"Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners" is a 1974 live album credited to Rod Stewart/Faces. At the time, Stewart wasn't performing as a solo artist but rather alongside the Faces, hence the dual crediting on the album. The album captures a unique moment in the band's history, following the departure of bassist Ronnie Lane, and reflects both Stewart's solo material and the band’s own hits.
The album features a mix of tracks, with only three songs from the Faces' previous albums, and six from Stewart's solo catalog. Two covers are included: "I Wish It Would Rain" (originally by The Temptations) and John Lennon's "Jealous Guy", both of which were previously unreleased at the time. The performance was recorded live on 17 October 1973 at the Anaheim Convention Center, and the album was mixed at Island Studios in London.
This recording was made with the band’s new bassist, Tetsu Yamauchi, who replaced Ronnie Lane after his departure from the group. Lane had left due to frustration with the increasing perception of the Faces as simply Stewart's backing band, especially after the release of Ooh La La. Despite this lineup change, the album captures the band at a pivotal point, as the Faces were soon to disband.
In an unusual release arrangement, the album was distributed in the United States by Mercury Records (which at the time handled Stewart's solo albums), while cassette and 8-track versions were issued by Warner Bros. Records, the Faces' former label. The cassette and 8-track versions also included an extra track, "(I Know) I'm Losing You" by Norman Whitfield, Edward Holland Jr., and Cornelius Grant.
The back cover photo of the album was taken at the Old Boston Garden on May 2, 1973, but it’s notable that the album was long out of print in the United States and is now only available as an import from Japan.
Following the album's release, the Faces would disband within a year and a half, marking the end of an era for the band, which had been a significant part of Stewart’s early career.
