Small Faces - 1968 - Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

Quality: 4 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 3.5 out of 5

I bet I would've done this one earlier if I hadn't threatened to do so in my profile blurb. Oh well, we've gotten to it now, and this stands as the Small Faces prime psychedelic moment. It is their best album, but I'd still hand someone the Immediate Singles as an introduction before this.

The band's psychedelic window dressings are much denser on this disc than on their previous recordings. Even with the amped-up freakiness, I can't help but think that these guys are R&B rockers at heart. Fortunately the band used this dichotomy as an asset which is none more apparent than on this album.

Ogden's Nut Gone Flake is a primordial concept album, even though the concept doesn't really kick in until the second side. That's not to say that there isn't some fine material throughout. Really, some of the tracks completely divorced from the 'concept' are highlights of the album.

Among the classics to be found on side one is the rocker "Afterglow." This one starts of with some rather clickity rhythms (that fare much better in the mono mix) and a crooning Ronnie Lane, before going full-tilt hard rock majestic with Steve Marriott providing an anthemic lead.

Separated from "Afterglow" by a few tracks that still maintain a good 'album track' quality is the almost novelty single "Lazy Sunday." Legend has it that the band intended this track as more or less of a joke, but for better or for worse they equipped it with a great chorus. The song proved itself as a single and basically found its way on the album whether the band wanted it to or not. Granted, I can see where the band balked at the goofy cockney vocals, but it's still a great track.

Speaking of cockney, once the second side starts, so does the 'concept' which is punctuated by narrative gibberish courtesy of British comedian Stanley Unwin. It's mildly amusing once or twice, especially if you've been drinking, but all in all probably wasn't the best choice. The concept's there, but you're a braver man (or woman) than I if you're able to find your way through the thick brouge to experience the lysergic tale of Happiness Stan.

Fortunately the songs are still pretty good. "Rollin' Over" cops the "Purple Haze" riff a little too closely for me to enjoy, but "The Journey" nicely delivers on it's title. "Mad John" is a totally groovy folkish story song, and "HappyDaysToyTown" gives us a climactic conclusion to Happiness Stan's story while sounding utterly and tweely insane. It kind of gives me the same vibe as the movie ending "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" from Monty Python's Life Of Brian.

At least in the album format, this is the crowning achievement of the Small Faces. It has a few weaknesses that tend to get glossed over in most reviews, but still has enough verve and cool tracks to be a required listen.

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Small Faces - 1968 - Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

Small Faces - 1967 - Immediate Singles

Quality: 4 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 3.5 out of 5

Although the Small Faces were adept at album making, I feel that they really shined on their singles. This collection (available as bonus tracks on the Small Faces 35th anniversary edition) includes four singles released at the absolute peak of the band's powers. The A-sides here are absolutely phenomenal, while the B-sides are still worthy tracks.

"I Can't Make It" is an R&B stomper which is very much in the non-psychedelic mold of their Decca Records recordings. It's flip side, "Just Passing," however, is a full plunge into the whimsical side of psychedelia with a wavering Ronnie Lane vocal and what seems to be a celeste (along with a bicycle horn). It really does "just pass" though with it's 1:13 running time.

"Here Comes The Nice" and "Itchycoo Park" are the band's absolute masterpiece singles. With a phenomenal melody and great arrangement, "Here Comes The Nice" seems to suggest that the band is heading for sunshine pop territory until the band steps up the aggressive edge in the second half and Steve Marriott gets a chance for a small touch of R&B shouting. "Itchycoo Park," while not copying the previous single at all, performs a single trick with the pastoral verses contrasting with Marriott obvious shouted drug reference of "I got high!" There is a wonderfully phased middle eight to seal the deal.

Where the first three singles are of a piece with Small Faces, "Tin Soldier" anticipates the next album, Ogden's Nut Gone Flake. It's got a widescreen sound with plenty of production space. It a textured piece that isn't quite a masterpiece, but it's still a fine single with great Marriott vocals and a touch of gospel influence.

Mono and stereo mixes are available for this one and my comments on the Small Faces album hold true for this as well.

The albums are fine and dandy, but this is a 20 minute blast of the Small Faces at their peak.

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Small Faces - 1967 - Immediate Singles

Small Faces - 1967 - Small Faces

Quality: 3.5 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 3 out of 5

The Small Faces were a reasonably successful group in 60's Britain, but they never really managed break into the States, and for whatever reason they haven't been particularly well remembered. As such, they have become superstars of the obscure, if you will. You'll probably run into them as soon as you start digging into the 60's and they have sort have gained some additional allure as a result of this.

The band started out as a wailing R&B influenced beat group with Steve Marriott's powerful pipes leading the charge. As we enter their more psych-period on this Immediate Records debut, we find some additional depth from vocals from Marriott's songwriting partner Ronnie Lane. He is technically nowhere near Marriott's singing level, but his somewhat happily lethargic vocals probably fit the psychedelic mold that the Small Faces were working for around this time.

Truth be told, this isn't a particularly psychedelic album. The flourishes of 1967 are certainly present, but the modus operandi are folk rock and the harder hitting mod sound. Much of this favorably compares to early-Who tracks. In fact, drummer Kenny Jones would eventually end up in the Who as Keith Moon's replacement. Much of his drumming here is very Moon-like.

This is an extremely short album at 30 minutes. Nothing here overstays it's welcome; songs like "Feeling Lonely" (at 1:37) could probably stand to be longer. It does cohere very well as an album and makes for a great blast of 60's pop.

"(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me" starts of the album with a single-worthy track with some aggressively strummed acoustic guitars and a catchy-as-hell chorus. "Happy Boys Happy" is a slightly wacky instrumental stuck in the middle of side one of the album. All in all, the first side of the album stands as mildly gritty folk rock.

The psychedelia creeps in a little stronger with side one's closer "Green Circles." We hear a little bit of a baroque arrangement and a fine chorus that the Who would rip off ten years later for "Who Are You." "Become Like You," a enjoyable psych-folk track, starts off the next side.

Side two does a fair amount more experimenting with sound. As many British bands of the era do, the Small Faces tackle music hall on "All Our Yesterdays" while "Talk To You" adds a little fuzz to the sound (and has a little musical quote that the Who would use on Tommy; it was nice of these fellows not to sue). With the album closer "Eddie's Dreaming," the band throws in some horns, flutes, and bongos for a more produced sound.

Once again, both the mono and stereo mixes are available on CD. And once again, I've got to opt for the mono myself. One of my pet peeves is sticking the drums completely in one channel, and unfortunately that was the stereo norm at the time. I think the added punch of mono does a lot for these guys too.

Small Faces is a fine album. My only real problem with it is that it doesn't seem to have much staying power for me. I'm not sure why. Marriott and Lane are a fine songwriting team. I suppose it'll all click for me someday. Maybe it'll be quicker for you.

Feb. 2010 edit: I've been listening to this one again recently - I guess it finally clicked for me and I would crank the ratings up to 4.25 for quality and 3.5 for the Trip-O-Meter. The songwriting stands out even more to me now and I love the completely ridiculous chord progression of "All Or Yesterdays."

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Small Faces - 1967 - Small Faces