It wasn't all over but the shouting, but
the Faces sure weren't thriving when they released their last album,
Ooh La La, in 1973. The problem, of course, was
Rod Stewart, who had turned into a superstar, causing innumerable tensions within the band. He had yet to decamp to America, had yet to turn to pop instead of rock & roll, but he was on the cusp of that sea change. Nevertheless, on the record at least, it didn't seem like being with
the Faces was a strain on him; it still seemed that he enjoyed a good night out with the boys, and
Ooh La La is precisely that: a good night out, one that's blessed with some very memorable moments. If there's not quite as many as on the past two
Faces platters, chalk that up to circumstance perhaps. On
Long Player and
A Nod Is as Good as a Wink, they were a well-oiled machine at the peak of their powers. Here they're trying to rev up -- they get there, but it's possible to hear the effort, as some of the songs fall just a little bit short of memorable. But there are some extraordinary moments here, including
Rod's "Silicone Grown" and the wonderful "Cindy Incidentally," a sweet, easy pop song. But the heart of this album really belongs to
Ronnie Lane, who dominates the second side of the album, starting with the
Stewart collaboration "If I'm on the Late Side" and running through the sweet, soft "Glad and Sorry" to "Just Another Honky" and, finally, to the raucous yet bittersweet "Ooh La La," as great a song as they ever recorded and an appropriate drawing of the curtain on this tremendous band. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine