several important British bands - The Rolling Stones (since 1975), Faces (1969 - 75), The Jeff Beck Group (1967 - 69) and, before hitting the big time, Creation (1968) and The Birds (1964 - 67). Yet he has maintained a solo career going back to his debut album in 1974. This set captures his excellent solo tour from 1992 - 93. I saw Wood and friends (ex-Face Ian McLagan, Stones-sideman and Nickelbag/Tackhead vocalist Bernard Fowler, bassist Shaun Solomon, drummer Wayne Sheehy, and second guitarist Johnny Lee Schell from McLagan's Bump Band) at the Avalon in Boston on this tour, and was pleasently surprised at how sharp everyone was, coming after the ramshackle 1987 tour with Bo Diddley and the all-star New Barbarians tour (with Keith Richards) in 1979. The New Barbs were an amazing lineup, and created some real sparks live, but were also ragged and very stoned.
By 1992, Wood seems to have felt the need to prove himself again. Bernard Fowler is an excellent choice for co-frontman, being a powerful vocalist in his own right and perhaps the only one I can think of who can sing classic songs originally recorded by both Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart without sounding either pallid or imitative. "Slide On Live" is a snapshot of those tight 1992-93 shows, featuring new and old solo material and select Stones and Faces songs.
"Testify," the opener, isn't as strong as either the Parliaments' 1967 original or Wood's 1992 studio version. It takes a few minutes for both the band and the warm, clear sound to kick in, which it does on a the then-new "Josephine." This is followed by a funky take on the Stones' "Pretty Beat Up" (co-written by Wood, from 1983's "Undercover"), which that band has never played live, and here has slippery, deep basslines from Solomon and sparkling guitars from Wood and Schell, creating a churning groove that makes it one of the album's highlights. Another winner is the gorgeous version of one of Wood's greatest songs, the delicate and soulful "Breathe On Me." And "Seven Days", the Dylan song Wood debuted in 1979, rocks hard as usual. The Faces' classic "Flying" is strong too, but like some of these tracks marred slightly by perhaps too clean sound. Along with some other tracks here, it is enjoyable but not definitive, and the distortion and grunge is especially missed on Wood's classic "Around the Plynth" slide solo (compare this version to the chunky, wild take on disc 4 of the Faces' box "Five Guys Walk Into A Bar...").
So, a decent and enjoyable live album, but even if you have the original 1993 CD issued on Continuum, the Koch-label reissue from 1998 is worth checking out for two superb new studio performances featuring Wood with old friends Fowler, McLagan, bassist Willie Weeks and drummer Andy Newmark. Fowler sings understated lead on a six-minute version of Don Covay's classic "I Don't Know What You Got" - a sultry, deep soul classic with Steve Cropper-esque guitar punctuation from Wood, who then sings a surprisingly lovely version of Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got A Hold On Me," adding electric and acoustic guitars to a really fine and intimate version. These two tracks are both simmering gems, raw, tight, with no flab or excess. Personally, I think they make the new edition of "Slide On Live" worth buying even if one has the original.

Bernard Fowler (does also the backing vocals in ROLLING STONES) partners Wood on his live album as a vocalist and song-composer. Ian Mc Lagan of FACES takes on the keyboards. Chuck Leavell (additional keyboards,from ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND) is also featured. The opener is a funk based group PARLIAMENT's cover 'Testify'. I find it to be so-so. Second comes the Wood/Bernard Fowler penned 'Josephine'. This is what Wood/Fowler can accomplish. Third the 'Pretty Beat Up'. An old one, also being a ROLLING STONES cover (composed as result of Wood/Jagger/Richards co-working). 'Am I Groovin' You?', Faces number 'Flying' precomes Wood/Fowler penned 'Breathe On Me'. 'Slicon Grown' is another FACES song. The magnificent BOB DYLAN cover, 'Seven Days' is enchanting [seven more days all i gotta do is survive] . 'Show Me' is sung by Wood (by J. Williams). 'Show Me (Groove)' is sung by Fowler. 'I Can Feel The Fire' precedes 'Slide'(instrumental), this being a combined 3-song piece features STONES' 'Prodigal Son'. 13th song 'Show Me' (a FACES hit by Wood/R.Stewart) ends the live concert. There are two bonus tracks, 'I Don't Know What You've Got' and 'You Really Got A Hold On Me'.