(Maniac) www.maniacrecords.com

Ian McLagan deserves all the respect in the world. Beginning with his days in the Small Faces and the Faces, his keyboards—piano, Wurlitzer and Hammond B3 especially—have graced albums by the Stones, Dylan, Springsteen, Westerberg, Bragg and Raitt, among other all-stars. His Austin-based Bump Band is great live: a classic loose and feel-good bar band with roots as deep and legitimate as they come. But Never Say Never suffers from too much Mac. The ten originals are in the Faces/Stones vein of bluesy rock, with plenty of slide guitar from “Scrappy” Jud Newcomb and, of course, McLagan’s barrelhouse piano. Mac’s raspy, weathered voice has enough shades of his old mate Rod Stewart that one can’t help but imagine that these songs would come alive with Rod or Mick (or Bruce or Paul or…) to front them. Patty Griffin drops in on “When the Crying Is Over,” but this is Mac’s show, and it’s just a footnote to his legacy.

Standout tracks:  “I’m Hot, You’re Cool,” “When the Crying Is Over” STEVE KLINGE