Let The Good Times Roll: My Life in Small Faces, Faces and The Who

by Kenney Jones

'WHICH IS THE BEST BAND I'VE BEEN IN? THE SMALL FACES WERE THE MOST CREATIVE, THE FACES WERE THE MOST FUN, THE WHO WERE THE MOST EXCITING. THESE WERE ELECTRIFYING DAYS IN MUSIC. WE WERE ALL UNTRIED, UNTESTED. WHAT WAS STOPPING US? NOTHING.'

As drummer with the Small Faces , Faces and later The Who , Kenney Jones' unique sense of rhythm was the heartbeat that powered three of the most influential rock bands of all time.

Beginning in London's post-war East End, Kenney's story takes us through the birth of the Mod revolution, the mind-bending days of the late-1960s and the raucous excesses of the '70s and '80s. In a career spanning six decades, Kenney was at the epicentre of many of the most exciting moments in music history and has experienced everything the industry has to offer. He jointly created some of the world's most-loved records, hung out with the Stones, Beatles, David Bowie, Keith Moon and Rod Stewart, and suffered the loss of close friends to rock 'n' roll excess and success.

The legacy created by Kenney and his band mates has influenced acts as diverse as Led Zeppelin, the Sex Pistols and Oasis. Now, for the very first time, Kenney tells the full story of how a young Cockney Herbert played his part in the biggest social transformation in living memory - the people, the parties, the friendships, the fall-outs, the laughter, the sadness, the sex, drugs, and a lot of rock 'n' roll, while also opening up about his own deeply personal battles and passions, too. This is a vivid and breath-taking immersion into the most exciting era of music history and beyond.

Genres: Music, Autobiography, Biography, Memoir, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook

368 pages, Paperback

Published July 11, 2019

Reviews

[Nigeyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let the Good Times Roll: My Life in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who (2018) by Kenney Jones was more enjoyable than I was expecting.

Kenney's early life in the East End is interesting however things really pick up when he meets the other members of the Small Faces. If you're interested in the era, or the Small Faces, the Faces, The Who, and like music memoirs, then there's plenty to enjoy with some interesting revelations that were new to me.

4/5



The blurb....

The long-awaited memoir of the legendary drummer's life and times in the bands Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.

From the Mod revolution and the British Invasion of the 1960s, through the psychedelic era of the 1970s, and into the exuberance and excesses of stadium rock in the 1980s, Kenney Jones helped to build rock and roll as we know it. He was the beat behind three of the world's most enduring and significant bands.

He wasn't just in the right place at the right time. Along with Keith Moon, John Bonham, and Charlie Watts, Jones is regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time, sought after by a wide variety of the best-known and best-selling artists to bring his unique skill into the studio for the recording of classic albums and songs—including, of course, the Rolling Stones's "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)."

And Jones is no shallow rock star. He may play polo with royalty from across the globe now, but this is the story of a ragamuffin from the East End of London, a boy who watched his bandmates, friends since his teens, die early, combated dyslexia to find a medium in which he could uniquely excel, and later found a way through the wilderness years when the good times seemed to have gone and he had little to fall back on.

Kenney Jones has seen it all, played with everyone, and partied with all of them. He's enjoyed the highs, battled the lows, and emerged in one piece. Let the Good Times Roll is a breathtaking immersion into music past that leaves readers feeling as if they lived it too.

[Jason Koivu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps my favorite era of the rock n roll period is circa 1965-66 UK. I love the mods: The Small Faces, Spencer Davis Group, The Creation, and some of the stuff The Who were doing at the time. Kenney Jones was the drummer for the Small Faces and much of this book revels in those brief but glorious years. His personal story is quite interesting and well-told herein. The rock n roll stories alone were worth the price and more!

[Marti Reppetto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely an entertaining and enlightening read because there don't seem to be many books on The Small Faces, who are easily in my Top Ten, 1960's, British bands of all time (although I will have to track down the Ian MacLagen and Steve Marriott bios).

These guys got in on the ground floor of the "Mod" movement and started having hits while they were still living with their parents (before they were given a place to live, party, and rehearse by none other than Don Arden, who is probably less well known now than his daughter Sharon Osborne).

The rift with Arden was swift as he kept pushing the band in a "teenybopper" direction while they wanted to be seen as more of a hard rock act. Arden also encouraged the band to shop for clothes and "anything they wanted" only to deduct it from their royalties later on. That's when they switched to Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate label, where they recorded their most artistically accomplished work (even though Oldham went against the band's wishes to release "Lazy Sunday" which they viewed as a joke track...it's still a great song).

