Search - Small Faces :: Darlings of Wapping Wharf Launderette

One of the best ever!

J. C. | Philadelphia | 06/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is THE Small Faces CD to have, despite what "MurrayTheCat" says. Who cares if the songs are not in the EXACT running order they were in on the original LPs? It's all here and then some. This set covers everything the Small Faces recorded during their two years on the Immediate label, where they were given the artistic freedom that resulted in a blaze of creative energy and these great recordings. Unfortunately, these songs were released during a window of time when the best the UK had to offer (The Who Sell Out, Something Else by The Kinks, Village Green Preservation Society) was being ignored in the U.S. As a result, most people here have never heard but a couple of these songs. A few years ago, I bought and played this set for my nephew, who was in his mid-20's at the time and listening to Guided By Voices, Mercury Rev, Ween, etc. He was totally blown away by song after song. All he could do was shake his head and wonder aloud why he'd never heard this stuff before. He still listens to it frequently, as do I. I never get tired of it. There's so much here and it's such a diverse group of songs and productions, from psychedelic to pure pop to front porch blues to power chord ravers and everything in between. The quality is amazing throughout - you won't be skipping through half of the songs like you do on other compilations - and it's still so fresh, not dated. You'll be amazed."

A great buy

Laurence Upton | Wilts, UK | 03/20/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Even more of a bargain than it appears since as well as plenty of A and B sides, including The Universal/Donkey Rides, A Penny A Glass (whose chart failure initiated the band's demise) and the rather wonderful non-PC non-album B-side of Afterglow (Of Your Love), Wham Bam, Thank You Mam, this compilation includes in their entirety their two UK albums for the Immediate label, The Small Faces and Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake, plus all the new studio recordings from the Autumn Stone double-album collection that appeared after they had broken up, all in excellent remastered sound.

A similar collection of the UK Decca label period would be equally welcome."