But despite what the five members of The Faces became, no one can deny the simple fact that while they were together, they formed one of the most powerful influences on the whole of what is now termed 'classic rock', and that this album, their third of four, was the band at the peak of their talents. Wood and Lane play like men possessed, and Stewart's voice has never sounded better before or after, whether it be in screaming primal rage at the failure of the protest movement in "Miss Judy's Farm" or in reducing the listener near to tears with "Love Lives Here".

The album kicks off with one of the great protest songs of the 70s, "Miss Judy's Farm". Wood's guitar mumbles and growls until McLagan's organ bursts in with a strange off-kilter riff, followed closely by Stewart's raspy bark augmented by a steady drum beat and a sizzling rhythmic bass line. The song yells angrily at the inability of the singer to resist the iron will of the mysterious 'Miss Judy', who brings in the National Guard to quell their offenses. The song becomes immortalized in the quiet final verse in which Stewart sings "Miss Judy, she was moody, but she always didn't get her own way..." before the instrumentalists screech into a terrifying coda with Stewart roaring "Kick her when she's down!" It's an unequaled rock opener that gives the mosh pit antics of modern grunge a run for their money. The transition into "You're So Rude" couldn't be more marked - Ronnie Lane sings a hilarious rock-ballad-tale of seduction ("Try the sofa!" he sings innocently, before the suggestive solo break) dripping with straight-faced comic snaps. And again the record turns, swinging back to Stewart who exchanges his snarling roar for a brilliant Ronnie-Lane-penned plea entitled "Love Lives Here", a quiet, heartbreaking song that Stewart has yet to match in any post-"Atlantic Crossing" record. The reins are handed back to Lane for "Last Orders Please", another comic send up in which the eternally-straight faced Lane sings yet another barroom-stomping awkward love tale with the infamous opening lines "Well, well, hello! And how are you? Fancy seeing you here..."

Side Two (for you record enthusiasts) opens with the most famous song in the Faces catalogue: "Stay With Me". Wood's guitar smashes out one of the most memorable riffs in Rock history with Lane and Jones steadily plugging along behind. McLagan's instrumental breaks on the organ make the song, however, even more than Stewart's less-than-glamorous tale of Rock'n'roll excess in dealing with women. Stewart yells out "Yeah, I'll pay your cab fare home, you can even use my best cologne, just don't be here in the morning when I wake up!", clearly expressing his opinions on the subject of his more adoring fans. The song degenerates into an electric jam in which McLagan and Wood face off, playing their hearts out. Both Stewart and Wood have covered the song live during their solo careers, and it's no surprise that Wood's versions are time and time again superior. "Debris" continues the trend of switching vocalists, with Ronnie Lane singing one of his own softer ballads, the same straight faced voice that lent the awkward humor to "You're So Rude" here lends a sense of such innocence that few can resist the feeling of absolute sadness at hearing such a happy voice singing about so broken a situation. It's the musical equivalent of the comforting dog at crisis situations - it doesn't understand, it's just trying to help. A good old-fashioned Chuck Berry romp is the answer to all ills, so it seems, and the Faces don't disappoint with their slide-laden version of "Memphis", Stewart giving another stellar performance. If you wonder why critics these days can't stop blasting this guy, it's because they've heard this album and know he can do better. Following it, the frustrated Stewart sneaks back into the album, with "Too Bad", a crazy story of a band crashing a high-class party, with Wood and McLagan again providing the barrelhouse backing. The album concludes with "That's All You Need", a showcase for just how incredible Ronnie Wood was at his peak (and has started to become again, following a terrible twenty-year slump punctuated by one or two incredible performances struggling in a sea of cocaine and booze). Not to be outdone, Stewart gives his all, roaring out the story of dissatisfaction with the dead-end life of the successful worker who believed that "an IQ was all you need" who suddenly smashes back into the singer's life with the realization that he's not happy. And as the song concludes, the band and a steel drum backs up Wood, softly singing of the music "that's all you need" as the album fades out.