Eventually, they probably would have caught on in America if Marriott had not purposely written a throwaway song to get out of their contract with Immediate, which was going down the tubes anyway. That's when the others teamed up with Rod Stewart and finally found success across the pond. Although Jones seemed able to exert some moderation over the chaos and debauchery that consumed the other members of the band, he was certainly no teetotal. Thus we do get the obligatory stories of Keith Moon throwing TVs out hotel windows in Australia. (Jones ended up replacing Moon in The Who, a situation that started well and deteriorated quickly thanks to Roger Daltry's conviction that he was the wrong drummer for the band).

It ends with Jones being the last Small Face standing (Steve died in a fire, Ronnie of M.S., and Ian of a stroke). Jones was clearly saddened by that because, probably more than most groups, they really were "mates," even if attempts to reform the band ended badly.

[Madeleine Hague · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited when Kenney Jones's autobiography - published this year on both "sides of the pond" - arrived in the mailbox! He is one of rock's greatest drummers.
In 1964, Kenney Jones, age 16, joined up with Steve Marriott, Ian McLagan (replacing Jimmy Winston) and Ronnie Lane to become the "darlings of Wapping Wharf" - The Small Faces. Back in the days of Carnaby Street, Mods and mini-skirts, a "face" was anyone attractive, cool and famous (think Jean Shrimpton, Twiggy, Keith Moon, Mary Quant). These four guys were faces, and definitely small – not one over 5'5". While The Small Faces made some of the best recordings of the Swinging (UK) 60's - from soul to R&B, to pop to heavy rock - theirs was a short time in history, and they never toured North America, which was a career-killer. Steve Marriott left in 1968 to form Humble Pie with Peter Frampton and a new band, the Faces was formed, consisting of Kenney, Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan and two taller "faces" - Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart. Off they went to North America and soon, they were world-wide superstars. Later, Woody left to join the Stones, Ronnie Lane died of MS, Rod pursued a solo career, while Ian "Mac" McLagan, became a sought-after session/touring keyboardist. As for Kenney....the sad death of Keith Moon, led to his becoming The Who's new drummer. He was already good friends with everyone in the 'orrible 'oo.
"Let the Good Times Roll" takes you through the terrific and tumultuous years in each band. I found it a very compelling read. The ups, the downs - i.e. an only child, finding his "brothers" in the Small Faces, hitting number one on the charts, Marriott's volatile personality, Kenney's trying times with the Who - help you understand the fundamental makeup of a band. I appreciated Kenney's honesty about relationship and health challenges and liked his straight-ahead writing style. He is funny and non-judgemental and he's never afraid to try something new - be it musical or mechanical! This book "rolls" along beautifully - a real page-turner for any rock & roll fan. From the back cover: "The Small Faces were the most creative, the Faces were the most fun, The Who were the most exciting. These were electrifying days in music. We were all untried, untested. What was stopping us? Nothing. "

[morgan ☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nothing stays the same. Growing up, becomes grown up."

If i'm being honest I didn't know a lot about Kenney Jones before picking up this book. I mainly picked it up because I like learning about the music culture of the 1960's and 70's. Even so I still really enjoyed this.

[KB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last year when I read Ian "Mac" McLagan's book All the Rage, I pretty much had no clue who either Small Faces or Faces were. But since completing that, I've become quite a big fan of both bands. I was pretty excited to find out that drummer Kenney Jones has also written a book spanning his career in those two bands, with the Who, and beyond.

I know we have to go through the obligatory childhood phase, but it really seemed to drag on. Way too much time spent here. Once we get to the Small Faces, things begin to pick up. Jones has some nice stories about his time together with Mac, Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott. He doesn't go too into detail about writing and recording, but he does talk about his progression as a drummer. One of the main takeaways from this part of the book is how both Don Arden and Andrew Oldham screwed over the group. This slowly took a toll on the band, and along with not entirely being able to break away from the teeny-bopper scene, Marriott split the band.

So we move onto Faces - essentially Small Faces with Marriott being replaced by Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood. Jones describes Faces as if it were a big party all the time. It sounds like he really had a riot with them. When talking about their music, he states that they made a few albums of "varying quality." I can agree with that. During this period, Rod Stewart's solo career was taking off; this resulted in Faces nearly becoming Stewart's backing band. If you look at concert advertisements from this period, you'll notice that sometimes they were even billed and promoted as "Rod Stewart and the Faces." Jones doesn't have much to say about Stewart in negative terms; he didn't seem bothered about this concert billing or playing second fiddle to the lead singer. He does say that he believes Rod kept all his best material for his solo work, though.

