Faces
Biography
In the pantheon of rock and roll's greatest party bands, few could match the sheer exuberance and ragged glory of Faces. Born from the ashes of two legendary British groups in 1969, this quintet of lovable rogues transformed what could have been a footnote into one of the most beloved chapters in rock history, proving that sometimes the best music comes from musicians who look like they're having the time of their lives.
The story begins with a collision of circumstances and personalities that seemed almost too perfect to be accidental. When Steve Marriott dramatically departed the Small Faces following a bitter dispute over musical direction, he left behind three shell-shocked bandmates: bassist Ronnie Lane, drummer Kenney Jones, and keyboardist Ian McLagan. Rather than fold their tent, the remaining trio decided to soldier on, but they needed fresh blood. Enter Rod Stewart, a gravelly-voiced singer who'd been kicking around the London music scene, and Ron Wood, a multi-instrumentalist guitarist whose easy charm masked serious musical chops. Both were moonlighting from the Jeff Beck Group, and when that volatile outfit imploded, they found themselves available for a new adventure.
The chemistry was immediate and intoxicating. Where the Small Faces had been mod perfectionists, this new configuration – initially called the Small Faces before wisely dropping the "Small" – embraced a looser, more rootsy approach that drew equally from British music hall traditions, American rhythm and blues, and the emerging sound of country rock. Their music was a glorious mess of honky-tonk piano, slide guitar, and Stewart's unmistakable rasp, all held together by Lane's melodic bass lines and Jones's rock-solid drumming.
Their 1970 debut, "First Step," announced their intentions with a collection of songs that felt like Saturday night at the local pub, complete with sing-along choruses and enough rough edges to keep things interesting. But it was their follow-up, "Long Player," that truly captured their essence. The album's centerpiece, "Had Me a Real Good Time," became their calling card – a ramshackle celebration of hedonism that sounded like it was recorded in someone's living room after several rounds of drinks.
The band's live performances were legendary exercises in controlled chaos. Stewart would prance and pose while Wood provided the perfect foil with his laid-back guitar heroics. Lane anchored the proceedings with his theatrical bass playing and harmony vocals, while McLagan's keyboards added both sophistication and barroom atmosphere. Jones, meanwhile, kept the whole enterprise from flying apart completely. Their concerts felt less like formal performances than extended parties where the audience happened to be invited.
"A Nod Is as Good as a Wink... to a Blind Horse," released in 1971, represented their creative and commercial peak. The album spawned their biggest hit, "Stay with Me," a gloriously sloppy anthem that perfectly encapsulated their devil-may-care attitude. The song's success on both sides of the Atlantic proved that their particular brand of organized mayhem had universal appeal.
However, success brought its own complications. Stewart's parallel solo career was taking off like a rocket, and the tension between his two musical lives became increasingly difficult to manage. When he relocated to Los Angeles and embraced full-blown rock stardom, the writing was on the wall. Wood's departure to join the Rolling Stones in 1975 effectively ended the band, though they limped on briefly with replacement members.
The Faces' influence far exceeded their relatively brief lifespan. They helped bridge the gap between the mod movement of the 1960s and the pub rock scene that would eventually spawn punk. Their emphasis on good times over technical perfection inspired countless bands, from the Black Crowes to Oasis. More importantly, they proved that rock and roll didn't always have to be serious to be meaningful.
Today, the Faces are remembered as the band that made being in a rock group look like the best job in the world. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, a recognition that felt both overdue and somehow beside the point. After all, for a band whose greatest achievement was making people feel good, their real legacy lives on every time someone cranks up "Stay with Me" and remembers what it feels like to be young, wild, and completely alive. In an era of calculated rock stardom, the Faces remain a reminder that sometimes the best music comes from simply having a blast.
