Ian McLagan

Indeed, McLagan appears to be coming into his own at a stage in life when most of his surviving contemporaries have either long since disappeared from view or are trying to make do on what amounts to an oldies circuit for aging hippies and rockers. At 63, Mac, as he's known to family, friends, and fans, continues to release new music that feels fresh while simultaneously drawing from the sounds he helped popularize in the late 1960s and 1970s.

One key has been his songwriting, a talent that was rarely on display earlier in his career. He was the piano-playing member of the Small Faces, and most of the songs were written by his bandmates, Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott, both of whom passed away years ago. And with the Faces, which emerged from the ashes of the previous group, he received a few credits, but most numbers were penned by some combination of Lane, Rod Stewart, and/or Ronnie Wood. His voice also took a back seat, although he sang plenty of background vocals over the years. But with such full-throated singers as Marriott and Stewart -- and with another natural in the form of Lane -- McLagan never stood out in the same way.

Over the last decade, however, McLagan has released several albums that feature his own talent at marrying memorable melodies, catchy rhythms, and moving lyrics. And he appears to have reached what, for now, is a pinnacle with Never Say Never, 10 tracks that offer throw-yourself-on-the-floor dance numbers, somber-voiced slice-of-life portraits, and a heartbreaking anti-war song.