Eventually Faces also split up, and Jones is given the offer to play with The Who after Keith Moon passes. He talks about trying to balance his playing style with doing something that also fit in with The Who's sound and did justice to Moon's own drumming. Quite a challenge, I'm sure. He seemed to get along well with Pete Townshend and John Entwistle, but not so much with Roger Daltrey. At least not all the time.

In between his work with these three major bands, we do get insight into his personal life, his time spent doing sessions, the ill-fated Small Faces reunion, his love of polo and horseback riding, and various other musical endeavours and concerts he took part in. I think Mac's book contains more of the 'fun' stories; Kenney didn't seem to get into things the way other band members did, so he wasn't around (or wasn't getting into) all the hijinks and such. Jones comes across as a decently level-headed guy, not one to hold a grudge.

As much as I love Faces, I think the break up of Small Faces is sadder. To me, the four members of that band were best together. Marriott went on to form Humble Pie and Jones' opinion on them is basically my opinion on them: I just can't get into it. Marriott never went on to find the success he had with Small Faces and eventually died in a house fire in 1991. A sad end for one of rock's greatest vocalists. Over time, Ronnie Lane was reduced to not being able to do much of anything due to his multiple sclerosis, dying in 1997. And Mac passed away in 2014. So now only Jones remains, and he works hard to preserve their legacy and try to get back some of the royalties and such that had been denied to the band.

When the book works, it really works. But when Jones is going between major events, the book tends to drag a bit. Like, I get that he's very passionate about polo, but I do really care? And sometimes I wondered if he was giving us his real feelings about certain people. But overall I enjoyed it. It's one of those autobiographies that you read and think, 'that was fine. Enjoyable, even.'

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kenney Jones’ voice is delightful - I can hear it through his words, laughing at some of the memories, reminiscing about antics, friendships, good times and bad times. He’s such a candid storyteller, a bit of a rambler at times, making this autobiography a refreshing read.

Kenney Jones, for those who don’t know, found fame as the drummer of Small Faces, and then Faces, and after the death of his good friend Keith Moon, drummer for The Who until they split. Kenney is a born and raised East End boy, and basically born a Mod. His autobiography is the story of where he came from, how he got into music and the drums in particular, how his bands made a name for themselves, and so much more! We learn loads of fun anecdotes about life in the days when audiences were a set of screaming female fans, when trashing hotel rooms was the norm, and when everyone was friends with everyone in the scene and beyond. And then so much more than that! Kenney has done so much in his life, made music with so many people, and has so many stories to tell that Let The Good Times Roll is just a joy to read.

It does jump around a bit at times, I understand why - he likes to tell a particular story until the end - but timeline wise it messes with you sometimes. All in all it makes the book seem less polished than a typical autobiography, but in a good way in my opinion: you feel like you are sitting at a table at Kenny’s local enjoying a few pints and a good old wander down memory lane.

I really enjoyed Let The Good Times Roll ­– it was great to have a view of bands that I love from one of the members, to hear all about a scene I was way too young to be part of but wish I could have been, and also just to read about other famous musicians I admire in a different way, from a friend’s point of view rather than a biographer’s or music journalist’s eye.

I’m going to watch Live Aid again now that I’ve finished the book! And will be focusing on the drummer this time when The Who’s set starts!

(Also, as a personal note, the Meher Baba references in the book took me back to my own childhood, our trip to India in 1993, and Pete Townshend singing Meher Baba’s prayer. It’s funny because most people have no idea what I’m talking about when I mention his name, but he is a huge reference to my own childhood, and it was interesting to revisit that through the autobiography of a musician!).

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book written by Kenney Jones himself and goes through his childhood and then when he first started performing with bands at a young age up to when he joined what became small faces. Through I had never heard of them I did hear of and have music of the Faces which Rod Stewart and Ronny Wood, tow name tow people started with before they moved on. If you can find any of their music it is very good and a totally different sound for Rod Stewart. He moves on in his life with what was happening and then leads up to his joining the Who, and how he would be asked to go into the recording studio when needed with other artists. What I found so appealing with this book and others about the musicians from England during the 60’s and 70’s was that they all knew each other and seemed to get along and did not mind to work on someone else’s recorded if need be. A very good book that my words do not give justice to. I enjoyed the read and I still enjoy the music he and others from that time made. O overall a very good book. I received this book from Netgally.com I gave it 5 star. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Bob Schnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kenney Jones is a rock-n-roll drummer who was a founding member of the Small Faces and the Faces. He then went on to replace Keith Moon in the Who. His autobiography "Let the Good Times Roll" should then be a rollicking tale of debauched antics, on the road hi-jinks and drunken madness. It is, until it isn't.

