How in the world do you pick favorite Faces record? Ask us tomorrow and it might be the equally fantastic “First Step,” “Long Player” or “Ooh La La.’ Regardless of which album we choose to play at Jive Time, it’s always a party when the needle hits the groove of as Faces LP!
Faces were formed when Rod Stewart replaced Small Faces singer, Steve Marriott, in 1970. At the time of this record’s release, their third, the Faces and their flamboyant frontman had become nearly as big as the Rolling Stones and their famous live shows were filling stadiums around the world. (Ronny Wood would later join the Stones, replacing guitarist Mick Taylor in 1975.) Although their success was eventually overshadowed by Stewart’s rise to mega-stardom, the Faces catalog has held up extremely well and still rivals that of the Stones’ from the same era. “A Nod” boasts one of the group’s biggest hits, the superb, fiery rocker “Stay With Me” and numerous other highlights, including the strutting “Miss Judy’s Farm,” a rollicking cover of Chuck Berry’s “Memphis,” and the piano-driven hard rock of “Too Bad.” Faces win my vote for the rock band I most wish I could have seen live in their heyday. –David
