The first evidence that this record is a cut above most is the packaging, as visually arresting as the band’s Mod bob haircuts, tangerine and lime-green blazers, and winklepicker shoes. I could give several reasons, but I’d rather just rave on. Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake is considered a classic by “those in the know,” but often overlooked when classic rock albums are bandied. (“Itchycoo Park,” which reached #16 in ‘67), and one LP masterwork, released in May ‘68. ( Eric Clapton, upon meeting them for the first time, said they all looked like little “haw-bits.”) Their short stature, mischievousness, and stylish Carnaby Street threads made them the most eye-catching band in England for a time, especially beloved by screaming young girls (“birds”).įor music fans, between 19 the songwriting team of Marriott-Lane churned out a basketful of sophisticated pop hits in the UK, one quasi-hit in the U.S. All four stood under 5 feet 5 inches tall. The band members were lead singer/guitarist Steve Marriott, bassist Ronnie (“Plonk”) Lane, drummer Kenney Jones, and organist Ian McLagan (who replaced Jimmy Winston early on). The Small Faces were Mod to the core, but could also play instruments. Pete Townshend documented Mod culture with the 1973 Who album Quadrophenia. Mod gave an identity to English working-class kids. Mods wore flashy clothes, drove Vespa scooters, listened to soul music, and took speed drugs. “Mod,” short for modern, was an English youth movement that began in 1959, similar to American subcultures like beat or hippie, but smaller, and less threatening to the status quo. L to R: Kenney Jones, Ian McLagan, Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane Four working-class geezers, three of whom hailed from London’s rough East End, the Small Faces were the prototypical Mod band. All made great music but were also visually dazzling.Īnother is the Small Faces, a limey band that literally “carried the colours,” at least in England, for the mid-’60s British Invasion jump-started by the Beatles and Rolling Stones. Elvis, the Beatles, James Brown, Hendrix, Bowie, Roxy Music, and the Clash come to mind. However… this latest installment in ‘60s nostalgia boards the QE2 to sail “across the pond.” It profiles a record by a Brit band that pulled the difficult trick of marrying style with substance, which are usually mutually exclusive, and very few rocksters have been able to combine both. I can claim that I actually knew hitting legend Al Kaline, because his kid got shot up by the same allergist as me.ġ968 was a violent year in America, but there are some good things that occurred. And in 1968, I lived in Detroit, Michigan, when Motown music ruled the world, and the Detroit Tigers took the World Series. But can you blame me? I was a nipper in the 1960s, so I have fond memories of that time. Longitudes certainly enjoys 50 th anniversary specials.
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