It seems that our Mr. Jones was often the first one to bed and the voice of reason, thereby missing out on any number of legendary escapades. The ones he does recall are entertaining enough but there is also a fair bit of drum tech and horse riding as well. He gives a good account of the financial misdeeds of various labels and managers but tends to get bogged down in the legal proceedings in his efforts to recoup what should rightly belong to the artists. The end of the book is mostly about his charity work and playing polo.

The heart of the story is his relationships with Steve Marriott, Rod Stewart, John Entwhistle and the other rock luminaries he befriended on the journey. It is in these passages that we understand why he felt the need to write the book and we are glad he did.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delivered on every level. Rock music books are often written by a person well removed from the band but Kenney Jones was there and experienced it all. There are always two sides of a story and Kenney is definitely forthright in his views about who he thinks is at fault for many of the mishaps that befall the bands that he was in. If your a fan of rock and roll you will love this book.

[Colm Mccrory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to have the final biography of one of the Faces.
Really good read, though the polo/Prince Charles bit lost me a bit at the end!

[cheryl allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know now too much about drumming

As a teenager I was a big Small Faces can saw them live a few times had posters on my bedroom wall etc so looked forward to reading this book by their drummer. I quite enjoyed the first part of his life growing up in the East end but it is a boring plod of a book. It goes into a lot of detail about drumming technique that I couldn't care less about. Very actual insight into the mad world of The Small Faces, The Faces or the Who. Come on you shared a hotel room with Keith Moon let's get some excitement let"s get the aura of fun, drugs ,booze, girls not in this book. It plods it's way through the hits, the two marriages , the children, the bust ups with very little actual insight. It ends with the ridiculous statement about opening Polo up as a sport to anyone really Kenney,? Before the Small Faces you didn't know one end of a horse from another. Forgotten your roots? Too pally with Prince Charles? Not a good read got incredibly boring in parts.

[Elena Woontner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kenney offers his personal perspective of his experiences as drummer in the Small Faces, the Faces, and the Who, among other projects. He comes across as a practical, salt of the earth guy, who could keep time and do it his way with the most volatile and be patient with the most "diva" frontmen.
He sure enjoys a drink, but this never prevents him from doing his job and doing it well. He is an "East End Herbert" through and through, but likes riding and play polo with royalty and rock stars. Always very savvy with his money, he is the only surviving member of the Small Faces and he is still trying to recover their royalties. He always knew what he wanted, and he had it all indeed.
Having read Roger Daltrey's biography, I was curious to hear his side of the story. I have actually seen the Who live with Kenney, and, while he knew how to play everything just fine, I understand Roger when he said that he was probably not the right drummer for the Who, but to this day I cannot tell who would have been the right drummer for the Who. Kenny knew that he was not Moonie.
Enjoyable read!

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oy, the misspellings! This editor cringed again and again at the flubs in Kenney Jones' memoir.

But aside from the negligent editing, Jones' recollections are surprisingly engaging at times, especially in the book's earlier sections. Blessed with remarkably understanding parents, he launches himself into the music business as a teenager and finds almost immediate success with the Small Faces. His memories of that time show sincere love for his bandmates and what they were doing.

From there come the usual egos, drugs, and ripoffs. The Small Faces collapse in money and management problems. The Faces fizzle out when that band's famous bonhomie undercuts their progress. His time with the reconstituted Who is doomed when he can't get along with singer Roger Daltrey.

Jones seems like a nice guy, and has a more interesting way with an anecdote than one might expect from someone who spent his career at the back of the stage. But none of that is enough to carry what ends up as a run-of-the-mill rock memoir.

[Grant Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was far more readable than I was expecting. He was never the main character like Marriot, Mac or even Lane or later, Rod Stewart or Woody. But he was always there, ploughing away in the background keeping the beat. He was never a Moonie or even a Ringo so I was expecting a dry book.
His insight on the Small Faces years provided some valuable detail and perspective however, I felt the Faces years were skipped over a bit given their success. There were surely far more stories about their antics that he could have included.
I learned a lot. I knew about the polo and thought I knew about The Who years but I wasn't aware of the dynamics going on in that line up. I also wasn't aware of how he continues to battle for the affairs of the Small Faces as the last man standing on behalf of his old band mates and their families.
I really enjoyed this. Thanks Kenney.

