rod the bod

Do you remember when Rod betrayed us all and flipped? Came out with "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" I don't. Well, kinda--I remember it vividly, but I had no clue what was going on. It's one of my first memories of some kind of big cultural reaction--a sense that something had gone Wrong. I think the way he now is systematically working his way through every song ever written might be more of a problem, but in any case it is pure pleasure to discover more of the Faces years.

I'm totally in love with "Bad 'n' Ruin," and not just because I am a sucker for good drum breaks. Click here for a Top of the Pops version (with Ron Wood on ugly toilet guitar, complete with dangling paper) that is nonetheless damn cool. I love what Rod does with the mic stand during the drum break. I could watch the two-second bit where he does that over and over all day. I love that the song sounds raunchy but is so sad. And funky. I've always liked "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" too, actually. It has a cool sad feel--musically, at least. I like the wobbly but persistent bass line. But it's hard to watch Rod shaking his shiny butt, his hair blonder, wooing his lady bar-friend and all officially Sexy. Sheds a little light on the aghast reaction at the time.