I've never decided whether I love this album or not.
I bought it in 1973 on the strength of their previous 1971 album 'A Nod Is As Good As A Wink .. To A Blind Horse' and the rising popularity of Rod Stewart as a solo artist.
To be honest I was also intriqued by the animated album cover and needed to add it to the collection.
The Faces were getting a bit disjointed by the time they did this album .. Rod's success meant he wasn't as involved as he should have been and he later stated that he thought the LP was "a stinking rotten album" ... "a bloody mess'.
That didn't sit too well with founding member Ronnie Lane, who left the group a few months later. Ronnie Wood stuck around, but in 1975 Keith Richards asked him to join the Rolling Stones. Odd fact - although he joined in 1975 he "was not officially inducted as a member until bassist Bill Wyman's departure in 1993".
The album 'Ooh La La' has some good stuff .. a couple of slow numbers, 'Just Another Honky', 'If I'm On The Late Side' .. and some rock tracks .. 'Borstal Boys', 'Silicone Grown', and some that just sound like Rod Stewart songs .. 'Cindy Incidentally'
Over recent years, the title track, which is actually the last song on the album, has gained popularity and play for being used in a variety of ads and promotions.
"I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was younger
I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was stronger"
.. sort of a mantra for all of us who were youngsters when this record came out and are now reflective seniors.
As I mentioned, the cover is animated based on a stylised photograph of "Gastone," a stage character of 1920s Italian comedian Ettore Petrolini. The gatefold opens to a rather disturbing composite photo of the group, with Rod Stewart being very pervy looking up at a can-can dancer.
I'm still deciding whether I love this album or not, but I'll keep working on it.
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