[SundayAtDusk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since the only song I know by the Small Faces is Itchycoo Park, which I have on my iPod, I was surprised to find out they did so much more. I also had no idea they were the Faces with Rod Stewart. Drummer Kenney Jones does a pretty good job describing his years in those bands, as well as with the Who. The most interesting parts to me, though, were the parts about his childhood and life in England in the 1950s and early 1960s. Reading about his relationship with band members, as well as all the stories about drinking and touring and such, got old before the end of the book. Nevertheless, it was hard not to like the author and to see him as a fair man, not a man out to trash others, the way they trashed hotel rooms.

(Note: I received a free ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.)

[Anders Olow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written and well read book about the life and times for drummer Kenney Jones in Small Faces, Faces and The Who. He tells about ups and downs, of success and failure, about friendship and fallouts. How ever it goes, these are still times that the writer himself cherish. As do we the fans.
Kenney Jones does not avoid difficulties and strong opinions, but he has clearly a balanced view when it comes to retrospect.
Ian Mac McLagan, pianist in Small Faces and Faces, has also written a biography - "All the Rage", that will be my next read.
There is also a really good book out about lead singer Steve Marriott - "It´s all too beautiful", and there will be another one about him called "All Or Nothing: The Authorised Story of Steve Marriott" coming out in March 2021.

[Lee Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read that covers his large, impressive body of work and a true who’s who of British Rock: Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, Ronnie Wood, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, Roger Daltrey, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Mick Jagger, just off the top of my head. Sad story regarding the business part of the music industry in 1960’s England and it’s impact on the young lads of Small Faces, hilarious stories from the Faces, and interesting but, again, sad stories of his short, frustrating time in The Who. He’s led quite a life and seems all too aware of his good luck in being born when he was.

[Sherry Chiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of the Small Faces and the Faces, I enjoyed reading about the rise and fall of both bands. But also of interest was learning more about drumming from one of the best; he explained the intricacies in such a way that even a nonmusician like me was about to appreciate the nuances of the art. I would have liked more nitty-gritty about the Small Faces and Faces, in particular about Ronnie Lane, as I'm a huge fan, but Jones's eulogy of him was touching in its simplicity.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[jboyg · Rating 3 out of 5]

straight ahead retelling of the Faces/The Who drummer’s Story

Rather boringly written account of Kenny jone’s role as drummer for two of the all-time great British rock bands. Weird, because Jones himself is a man of many talents and accomplishments: helicopter pilot, rated Polo player and owner operator of his own officially recognized Polp pitch. But somehow a plain Jane writer who never lets himself break free as a writer/raconteur. Still, probably a must for fans of his bands.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book of two halves. The first is fascinating, tracing his ragamuffin childhood in the East End of London, through forming the Small Faces with Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriot, their success in the sixties and on to further success in the seventies with The Faces. His time spent in The Who is interesting but too short, and the second half of the book goes out with a whimper with endless tales of bourgeois games of Polo with Prince Charles and other dullards.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable memoir by the drummer who played with the Small Faces, Faces, and The Who after Keith Moon's untimely death. Jones offers interesting and often amusing insight into the bands he played with and the British rock 'n' roll scene in general during his long career. Love all the British slang, which is easy enough to look up if unfamiliar. Jones comes off as a genuine, good old East End bloke.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and entertaining read. Kenneth Jones was the drummer in several of the top selling groups of the 60’s & 70’s and his story takes us through the madcap antics and excesses of the Rock ‘n’ Roll lifestyle of those times.
He tells us about his friendship s and his challenges as well as his rivalries and clashes.
If you like music this is definitely a book you will enjoy.

[michael jencik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good

I didn't know what to make of this book when I decided to read it. I knew nothing about the Small Faces or the Faces but am a big fan of The Who. I am really glad I read it. I've listened and have discovered the greatness of these two bands and now know their history. Fun read.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional read, captures the life and soul of Kenney Jones and his adventures with The Small Faces, The Faces and The Who perfectly, whilst also delivering slices of comedy and emotion. a fantastic life story.

[Darla Ebert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main "revelations" detailed in this, however, interesting tale, involve young men behaving badly. Those stories and events are disheartening where they are not outright revolting. The idea of "Boys will be boys" is old and outdated. The talent, though, is inarguable.

[Mark K.Astley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a lot about the great music of The Small Faces, Faces and later the Who. More about a 'cor blimey' I'm Cockney Boy done good - which is a reasonable read.

[Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting music biography, telling the story of the Who from the 60's onwards. Kenney writes well an provides a unique insider's point of view.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

#70 of 120 books pledged to read during 2023