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Record Collector February 2004
Slim Chance were the band Ronnie Lane formed on
leaving the Faces in 1973, just as Rod Stewart's solo career was eclipsing
that of his bandmates. The new band played predominantly acoustic music-
folk, Celtic, skiffle et al; and while it was thought he had a "slim chance"
of success, he did flirt with the charts. The music is gentle, often gypsy-ish,
swinging from music hall (I'm Gonna Sit Right Down) to the acoustic
blues/jazz of Stone; the debut is a flamboyant, but different mix.
Their second album, One for the Road,
kicks off with the upbeat pub-rocker Don't Try To Change My Mind
followed by the acoustic 32nd Street. The music has emotional highs
and lows, making it all the more absorbing.
And that was it for Slim Chance. Lane went
solo, and often flirted with Small Faces reunions before ill-health took its
toll. While he was the mainstay of the Faces, the two albums on this set
should not be overlooked.
Joe Geesin |
