Sober and single, Rolling Stones rocker Ron Wood goes solo

Sober and single, Rolling Stones rocker Ron Wood goes solo

The Rolling Stones never get to care about fading out as tenacious as Ron Wood is about to restrain them in the tabloids.

The 63-year-old guitarist has been adding a dosage of hilarity to the ring since 1975, the fan-friendly clown prince who defuses occasional tensions between the prickly pair of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

But with the ring off the route for the preceding 3 years, Wood has been putting his talents to use in other areas: he squired a Russian teenager, got divorced by his second wife, suffered a drug and alcohol relapse, and went through a few more nubile gal pals.

His exploits were dutifully recorded in the media, rendering almost quaint the international incident he moved up in 1977 after a flirtation with the estranged wife of Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau.

But Wood has also found time to read his 7th solo album, one more than the combined outings of Jagger and Richards. "I Look Like Playing," his first turn in 9 years, comes out on Tuesday through Eagle Entertainment.

Needless to say, the recording sessions provided a welcome distraction as good as an emotional outlet.

"I didn`t quite know what it was I wanted to say, but I knew that I had to not break under the stress of going home and start a new life, really, at such a former age," he told Reuters with a wry laugh during a recent interview.

He considers the album a jubilation of what he called his "newfound freedom" as a one man.

"I think freedom is the operational word there," he said. "I`d been so much below the cosh (slang for "under pressure") for so many days that I wasn`t really doing my own thinking. I was having all my thinking done for me."

That`s probably because his career has frequently been waylaid by alcoholism and poor financial judgment, which obligated his wives and handlers to pick up the mess.

HIGH-POWERED FRIENDS

As he did with his early efforts, dating back to 1974′s "I`ve Got My Own Album To Do," which he recorded while yet a member of the Faces, the gregarious Wood recruited some high-powered friends for various tracks. Among the players: ZZ Top`s Billy Gibbons and Guns N` Roses veteran Slash on guitar, Red Hot Chilli Peppers bassist Flea, and his former Faces bandmate Ian McLagan on keyboards. Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder helped write two songs. The uncredited producer is Bob Rock, best known for handling Metallica`s big releases.

But the album is understandably a vehicle for Wood`s singing and playing abilities, as well as a rare opportunity to show his songwriting chops. He wrote or co-wrote all the songs aside from a cover of Willie Dixon`s "Spoonful," the low song recorded at the sessions in Los Angeles.

In a professional career dating back to the early `60s, Wood has written and played on songs with the Birds ("You`re On My Mind"), the Creation ("The Girls Are Naked"), the Jeff Beck Group ("Plynth"), Rod Stewart ("Every Picture Tells a Story") and the Faces ("Stay With Me").

He also chipped in on some 10 album tracks with the Rolling Stones, but has not written anything in around 25 years. His musical contributions on the final few albums were modified to guitar overdubs after the songs were largely completed. Once again, he blames drugs and alcohol for fueling his insecurity.

What? Ronnie Wood insecure? On stage, he has never betrayed any such weakness. In between blistering guitar solos on songs like "Tumbling Dice" and "Can`t You See Me Knocking," Wood would always pal around with his bandmates and smile hello at regular fans in the front rows. On the final tour he picked up a lot of the slack from a subpar Richards.

"I intend with the new me that`s emerged, the new comfortable sober me, I reckon they`ll readdress things and go, `Hey! We got Ronnie back. Let`s see what he can do. Again,`" he said, referring to main songwriters Jagger and Richards.

Wood, of course, hopes there will be another Stones album and tour. These matters will be decided at the band`s annual summit in London after this year. In the meantime, he will meet a one-off theater usher in London on October 19, with more dates being eyed. He will likewise be the chief guest on NBC`s "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" on Friday.

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