Ron Wood - Ronnie Wood Anthology: The Essential Crossexion

Wood's first solo outing, I've Got My Own Album to Do, was released in 1974 and it was a shade of things to come, as the first two cuts here "I Can Feel the Fire" and "Cancel Everything" show him working with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards respectively. The former cut also features David Bowie on backing vocals, but it's "Cancel Everything" that offers the real magic: just listen to the guitar interplay between Richards and Wood. Also on the first disc is a live version of "Seven More Days," written by Bob Dylan and recorded at Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration, where Wood was backed by Booker T. the MG's. Other standouts include his read of George Harrison's "Far East Man," Bobby Womack's "If You Don't Want My Love," and the funky Britsoul of "Fountain of Love," with horns and Anita Pointer on the backing vocals. The ballads "Always Wanted More" and "Breathe on Me" showcase two sides of Wood's sensitivity. But it's the funkiness of "Somebody Else Might" (with Bernard Fowler) immediately preceding the rowdy rocker "Josephine" that offers a wonderfully and wildly contrasting sonic picture of Wood's range. There is an unreleased track here as well called "You Strum and I'll Sing" with Rod Stewart and Kelly Jones.

Disc two is fascinating more for the cuts from the Birds and the Creation than for the betterknown, later material. It's raw and yet derivative of a lot of stuff out at the time. Wood admits that "You're on My Mind," the first song he ever wrote, was inspired by the Yardbirds (no kidding). and recorded with the Birds (who have two singles' worth of material here) the tune is no great shakes but it's pretty wondrous for its adventurousness within the 45 rpm format of the era. "How Can It Be" has tons of guitar, drum, and even harmonica effects. In his liner notes, Wood comments on the more psychedelic Creation material by simply saying: "Hovering on the verge of something good." OK. But the two Creation cuts here are really a mess, as though nobody knew what to leave out. There are three tracks from BeckOla, and one from Truth; they're earthy with wild guitar effects and a woolly savagery in the rhythm tracks that serves to focus on Rod the Mod's singing style and of course, Jeff Beck's guitartistry. Wood keeps them all from going off the rails while adding some imaginative effects all his own.