The First Step

About

The first Faces LP was recorded shortly after the formation of the band, which was comprised of former members of the Jeff Beck Group and the Small Faces. Instead of sweet and loose rock ’n’ roll, <i>First Step</i> pursues a type of organ-driven hard rock similar to what Deep Purple were building at the same time. Even though the Faces had yet to hit upon their own unique style, the playing packs plenty of punch, and the band’s dynamics were determined even at this early stage. As it would be for all subsequent Faces albums, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood provide the swaggering, macho blues-rock (“Around the Plynth,” “Flying”), while Ronnie Lane brings a touch of sweetness and vulnerability (“Devotion,” “Nobody Knows”). “Wicked Messenger” is a powerful, if slightly heavy-handed, adaption of an overlooked Bob Dylan song, but “Three Button Hand Me Down” is the song that points the way to the group’s future. A lot of groups could play R&B-infused rock ‘n’ roll, but none — not even the Rolling Stones — could match the Faces for freewheeling charm.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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