Faces — 492

ALBUM: Snakes and Ladders, Best of Faces (1976)

MVC Rating: 4.0/$$$

Let me preface this by saying the Small Faces  evolved into Faces after Steve Marriott  left. Rod Stewart then hopped on board. They always seemed like they were having a real good time and seemed to be  shit-faced  half the time.

Put this one on and bring the pub to our home.

Feet sticking to the floor. Band so bad it’s the best;  Chuck  Berry chords. Dancing.  Here hold my beer!

You either love Rod Stewart or you don’t. No?

I  think he’s great. His distinct voice always seemingly on the verge of laryngitis,  his vocal skills, timing. his rock and roll sensibilities. Even his highly commercial Top 40 years and brief fling (like the Stones and Bowie, TinaTurner, etc.) with disco. I took heat from my peers about having too much Rod Stewart in my collection.  But these uninformed critics (my HS, college buddies) didn’t know the  early stuff which was raucous rock and roll. He went commercial, sure, with his eye on mass consumption. But come on, the guy is only ranked 23rd on the rock star net worth charts at $235 million.

I mean Stewart  is a guy who can sing ballads with feeling, belt the blues rock songs and do a standard that brings grandmas running to the stage. It Had to be You  ,,,,

Here though it is mostly rock and blues.

He’s been successful for decades. This Faces record is a best-of one of his early bands, the Faces.  It doesn’t feel like a compilation, however. as the party songs flow and nearly every song has that famous Small Faces/Faces live sound. It’s roots music, especially as influenced by the  wonderful Ronnie Lane, before they called it roots music.

Favorite lines from Miss Judy’s Farm:

Best known song here,  probably ‘Stay with Me’ which feels like the prequel to his later smash, ‘Maggie May.’ Although ‘Ooh La La’ has had some staying power over the years.

Strange command in the ‘Stay with Me’ song: Sit down, get up, get out.

All right, already. Make up your mind you sexist pig.