The Small Faces get bigger Part One

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5 Star Band

**First Step. The Faces debut album. Proper bunch of Mods.**

Audio CD (paid link)

What a glorious band. Formed out of the ashes of ‘The Small Faces’ and ‘The Jeff Beck Band,’ nobody could have predicted the influence this lovable bunch of rogues would have on rock ‘n’ roll history.

When Steve Marriot left ‘The Small Faces’ in early 1969, he left his band mates without one half of the song writing partnership, the guitarist, singer, and front man, so on paper not much left then. However, longtime friend Ronnie Wood was keen to step into the breach (incredibly, Ronnie Wood had been playing bass guitar in the shadow of Jeff Beck in his band for the last two and a half years). He brought along his friend and vocalist from his previous gig, a certain Mr. Rodney Stewart, who at the time was so lacking in confidence on stage that he would often sing with his back to the audience. Amazing when you consider what a microphone wielding strumpet he was going to become over the next couple of years.

After brief rehearsals the band, under the shortened name of ‘The Faces,’ set out on the road, recording a debut album along the way (First Step, March 1970). Although this album was poorly received both by the general public and most of the critics, by the end of 1970 they had built a reputation as one of the most awesome and lunatic live acts on the circuit. And 1971 was to be their Year.

Going from playing gigs at concert halls and college dates at the beginning of the year, by Christmas they were selling out arenas all over the world. Record sales went the same way. Nobody has been more prolific before or since. In that one scintillating year they released three albums. First the half live – half studio effort ‘Long Player,’ < Audio CD (paid link) >which stormed up the American charts, giving them their first single hit as well in ‘Had me a Real Good Time’. Then came the international break through with Rod Stewart’s solo album ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’ < Audio CD (paid link) > (a Faces album in all but name), which topped the charts around the world. So did the single from the album ‘Maggie May,’ which remained on top of the charts for weeks and was being played everywhere you went.

Their appearance on English TV program ‘Top of the Pops’ had to be seen to be believed. They made no pretense of playing their instruments to the music they were supposed to be miming to, instead they spent their time kicking oversized footballs into the crowd, falling off the stage, and letting English radio disc jockey John Peel (a non-musician) pretend to play the mandolin solo in the middle, while Ronnie Lane mugged up behind him.

*The Faces- Long Player. Dreadful artwork, a replica of a Bootleg,*
*complete with flimsy cardboard cover which fell apart in your record*
*racks. But the music is fabulous.*

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So when it was announced that there would be one more Faces album before Christmas, expectations were high, and the boys did not disappoint. Never has rock music been put across in such a charmingly fun way.

A ‘Nod is as good as a Wink to a Blind Horse’ < Audio CD (paid link) > was the selected title. First up is ‘Miss Judy’s Farm’, a great fat slab of Rock ‘n’ Roll from the combined pen of Stewart/Wood, giving the band a chance to stretch their wings. A driving riff from Woody fires the song into life before the plonk of Ronnie Lane’s bass comes into drive. Kenny Jones’s no frills drums lends solid support to the song, while Ian McLagan – in old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll style – sensibly sticks to the piano to duel with the lead guitar breaks. Then, of course, on top of this you have the gravel voiced whoops and yelps of that now full of confidence rooster of the vocals – Rod Stewart, preening his way through the lyrics with a wonderful sureness inspiring a generation. After two minutes of the song, Woody slows the whole entourage down to a snail’s pace before the entire band roars back in to bring the opening song to an exciting conclusion, with each artist battling to be heard.

Click here for part 2