Small Faces - Ultimate Collection (50 tracks) +Album Reviews

Best sound & best comp

J P Ryan | Waltham, Massachusetts United States | 02/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 2003 compilation (covering both the Decca and Immediate eras)has the best mastering of any SF title in print. The 1999 "Darlings" set has plenty of nice rareties not included here, but the sound of this set beats that one hands down. The entire debut album is on the first disc - and unlike the Deram remaster from '97 - the material explodes from your speakers like the early Who at their best. The Decca material is raw, soulful, maximimum r & b/rock and roll, with hints of the introspection and psychedelia to come. The Immediate material is simply breathtaking in its scope and variety.And those(Immediate) tracks on disc two are - unlike Fuel 2000's thin sounding transfers - full-bodied, with plenty of beautifully defined bass and drums from one of the most subtle rhythm sections in rock, Ronnie Lane and Kenny Jones. I suggest to any SF newbie, buy this collection and listen close, dance, laugh, cry - then pick up the rest of this classic band's catalog, for they were as great in their day (1965 - 69) as Faces (SF minus Steve Marriott, replaced by Ron Wood and Rod Stewart) would be in theirs (1969 - 75). Together, two of the very best rock and roll bands during a very critical and constantly evolving decade."

Brilliant sixties rock group

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 02/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Small Faces were one of the most distinctive groups of the sixties and have continued to be a major influence on rock music down the years. The founder members were Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenny Jones and Jimmy Winston. Jimmy didn't last long and was replaced by Ian McLagan after their debut single, Whatcha gonna do about it, made the UK top twenty. With the new line-up, the Small Faces had several major UK hits.

Sha la la la lee, Hey girl, All or nothing and My mind's eye were all huge UK hits, with All or nothing going all the way to number one. After a minor hit with I can't help it, they left Decca and signed for the Immediate label.

They just missed the UK top ten with Here come the nice. Itchycoo Park made the UK top three and the American top five (it was their only American hit). Tin Soldier made the UK top ten. Lazy Sunday, a brilliant summer song, was a UK number two hit. The universal made the UK top twenty in 1968, after which the group disbanded. Afterglow of your love became a minor UK hit in 1969. Re-issues of Itchycoo Park (a top ten hit in 1975) and Lazy Sunday (a minor hit in 1976) complete their chart history, unless there are further successful re-issues.

After the group disbanded, Steve Marriot, the lad singer, formed Humble Pie (best known for their UK top five hit, Natural born boogie) while the other three formed the Faces with another musician, Ronnie Wood, and a new lead singer, Rod Stewart.

The music of Humble Pie and the Faces is outside the scope of this compilation, which provides a comprehensive study of the Small Faces' music from both Decca and Immediate labels, including all their UK hits and many great album tracks. Note that most hits compilations tend to have either the Decca tracks or the Immediate tracks. If you buy this, you may never need another Small Faces collection, although even this one does not contain everything."

If you can only buy one Small Faces record

Zelie Nic | Pittsburgh | 06/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"then this has to be the one!

The Small Faces were a legitimate East End mod band. The music is great rock & roll and its a crime that the band never really took off in the states, because the US really missed out on a great band.

When Jimmy Page had to create a new roster to fill out his Yardbirds contractual obligations (the band would become Led Zepplin) his first choice for singer was the diminuative Steve Marriot. Why? Listen to Steve belt it out in tunes like "Whatcha' Gonna' Do About It" and "I've Got Mine."

If you're into mod, then check this out. Into Marriot's other band, Humble Pie? Check this out! Just into great rock&roll? Then you NEED this collection!"

Ultimate Indeed!

John Adams Ervin | Minneapolis, MN | 12/28/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first got into Small Faces twenty years ago, courtesy of a friend's record collection, and found them to be the most incredible British band I never heard of (except for "Itchykoo Park"). I went out to find their music on CD, and could only locate a couple of crappy cassette compilations and "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake." This 2003 release is what I and, no doubt, many other fans have been looking for all these years. Every major single, and every signature track from their four albums is here, plus many fascinating rare cuts. If you want to hear the work of a truly great band that never got its proper due here in the States ("Itchykoo Park" is about the only thing that ever gets played on US radio) check out this 2-disc extravaganza. Believe me, they are a damn sight better than their later incarnation of The Faces, and even better than their Mod rivals, The Who!"

Itchykoo Park As You've Never Heard It

G.C. | Potomac, MD USA | 01/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I give credit to whoever put this CD together -- they knew what they were doing. Especially in the remastering process. These songs have been available on endless compilations but often with the same muddy sound. Then there is the additional challenge of the Small Faces record labels -- their initial British Invasion sounding (1965-66) releases were on Decca. After changing management the band signed with the Immediate label which produced their 1967-68 recordings. The CD is divided into two parts with the first disc consisting of Decca material and the second representing their output on Immediate. But the real gem is the remastering. It is superb. These tracks will now sound as fresh as they did when they were released. I would hazard a guess that the person who was responsible for this effort was a fan of the band, and was given authorization to track down the original tapes and reproduce them for this project. I only found a few songs, including "Patterns" and "The Universal" where there was no marked improvement in fidelity (possibly because master tapes could not be located for every song). I have only a minor issue with the compilation, and that is the omission of "What's A Matter Baby", the B-side of the group's first single. But there are other joys here including "You Need Loving" which is the bridge between Willie Dixon's "You Need Love" and Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Its no stretch to think that Page and Plant were familiar with the Small Faces' reworking of Dixon. In short, what you have here is the true definition of an essential compilation, because if you buy this disc, there is really no need to track down any of the band's other material."

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