The Faces have become widely recognized, along with The Jeff Beck Group, as one of the primary influences on the rock'n'roll most thought would die following the dissolution of The Beatles. But no album ever released by any band has had the ability to make a listener go from feeling like rioting to feeling like laughing to feeling like crying to feeling like dancing to feeling like singing within the space of just a few brief songs.

For that, "A Nod's As Good As A Wink... To A Blind Horse" stands as one of the greatest achievements in the history of twentieth century music. An absolute essential for anyone who thinks they might even be remotely interested in the concept of "rock music".

The Faces at the Top of Their Form
Not to take anything away from the vocal pipes of Rod Stewart or the other rooster-do'd newcomer to the previous Small Faces, but the real star of this band was the late Ronnie Lane.

His rollicking "Last Orders Please" and the heartbreaking "Debris" were classic Faces (and songs that would stay in Lane's solo repertoire until MS finally claimed him in 1997).

Ron Wood's no-frills guitar playing helped propel rockers like "Miss Judy's Farm," "Too Bad," "That's All You Need" and the band's only Top 40 hit "Stay with Me" (#17). The band also does a nice turn on Chuck Berry's "Memphis."

This album, along with Long Player--both released in 1971, show why this was one of the few bands that really mattered in the wake of the dissolution of the Beatles. This is plain and simple rock 'n' roll, and nobody could rock like the Faces. If you weren't around to hear it when this album was first released, you owe to yourself to get it now to find out what you missed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Mott
After the first song. 'Miss Judy's Farm', next is one of Ronnie Lane's most amusing and rascally songs, 'Your So Rude', basically just a cleverly played twelve bar stomper, but for this dog it is the lyrics that steal the day, opening up with...

"My Mum She likes you, she thinks your swell,
Got the makin's of a Dance Hall Girl,
Your low-cut frock and your Bird's nest Hair,
Stiletto heels and the way that you swear,
She says to take you back to see my folks again on Sunday,
Why it looks as though there's nobody in,
They've all gone out to see my Auntie Renee."

I say be fair. Does that not bring a smile to the old laughing gear? Beautifully the band follows this with an emotional ballad 'Love Lives Here'. The haunting organ chords from Ian McLagen prove that he knows exactly when to stick to the piano or when to bring out the Hammond Organ. About knocking down old homes and the memories that go with them, Rod Stewart has never sung better.

'Last Orders' by Ronnie Lane is a cruising, bluesing pub song about the misunderstanding between the sexes.

Then it is 'Stay With Me' time. The hit single from the album is about as Faces as you can get. One of the best lads songs ever written. The entire band plays their collective hearts out, with everybody being given solo space as the song is brought to a thunderous conclusion at the end of its four and a half minute run. The sort of thing head banging was invented for. But still it is the lyrics that add wit and soul to the proceedings. Just before the band go wild, Rod sings out...

"So, in the mornin', please don't say you love me,
'Cause you know I'll only kick you out the door,
Yeah, I'll pay your cab fare home,
You can even use my best cologne,
Just don't be here in the mornin' when I wake up."

Pace wise the foot is taken off the peddle for four and a half minutes for Ronnie Lane to sing his classic homage to growing up and becoming famous while leaving others behind, and to the duties that come with it.

But from here on out it is pure barnstorming Faces style good time music. A romp through Chuck's 'Memphis' with some truly magnificent slide from Woody, the delights of being evicted from your own party 'Too Bad', and the perfect closer in 'That's All You Need'. The latter two Stewart/Wood compositions bring it all round in a circle in the style of 'Miss Judy's Farm'.

Of course it couldn't last. After one more chart topping album ('Ohh La La' April 1975) Ronnie Lane left. Although he was replaced, it was never the same. As Rod Stewart gained more and more of the spot light, tension mounted, but it was the other Ronnie who left first. He joined 'The Rolling Stones' as Mick Taylor's replacement, and eventually took Ian McLagan with him. Kenny Jones went on to the unenviable position of replacing Keith Moon in 'The Who', and, of course, Rod Stewart went onto solo superstardom. However, to these old ears none of them ever reached this peak again.

