The Small Faces - Small Faces (1967)

The Small Faces were a highly influential English rock band active from 1965 to 1969.

In 1967 the Small Faces signed with Immediate Records, after splitting with Decca. They were at that point progressing rapidly, leaving their R&B roots behind and moving into more psychedelic and pop orientated sounds. This was clearly evident on their first Immediate single, "Here Come The Nice", which got to #12, and managed to escape censorship despite its obvious drug references. 

Their first album on Immediate (confusingly another self-titled one, like their Decca debut) came out in the summer of 1967. However at the same time Decca released a compilation album (From The Beginning) to try and cash in on the band one last time, meaning they had two albums on the market side by side. Perhaps this is why Small Faces only made it to #12 on the album chart, whilst their debut had hit #3. It's a shame, as it turned out to be a brilliant album, definately one of their best, with a diverse range of sounds and styles. Of note were four songs with lead vocals by bassist Ronnie Lane rather than Steve Marriot, and even one sung by keyboardist Ian McLagan. McLagan's keyboard sounds were also vastly expanded beyond just the organ. Overall the album was a great artistic success, representing a massive leap forward in the band's creativity.

From The Beginning (1967) <|> Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (1968)
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