Ron Wood's "I Feel Like Playing" Review

Ron Wood

I Feel Like Playing

Rating: ****

The past few years have been hard on Ronnie Wood. In 2008, he and his wife of many years Jo Karslake divorced. He left her for a teenage Russian model but that was finished after Wood was arrested over assault. Also, Wood has been in and out of rehab constantly trying to kick his drinking and drug taking habits. After all this madness, Woody makes his first studio album in nine years. The album, I Feel Like Playing, lives up to its title: Wood is playing his guitar and rocking. The Rolling Stones guitarist of 35 years has made a really good album that has the feel of an old Stones record. Wood didn't do the album alone. Guesting on the album are his friends Slash, Flea, Jim Keltner, Ian McLagan, Daryl Jones, Bernard Fowler, and many others. I Feel Like Playing has twelve track, plus two bonus tracks. Personally, I like "Sweetness My Weakness" which is a reggae-tinged track that brings back memories of the Stones' "Hey Negrita". "Lucky Man" is quite catchy while "Thing About You" is a nice grooving rocker. "Spoonfull" is cool and "Well I Don't Know" has Wood shinning at guitar. Wood's vocals are fair for the entire album, especially the album's closer "Forever". Overall, Ronnie Wood's I Feel Like Playing is good album. If you're a Stones fan, you should have this for sure.