Faces - A Nod is As Good As a Wink to a Blind Horse

Sixties Britpoppers the Small Faces begat the Faces, the reshaped '70s version. Of course, the latter-day incarnation of the band was best known for its lead singer, Rod Stewart, and his unique, squalling voice. The players, meanwhile, displayed Stones-ish sensibilities, which makes sense given that guitarist Ron Wood left the group to join Jagger, Richards, and the boys. Faces didn't release a great number of albums, but during their tumble on the rock charts, they made some truly great songs, several of which are found on this, their consensus classic. "Stay with Me" sounds like a barroom brawl set to music, and "Miss Judy's Farm" puts one in mind of a garage band that lucked out and found a studio and a (somewhat) sober producer. A Nod... is the most representative recording of a band that helped shape hard rock and punk for years to come. --Lorry Fleming Amazon.com

Miss Judy's fantasy!!!

I think that this is one of the greastest rock and roll records ever. Rod, Ronnie, Ron, Kenny, Ian. You must make a new 2008 record May 18, 2008

"Debris"...Ronnie Lane snags the best track on this classic.

Ronnie Lane's poignant ode to his dad..."Debris"...is the killer track on this album. Stewart's BEST vocals are the background vocals he provides on this track. That's a pretty bold claim when you're talking about an album that includes "Miss Judy's Farm," "Stay With Me," "Too Bad," "That's All You Need"...but it's a fact. The late, great Ronnie Lane provided a much-needed "McCartney sweetness" counterpoint to Stewart's rooster-haired strutting, and that combination (along with the unstoppable Ronnie Wood) made this band magic. They pulled off one more...the lesser "Ooh La La"...and Ronnie Lane headed south. Free's Tetsu Yamauchi gamely stepped in to fill the void, but with all due respect, he was "just a bass player." After a sloppy live album, Faces faded away and Stewart became a cartoon of his former self. But on THIS album, you have an ample opportunity to understand what the hype was all about. February 26, 2007

For One Song

For Christmas this was on my wish list for "Stay with Me". I got my wish and had to absolutely laugh and cringe through the rest of this CD. To say "Horrible" would be tooooo kind but that only applies to the lyrics and singing.

However, the redeeming factor for the second star was the actual music. If they had just kept their mouths shut, I probably would have given it a 4. December 28, 2006

C'mon...

...what are you reading this for? You know what to expect when you buy a disc produced by Rod Stewart's Faces: at least four or five hard-rocking party numbers ('Miss Judy's Farm', 'Stay With Me', 'Memphis', 'Too Bad', and 'That's All You Need') featuring Rod's raspy vocals, and heavy, pulsing guitar and bass lines courtesy of Ron Wood and Ronnie Lane; two or three irresistible love ballads ('Love Lives Here', 'Debris'); and to top it all off, some honky-tonk or boogie numbers ('You're So Rude', 'Last Orders Please'). 'A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse...', released in November of 1971, charged up to number six on the US album charts, and stands as the most commercially successful of the bands' four albums.

While there isn't always great depth to the lyrics offered up by the three R's... Rod, Ron, and Ronnie, no one can deny that they often cut straight to the chase. On 'Miss Judy's Farm', Rod paints vivid scenario's such as "I was just eighteen and all I needed was to get my way". Ironically, on 'That's All You Need', Stewart sings, "...my kind of music... you knew it wasn't gonna be simple..." when "simple" is exactly the form of music this band revels in. That particular song drifts along on a masterful lead guitar riff that makes it one of the most under-appreciated epic rock tracks. The second side of 'A nod...' (on the original vinyl version) opened with one of the bands' most successful single releases, 'Stay With Me', which climbed to number eight on the national charts in January of 1972. Despite being mercilessly overplayed on both the AM and FM frequencies, 'Stay With Me' has proven powerful enough to overcome overexposure. Stewart's barroom delivery takes lines like "I hear you're a mean old Jezebel" and transforms them into terms of endearment. A honky tonk piano track and grinding rhythm guitar propel the number into a fantastic instrumental coda embracing several faux finishes. 'Too Bad' chimes in with a tale involving a twelve foot tall butler, a colored queen, and sweaty girls over an up-tempo, party-rock beat. Their cover of Chuck Berry's 'Memphis' plods along in the beginning, but confidently gains intensity as Rod tells the familiar tale about a phone call from southside Memphis Marie, all of six years old.

Among the better ballads are 'Love Lives Here', offering a melodic combination of guitars, piano, and organ, and Ronnie Lane's 'Debris', supported by more solid guitar and piano interaction. While less entertaining than the surrounding fare, 'You're So Rude' blends a rocking rhythm guitar riff with a tight electric lead guitar, and tops it off with a harmonica in the coda. Perhpas the weakest track among the nine performed is the side one closer, 'Last Orders Please', a break-up tale dropping some worn cliche's such as "you've got yours and I've got mine".

I was a senior in high school the year that 'A nod...' hit the shelves, and the disc proved to be one of the first to hit the platter at each and every party that brought closure to that most important of all years. Whenever I see that cover (which always made me think of this as a live disc, which it isn't), surrounded by that distinct dark brown border, waves of memories and emotions from my youth surround me. For that reason, my own perception of the quality of this disc may be biased, but with each subsequent listen I feel vindicated that it isn't just my associations to it that make 'A nod...' a rock and roll classic. As many good times as this album must have witnessed in the early 1970's, it remains vital enough to produce many more to come.

August 15, 2006

Brings back great memories. Solid rock & roll.

Back in the late 70's I had the vinyl and this was one of my favorite albums. The CD version sounds just as good if not better. The music is still very fresh, classic rock & roll. Great rock singing and guitar work. This has to be one of Rod Stewart's best material. I think he was at his best with the Faces or maybe he was just younger, drank more Scotch and really believed in what he was singing. The later material just has not been convincing with lot of commercialism. I am curious to listen to the Gold Disc version from Audio Fidelity. October 4, 2005

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