As they say 'A Nod's As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse'. And if that is not enough for you, you could try their greatest hits album, which was released two years ago 'Good Boys Whilst We Are Asleep'. It collects the best from all four albums plus assorted hit singles, but fortunately nothing from their dreadful live album 'Coast to Coast', which was recorded on their last tour of America, and did not find the Band on a good night. A dreadful shame really, as the period that this album comes from they were one of the best live Rock 'n' Roll band in the world.

(...)

A Mott Is As good As A Wink To a Blind Horse
What a glorious band. Formed out of the ashes of 'The Small Faces' and 'The Jeff Beck Band', nobody could of predicted the influence this lovable bunch of rogues would have on Rock 'n' Roll history.

When Steve Marriot left 'The Small Faces' in early 1969, he left his band mates without one half of the song writing partnership, the guitarist, singer, and front man, so on paper not much left then. However, long time band mate Ronnie Wood was keen to step into the breach (incredibly, Ronnie Wood had been playing bass guitar in the shadow of Jeff Beck in his band for the last two and a half years). He brought along his friend and vocalist from his previous gig, a certain Mr. Rodney Stewart, who at the time was so lacking in confidence on stage that he would often sing with his back to the audience. Amazing when you consider what a microphone wielding strumpet he was going to become over the next couple of years.

After brief rehearsals the band, under the shortened name of 'The Faces', set out on the road, recording a debut album along the way (First Steps, March 1970). Although this album was poorly received both by the general public and most of the critics, by the end of 1970 they had built a reputation as one of the most awesome and lunatic live acts on the circuit. And 1971 was to be their Year.

Going from playing gigs at concert halls and college dates at the beginning of the year, by Christmas they were selling out arenas all over the world. Record sales went the same way. Nobody has been more prolific before or since. In that one scintillating year they released three albums. First the half live - half studio effort 'Long Player', which stormed up the American charts, giving them their first single hit as well in 'Had me a Real Good Time'. Then came the international break through with Rod Stewart's solo album 'Every Picture Tells A Story' (a Faces album in all but name), which topped the charts around the world. So did the single from the album 'Maggie Mae', which remained on top of the charts for weeks and was being played everywhere you went. Their appearance on English T.V. program 'Top Of The Pops' had to be seen to be believed. They made no pretense of playing their instruments to the music they were supposed to be miming to, instead They spent their time kicking oversized footballs into the crowd, falling off the stage, and letting English radio Disc Jockey John Peel (a non-musician) pretend to play the Mandolin solo in the middle, while Ronnie Lane mugged up behind him.

So when it was announced that there would be one more Faces album before Christmas, expectations were high, and the boys did not disappoint. Never has rock music been put across in such a charmingly fun way.

First up is 'Miss Judy's Farm', a great fat slab of Rock 'n' Roll from the combined pen of Stewart/Wood, giving the band a chance to stretch their wings. A driving riff from Woody fires the song into life before the plonk of Ronnie Lane's bass comes into drive. Kenny Jones's no frills drums lends solid support to the song, while Ian McLagan - in old fashioned Rock 'n' Roll style - sensibly sticks to the piano to duel with the lead guitar breaks. Then, of course, on top of this you have the gravel voiced whoops and yelps of that now full of confidence Rooster of the Vocals - Rod Stewart, preening his way through the lyrics with a wonderful sureness inspired a generation. After two minutes of the song, Woody slows the whole entourage down to a snail's pace before the entire band roars back in to bring the opening song to an exciting conclusion, with each artist battling to be heard.
Mott the Dog.

blues and memories
i remember my dad playing this record when i was a kid. The faces was a a band that became part of the foundation of the genre of music that i love today as an adult. the only other band that a can think of that came close to the sound of early rod stewart is the black crowes. This is a decent album to have. one of those you can play all the way through.
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