Search - Small Faces :: Absolutely the Best

A Good Place to Start!

buendia | New York, NY United States | 12/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being introduced to The Small Faces was one of the greatest musical gifts anyone has ever given me. Having been a fan of British music for some time, I had no idea how much inspiration bands such as The Jam drew from this group which I had previously only associated with Rod Stewart. This line-up includes future Keith Moon replacement (The Who), Kenney Jones on drums, and Steve Marriott on lead vocals. Without question one of the greatest rock singers of all time, Marriott was a tiny tennager with an enormous voice, filled with passion and tremendous range. After leaving the Small Faces (who then picked up Rod Stewart for vocals and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, and dropped the "Small" in their name), Marriott formed the blues-flavored Humble Pie. But it is with the Small Faces that the young Steve really shines. The Small Faces catalog has been repackaged and remastered over and over again, but this collection is an awesome introduction to the power-pop rock best showcased on "Tin Soldier" and "Talk to You". Once you know what you're listening for, you'll hear The Small Faces in everything from Led Zeppelin to Blur. If you're interested enough to look up this band, buy this CD. You will be left with only one question: "Where did these East End kids get so much soul?""

Not worth it.

David Goodwin | Westchester, NY United States | 11/17/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"(BTW, the three-star review is based on the practicality of the release, not necessarily the musical content...read on to find out why)The Small Faces easily win the title of the most senselessly re-compiled and re-compiled band of all time, probably edging out even the Yardbirds in that respect. There are, approximately, seven-million different compilations, all offering variations on the same tracks, and most tossing in so many "rarities" that even the four-disc "definitive" boxed-set from a few years back couldn't hope to collect 'em all.And this, folks, is yet another one. What do we have? Mostly the usual culprits, and the mastering sounds the same as the recent Castle series (which, BTW, isn't quite as good as the Charley permutations from a while back...notice how this costs more than Masters, yet is a single disc with fewer songs? Good). The singles are pretty well covered, although the tracklisting comes off as hopelessly random. And, as usual, a few rarities are thrown in...we get an "alternate stereo" Tin Soldier (I honestly can't tell the difference between this and the 30,000 other stereo mixes), the mono I'm Only Dreaming, the stereo Donkey Rides from the aforementioned Charly series, and the one thing I hadn't heard before (I think), another Me You and Us Too.My verdict? There's nothing that really causes this to be any better than any other Small Faces collection, and you're probably better off getting something slightly more comprehensive...even the Darlings compilation, if you must."

Sorry, This Ain't It

J P Ryan | Waltham, Massachusetts United States | 04/03/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Absolutely The Best" and its companion piece "Odds And Mods" (the hits, and the 'rarities') are a pair of CDs collecting the Small Faces Immediate (1967 - 69) recordings issued by the Fuel 2000 label in 2001. If they were the only such collections on the market they would surely be godsends, but they have been eclipsed in every way by other packages issued in the past few years. The remasterring on both titles is especially drab and lifeless. For the recent convert, or curious consumer overwhelmed by the endless stream of compilations and multiple reissues of the same titles here for your perusal on amazon, a brief consumer guide:

"The Ultimate Collection" (Sanctuary, 2003) is a 2-cd set that traces the SF's evolution in 50 tracks, split evenly between the raw, explosive Decca period (1965 - 67, represented on disc one) and the group's Immediate period, when they were given free reign of the best studios (Olympic) and engineers (Glyn Johns, George Chkiantz) in Britain. The artistic and musical growth across a mere three and-a-half-years is amazing. This feature no real rarities, but is the best overview (and introduction), as it contains excellent liner notes and superb remastering that blows "Absolutely..." out of the water.

"Small Faces" (1966/2007) "Fortieth Anniversary Edition" of the band's debut, with 11 bonus tracks, and an expansive booklet, the best version of this band's ferocious debut.

"Small Faces - 35th Anniversary Edition" (2002) is a 2-cd set of the band's third (and first Immediate) album, with the original 14-track set in both stereo and mono, plus nearly a full album's worth of additional tracks that include some of their greatest singles, again in stereo/mono, and a few alternates. Lovingly restored and packaged.

Surprisingly, Fuel 2000's transfer of "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" (2003) may be the best version of that 1968 classic out there (though the tracks included on the Sanctuary comp sparkle with more life), with the added bonus of all five November 1968 Newcastle live recordings plus an alternate version of 'Autumn Stone'.

Finally, "Darlings Of Wapping Wharf Launderette" (Sequel/Castle, 1999) is another 50 track double CD set, this one devoted entirely to the Immediate years. You can create your own 'final' SF album from the batch of late period recordings that are included on the second disc! There are a few more strays, of course, scattered about, but you might check the Japanese 'Rarities' with its amazing sound and long alternate 'Donkey Rides Penny A Glass' if you find it reasonably priced....

Great band, and some of us do indeed become fanatics.

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