A dry run for the Rolling Stones, with cameos from a few Faces and one Beatle for good measure.
Kronomyth 1.0: 1-Wood (Wood in the driver’s seat).
If you’re looking to round out your Rolling Stones collection, you could do a lot worse than I’ve Got My Own Album To Do. Although Ron Wood wouldn’t join the Stones for another year still, his first album is a kind of early audition featuring Keith Richards, Mick Taylor and Mick Jagger. The album also features not one but two Richard/Jagger compositions: “Act Together” and “Sure The One You Need.”
Wood wastes little time in making a strong impression, bringing in Mick Jagger on the first track (“I Can Feel The Fire”) and George Harrison on the second (“Far East Man”). It’s a hard act to follow, and Wood’s vocals are more in line with Ronnie Lane than Rod Stewart (who contributes backing vocals on a few tracks), but a lot of help from a lot of friends helps to smooth out the rough edges. Not everything here is gold: a cover of “If You Got To Make A Fool of Somebody” is half baked, “Shirley” is sexist nonsense. Yet the consensus is that IGMOATD is the best of Wood’s works.
“I Can Feel The Fire,” “Cancel Everything” and “Far East Man” are better than I expected, and the interplay between Wood, Richards and Ian McLagan is a treat to hear. It’s all a bit roguish, which is what you’d expect given Wood’s legend, and more than a little fun. The album apparently slipped under the radar, strange given the success of Rod Stewart and the Stones at the time, and is well worth the discovery if you haven’t already had the pleasure.
Original LP Version
A1. I Can Feel The Fire (Ron Wood) (4:52)
A2. Far East Man (George Harrison/Ron Wood) (4:40)
A3. Mystifies Me (Ron Wood) (3:17)
A4. Take A Look At The Guy (Ron Wood) (2:34)
A5. Act Together (Keith Richard/Mick Jagger) (4:23)
A6. Am I Grooving You (Bert Berns/Jeff Barry) (3:38)
B1. Shirley (Ron Wood) (5:19)
B2. Cancel Everything (Ron Wood) (4:36)
B3. Sure The One You Need (Keith Richard/Mick Jagger) (4:11)
B4. If You Got To Make A Fool of Somebody (Rudy Clarke) (3:32)
B5. Crotch Music (Willie Weeks) (5:58)
The Players
Ronnie Wood (guitars/vocals), Ian McLagan (keyboards), Andy Newmark (drums), Keith Richard (guitars/vocals), Willie Weeks (bass) with Doreen & Ireen Chanter (backing vocals on A5/B2), George Harrison (slide guitar & backing vocals on A2), Ross Henderson (steel drums on A1), Mick Jagger (backing vocals on A1/A6, guitar on A1), Martin Quittenton (acoustic guitar on A3), Jean Roussel (organ on A2, electric piano & piano on B2), Pete Sears (bass & celeste on A3), Sterling (steel drums on A1), Rod Stewart (backing vocals on A3/A4/B4), Mick Taylor (bass on A2/B1, electric guitar on B4, electric piano on B1, ARP synthesizer on B4), Ruby Turner (backing vocals on A5/B2), Mickey Waller (drums on A3). Produced by Ron Wood/Gary Kellgren.
The Plastic
Released on elpee on September 13, 1974 in the UK and France (Warner Bros., K 56065), the US (Warner Bros., BS 2819), Argentina (Music Hall, 14.160) and Japan (Warner Bros., P-8505W).
- Re-packaged as Cancel Everything on elpee in October 1985 in the UK (Thunderbolt, THBL 2.034) and Australia (Possum, POSSUM5).
- Re-packaged with Cancel Everything on 2-for-1 cmopact discin 1992 in Japan (Thunderbolt, MSIF-7027).
- Repackaged with Now Look as Sure The One You Need on 2LP in Germany (Perfect Beat, PB006-2).
- Re-issued on compact disc on September 13, 1994 in the US and Germany (Warner Archives, 45692-2).
- Re-issued on compact disc on May 24, 2006 in Japan (Warner Bros., WPCR-75191).
- Re-issued on compact disc in 2009 in the UK (Rhino Encore, 99053).
- Re-released on blue vinyl elpee on July 28, 2017 (Friday Music).
