Coast To Coast: Overture And Beginners Review: 1974

Faces' Boozy Live Masterpiece

Published in the UK on January 19, 1974, Melody Maker’s one-page review of Faces’ live album Coast To Coast: Overture And Beginners celebrated it as the band’s most representative release to date. The reviewer praised the raw, ramshackle energy of the Anaheim and Hollywood Palladium shows (October 1973), highlighting Kenny Jones’ economical drumming, Ian McLagan’s impressive piano/organ, Tetsu Yamauchi’s propulsive bass, Ronnie Wood’s standout slide guitar on the “Borstal Boys/Amazing Grace” medley, and Rod Stewart’s raspy, sore-throated power. The album was noted as the first joint release by two major labels (Warner Bros./Mercury) and the first live album from the “Denis Law Appreciation Society plus friends.” It featured strong covers (Bobby & Shirley Womack’s “It’s All Over Now,” Eddie Cochran’s “Cut Across Shorty,” Hendrix’s “Angel,” The Temptations’ “I Wish It Would Rain,” Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind,” Lennon’s “Jealous Guy”) and Faces originals, with the reviewer calling the band the best at their own brand of “blatant boozy partying rock shows.” The review concluded with Rod’s closing line: “We thank you for your time money.”

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Take Rod's introductory few words at the start of side two. He purposefully wraps his tonsils around "Anaheim" (a venue) like a man ordering his "sheventeenish scotsch 'n' co'" with that deliberate slightly tipsy meld of dignity and camaraderie. Merry not or it's an important album. First live album from the Denis Law Appreciation Society plus friends. First codistributed album by two major record companies (Warners get the tapes in this country). First album with Tetsu Yamauchi on bass replacing R. Lane, solo star. A whole lot of firsts huh? Reminds one of "First Step" the Faces' solo debut album ("An Old Raincoat Will Never Let You Down" was Rod's of course). Since then Stewart's albums. have consistently eclipsed the band's patchy studio work. So every time the boys got into the booths there was artistic tension. Not the type which produces exciting music but tension which results in strained and nervous music. Even acned maybe? But on gigs the band trundle and rumble at their own delicious rolling, ramshackle pace employing what Stewart calls their "four sets of fingers and one throat, well lubricated by the juice of the grape and grain. The shows recorded for this live bijou were the Anaheim Convention Centre and The Hollywood Palladium. Both were last October. For the price of your ticket you get three seconds short of 50 minutes' music. Good taste in material has been the Faces' and Rod's strong suit. Bobby & Shirley Womack's "It's All Over Now," Eddie Cochran's hit "Cut Across Shorty," Hendrix's "Angel," The Temptations" "I Wish It Would Rain" (a lovely song), Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind" and Lennon's "Jealous Guy" (a surprise choice and the least successful reworking). The Faces own songs (Stewart & Wood mostly) "Too Bad," "Every Picture Tells A Story," "Stay With Me" and "Borstal Boy" are no disgrace either. Kenny Jones holds the tottering, drumming is a fine display of economic, forceful playing. It sobers like a slug of black coffee, a foaming glass of Seltzer. On the predominantly uptempo side one his halfopen hihat sizzles away. On side two, dominated by mid and slow tempos, Ronald Wood emerges from his role of motor cranking rhythm gui tarist to become heavily featured superslide on a long "Borstal Boy/Amazing Grace" medley which gets a mite boring around. minutes six and seven. Ian McLagan sticks to the 88s, moving to organ for only the slowest numbers he is more impresive than on any previous studio album. Tetsu, like a drop of saki in an ocean of cola, is lost in the mix till "Too Bad"/"Every Picture Tells A Story" when he finally asserts himself. From then on he's the group's propellor hidden beneath the waves but driving the ship. Which leaves us with the performance of the Performer. Tartan hordes apart. The Larynx acquits himself with raspy sorethroatedness. You can picture him clearly, leaning back from the mike and letting go with a holler. Making them rafters ring. Brentford FC's postmatch showers are surely all the more morose without this man. The Faces started the blatant boozy partying rock shows now copied so widely. They're still the best at it' oos, for the most part, they have the music to carry it off. Thus "Overture And Beginners" is the band's most representative album to date. Further joint label ventures where the Faces are able to use the best of Rod's songs previously hoarded for solo work will see an improvement in their studio output. As Stewart says at the end of the show: "We thank you for your time money.'

Review Melody Maker