First up, we start with the legendary Small Faces. I was first introduced to the band during the Britpop Years when many of those acts said how much of an influence and inspiration they were. Unfortunately, compilers have poorly served the band and record companies down the years, especially after the mess that was the Immediate label. However, at least in the 2010s, there have been some efforts to rectify this with deluxe editions of their 60s catalogue as well as a four disc box set. At the time of writing though, the Autumn Stone compilation has yet to be a part of this programme but hopefully this will not be the case for too much longer.
I have split this band overview over two discs, neatly divided into the Decca and Immediate years. This is not quite as neat a division as it should have been as Eddie’s Dreaming, which ends Disc One was the last song on the first Immediate album. To my ears, none of the Decca material sounded like a last song on an album track, and with the story of Happiness Stan Suite finishing Disc Two, this would have been a track too good to miss off.; hence it goes there. Just Passing on Disc Two was recorded during the period where the band was moving between Decca and Immediate, but it sounds more like the second labels material so it went there. In my opinion, the band also sounded better in Mono so the majority of the songs here are in that format, except for the songs taken from Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake. Being the most psychedelic of their albums, stereo seems to be the best way to listen that material. Stereo was also the way in which I first heard that album, so mono just doesn’t sound right to me. The exception being Song of a Baker which sounds a bit odd in stereo to my ears, due to the drums being in the left channel instead of the centre. Red Balloon has never been released in mono. The front over is a classic mod shot of the band from their early years which was borrowed from a very early Small Faces website back in the early years of this century.
Anyway, stay tuned for more playlists coming over the following weeks.
The Small Faces – The Collection
Disc 1 – The Decca Years
- What’Cha Gonna Do About It (Mono)
- What’s A Matter Baby (Mono)
- Take This Hurt Off Me (Mono/Different Version)
- I Can’t Make It (Session Version – Mono)
- Jump Back (Mono/BBC Saturday Club Version)
- Shake (Mono)
- Hey Girl (Mono)
- Almost Grown (Mono)
- Own Up Time (Mono/Alt Version)
- Come On Children (Mono)
- Understanding (Mono)
- E Too D (Mono)
- You Need Loving (Mono)
- One Night Stand (Mono)
- It’s Too Late (Mono)
- All Or Nothing (Mono)
- Don’t Stop What You’re Doing (Mono)
- My Mind’s Eye (Mono)
- Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (Mono)
- That Man (Mono)
- I’ve Got Mine (Mono)
- You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me (Mono)
- Eddie’s Dreaming (Mono)
Disc 2 – The Immediate Years
- Tin Soldier (Mono)
- Something I Want To Tell You (Mono)
- Here Comes The Nice (Mono)
- Itchycoo Park (Mono)
- I Feel Much Better (Mono Single Mix)
- Become Like You (Mono)
- Talk To You (Mono)
- Things Are Going To Get Better (Mono)
- Afterglow Of Your Love (Stereo)
- Songs Of A Baker (Mono)
- Just Passing (Mono)
- Feeling Lonely (Mono)
- All Our Yesterdays (Mono)
- Lazy Sunday (Mono)
- The Universal (Mono Single Mix)
- My Way Of Giving (Mono)
- Show Me The Way (Mono)
- I’m Only Dreaming (Mono)
- Wham Bam Thank You Mam (Mono)
- Red Balloon (Alt Stereo Mix)
- The Autumn Stone (Mono Single Mix)
- Up The Wooden Hills To Bedfordshire (Mono)
- Happiness Stan (Stereo)
- Rollin’ Over (Stereo)
- The Hungry Intruder (Stereo)
- The Journey (Stereo)
- Mad John (Stereo)
- Happy Days Toy Town (Stereo)
I was not able to add a Spotify playlist because one or more songs were not available on that platform.