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Had Me a Real Good Time: The Faces Before During and After
Had Me A Real Good Time is the definitive tale of one of Britain's best-loved bands, The Faces. Formed in 1969 from the remnants of the Small Faces and the Jeff Beck Group, Ron Wood, Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones, along with their raspy-voiced frontman Rod Stewart created a direct, uplifting brand of rock 'n' roll that they made their own.
A welcome antidote to the more serious approach of their peers in the '70s, the devil-may-care and all-for-one attitude and their Cockney camaraderie meant they were as devoted to the mayhem as they were to music.
A product of extensive first-hand interviews and exhaustive research by writer Andy Neill, Had Me A Real Good Time takes the reader from the band's roots in working class childhoods in war-torn London, via each member's sixties Mod roots and onwards through an incredible six-year ride in The Faces and beyond.
This new, updated paperback edition of this acclaimed biography includes an additional chapter covering the sad loss of Ian 'Mac' McLagan, as well as the ongoing rumours surrounding a possible Faces reunion.
The story of a beloved British band, Andy Neill has crafted a brilliant biography that brings Faces fans up to speed with their whole story.
A welcome antidote to the more serious approach of their peers in the '70s, the devil-may-care and all-for-one attitude and their Cockney camaraderie meant they were as devoted to the mayhem as they were to music.
A product of extensive first-hand interviews and exhaustive research by writer Andy Neill, Had Me A Real Good Time takes the reader from the band's roots in working class childhoods in war-torn London, via each member's sixties Mod roots and onwards through an incredible six-year ride in The Faces and beyond.
This new, updated paperback edition of this acclaimed biography includes an additional chapter covering the sad loss of Ian 'Mac' McLagan, as well as the ongoing rumours surrounding a possible Faces reunion.
The story of a beloved British band, Andy Neill has crafted a brilliant biography that brings Faces fans up to speed with their whole story.
- GenresMusic
514 pages, Paperback
First published March 31, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 23, 2021
Pretty thorough account of the legendary band. Part 1 dragged on a bit with all the origins and smaller bands on the way to each member of the Faces converging. Not that part one was necessarily bad, but I came for the Faces, so I just wasn't as interested in hearing about all the lead up. Once I got into the meat of the story in part 2, it was really entertaining. Hearing about all the guys drunken antics and hotel shenanigans just paints a clearer picture of the raucous band in my head. It's too bad they didn't get to stick together longer.
March 1, 2020
As biographies of musicians go, when it comes to this one, all I can say is...
Had me a real good time.
Had me a real good time.
September 18, 2016
A thoroughly enjoyable and detailed account of one of Britain's greatest bands.
The book's in three parts. The first covers all the guy's careers in the 1960's; the second covers The Faces recording, gigging and drinking up to their eventual demise at the close of 1975; and the last parts gives an overview of what's happened since.
Lots of 'what if's' to ponder along the way and Lane's decline adds a melancholic air to events. But they were, at the end of the day, too gloriously chaotic to allow logic through the door.
I had me a real good time reading this.
The book's in three parts. The first covers all the guy's careers in the 1960's; the second covers The Faces recording, gigging and drinking up to their eventual demise at the close of 1975; and the last parts gives an overview of what's happened since.
Lots of 'what if's' to ponder along the way and Lane's decline adds a melancholic air to events. But they were, at the end of the day, too gloriously chaotic to allow logic through the door.
I had me a real good time reading this.
February 24, 2013
Ahh,The Faces....pretty much everything a rock and roll band should be...loose,sozzed,a laugh and a groove....then came egos,in-fighting and money woes....
Their story is complex,as all the members had a few years under the belt by the time The Faces saga began (Small Faces,Jeff Beck Group,etc) and capers after (The Stones,the Who,etc..)..the book covers those pre and post periods lightly....but the main focus is the years 69-75....and it covers them well...
...from the "down the pub" first rehearsals to private planes and leggy models...its all here....Mac hatcheting pianos and hotels,Woody and Rod forming a songwriting team that delivered the goods,Ronnie Lane's transformation from 3-piece satin suits to farmer clobber....
...and how,once Rod had a solo smash with "Maggie May",things would never be the same....
...there's new input from MacLagan,but the other Faces were not interviewed...but you'd never know it as the author talked to many folks in the inner-circle and researched pretty heavily...
a great rock and roll tale,well told!
Their story is complex,as all the members had a few years under the belt by the time The Faces saga began (Small Faces,Jeff Beck Group,etc) and capers after (The Stones,the Who,etc..)..the book covers those pre and post periods lightly....but the main focus is the years 69-75....and it covers them well...
...from the "down the pub" first rehearsals to private planes and leggy models...its all here....Mac hatcheting pianos and hotels,Woody and Rod forming a songwriting team that delivered the goods,Ronnie Lane's transformation from 3-piece satin suits to farmer clobber....
...and how,once Rod had a solo smash with "Maggie May",things would never be the same....
...there's new input from MacLagan,but the other Faces were not interviewed...but you'd never know it as the author talked to many folks in the inner-circle and researched pretty heavily...
a great rock and roll tale,well told!
February 12, 2012
The Faces were a great band in the 70's and their legacy is undeniable 40 years later. This book is very well written and the author does a great job weaving the stories of all the Faces in one cohesive story. I am a big Rod Stewart fan, and my father is the one who introduced me to him and the Faces. It was really fun reading the stories that he has told me over the years. If I had one complaint it is because I am biased to Stewart and the author seems infatuated with Ronnie Lane. Yes Ronnie Lane is a great song writer, but he is an average singer but at some points in the story the author seems to just want to praise Lane and dismiss Stewart's contribution to the group. But this book is a must read for fans of any members of the Faces or anybody who loves a good rock n roll story.
February 25, 2013
A great bio of one of the premier rock bands of the 1970's. The book traces the lives and careers of each member before forming The Faces and what they did afterwards. All of them, except the late Ronnie Lane, went on to either play in major bands of have stellar solo careers.
May 22, 2014
A great history of The Faces! This book will not disappoint; you will laugh, you will cry, and then you will listen to some really awesome tunes.
November 10, 2016
A shambolic read, much like the Faces themselves.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews