The elfin bassist/vocalist/songwriter
Ronnie Lane often operated in the shadow of a bigger, more boisterous personality (
Steve Mariott in
the Small Faces,
Rod Stewart in
the Faces), but his work in both those bands and as a solo artist was that of an almost mystically good-natured and warm musician. Whether delivering rollicking rock & roll, digging into various folk traditions, or telling rambling tales in his slightly worn, always heart-felt voice,
Lane crafted music that will stand the test of time as well as any made by
the Small Faces,
the Faces, or
Rod Stewart.
Just for a Moment: Music 1973-1997 is a post-
Faces career-spanning box set that cements
Lane's status as one of the great songwriters of the '70s and is a treat for anyone who loves the era when country, rock, folk, and soul got all jumbled up in an organically laid-back fashion. It collects the four studio albums cut under his name and with his band
Slim Chance (1974's
Anymore for Anymore, 1975's
Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance, 1976's
One for the Road, and 1980's
See Me) along with songs recorded with
Pete Townshend for 1977's
Rough Mix record, numerous BBC sessions, previously unreleased demos, singles, live cuts, and a disc of songs recorded near the end of his too-brief life when he relocated to the U.S. in search of a cure for the MS that afflicted him. The studio albums are all wonderful and full of examples of his shaggy-dog storytelling on loose and lively songs that sounded made up on the spot, as well as carefully crafted ballads that could crack the heart of the toughest customers.