Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (studio album) by Small Faces

A tale of two sides that are extremely different but both have high and low points. For side 1 the group seem to just completely let go and seem to be trying to just make the best songs they can possibly conjure up that make the most noise. They open on an absolutely beautiful song in the title track that leads perfectly into Afterglow (Of Your Love) which is just phenomenal and made me keep revisiting this album time and time again. The rest of the songs follow this style to a varying degree of success until you get to track 7. Side 1 is far more accessible and I connected with it straight away but with side 2 and the start of Happiness Stan I was so confused and I hated it on my first few listens. The narration, strange instrumentation and concept was just lost on me. I was drawn back a lot by side 1 and after around 5 or 6 listens it just seemed to click and I started to love that second side. It began with me copying Stanley Unwin's narration and joining in with his Unwinese which made me appreciate the craziness that is so much fun to get lost in and just let go of all your troubles while you listen. The whole record really does feel like an experience, or a journey, that is much easier to appreciate if listened to on vinyl as that short break as you flip the record over makes it so much easier to understand the two opposing sides. Furthermore, the flow of the album is simply amazing. It is more prevalent on side 2 but it all just connects together so beautifully. Overall, an album I never seem to get tired of and it is one that always makes me get lost in the music and forget about everything else.

From IlMala 01/27/2022 13:47

Really unfair and uncommercial album: against all the stereotipes and rules of commercial. That's definitely a brave album, even if i do not understand most of the lyrics.

From mdbaxter 01/12/2022 16:39

Really good stuff from the Small Faces. They'd always been talented but never showed the desire or ability to contribute such a focused effort. They move away from pub rock and fully entrench themselves in the psychedelia they started to explore on their previous record. The recording itself is kind of a mess. The mono offers a much neater mix than the stereo but the latter is much more adventurous and intricate though it's not without its flaws. The album as a whole is much more than the sum of its parts.

From sszwalbenest 01/11/2022 15:53

I love side 2 of this album (especially the monologues), but I think that side 1 is rather forgettable.

whimsical nothing

Superb album. The production on the vinyl re-issue is absolutely years ahead of its time, in fact it could have been recorded last week! I don't think the Stanley Unwin monolologue spoils side 2, if anything it adds to the intrigue. The instrumentation is on the nail, particularly side 2. There aren't many recordings from 1968 where the bass drum jumps out of the speakers like it does on side two.

This is such an underrated album. Sure, it didn’t break the mold like Sgt Peppers or Are You Experienced, but it combined the best parts of those kind of musical revolutions at the time and perfected it. So what if the concept doesn’t hold up, the music still does. Steve Marriott is also the best rock singer ever....just gotta lay that fact down.

From VictorVale 08/01/2019 22:26

Para mim foi uma agradável descoberta! Incrível o som da banda. Até hoje me parece atual.

From planetneutral 01/10/2018 02:32

Another pleasant surprise. Very entertaining listen.

From nitomano 11/24/2016 20:05

Favoritas: Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake, Lazy Sunday, Afterglow (Of Your Love)