Long Player

Product Information

Opening track Bad 'n' Ruin has a great vocal performance by Rod Stewart, who overall is a bit more of a presence this time around - but don't worry, this was back in the day when a prominent Rod Stewart was a benefit and not a detriment to a song.

Self-produced, 1971's "Long Player" deserved credit for the fact the band had found a unique sound (albeit it was boozy and frequently sloppy) and a unique image (boozy and frequently sloppy). The intro of "Had Me A Real Good Time" sounds like Wood's homage to The Stones' "Honky Tonk Women" before Stewart sings his typical poor boy out with his mates getting into a posh party as a gatecrasher rather than a bona fide guest. Wood joined the Rolling Stones as a full member, Lane formed Slim Chance and had a modest solo career that ended prematurely when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and he also worked on an album with Who guitarist Pete Townshend , Rough Mix .A number of partial reunions of the Faces were rumored throughout the 2000s, with various one-off performances involving surviving members occurring. I believe that The Faces (and another band, Free) could have been so big if ONLY they had really filled their potential. When it comes to the Faces, the band’s first album should be viewed through the prism of its title: FIRST STEP. The band had a unique arrangement, as Rod Stewart had signed a separate solo recording contract with the Mercury label shortly before joining the group, which was signed to Warner Bros. Opening up with some acoustic slide guitar from Wood, it took awhile for 'On the Beach' to show it's true colors, but by the time Lane's whiny voice kicked in it was clear this was a nifty alt-folk number that Lane would begin to pursue in earnest when he went solo.

Considering how fantastic the material on that album is, I think it's pretty safe to say that he kept his best material for his solo career and gave the Faces whatever table scraps he had lying around. You can never go wrong though with some nice boogie rock, and even the slower traditional, unaccompanied slide blues numbers are tolerable. Nothing entirely essential, but the Faces are seeming more like a group that is just sorta acceptable to have nestled within your collection. I suppose like many people I bought this album AFTER "A Nod's As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse" and to be honest at the time, felt short-changed with the plain grey cardboard sleeve.Of course, before the end of the year, the Faces had released their third album, A NOD IS AS GOOD AS A WINK…TO A BLIND HORSE, which blew its predecessor away in terms of its chart success, climbing into the top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic, but that in no way takes away from the fact that the band’s creative thrusters were firing full blast on LONG PLAYER. Very Good: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch.