With the multiple reissues of the Small Faces' complete Decca and Immediate catalogs since the mid-'90s, a new best-of CD would hardly seem relevant, much less important. This 20-song CD, however, is a handy and very nicely produced assembly of the group's biggest hits (all from the U.K.) on Decca, coupled with their most significant LP cuts, and all freshly (and very crisply) remastered. This reviewer is about as familiar with the quartet's Decca stuff as he is with the Beatles' repertory of the same period, and it was still a major surprise hearing this stuff this loud and richly detailed, sounding a good deal better than much of the Rolling Stones' Decca/London catalog of the same era did (until their 2002 remastering). On "Hey Girl" it's even easy to separate Steve Marriot's guitar and Ian McLagan's keyboard, even though they're playing like there's no tomorrow while Kenny Jones kicks the heck out of his kit. There are no surprises or revelations, apart from the sound quality and, perhaps, for neophyte listeners, the inclusion of the French EP version of "What'cha Gonna Do About it"; this catalog has been an open book for years, but this is a very good "new" edition. Bruce Eder. Product Details
Disc 1: AFTERGLOW ALL OR NOTHING DON'T BURST MY BUBBLE EVERY LITTLE BIT HURTS HERE COME THE NICE ITCHYCOO PARK LAZY SUNDAY MY MINDS EYE OGDEN'S NUT GONE FLAKE RED BALLOON RENE SHA LA LA LA LEE SONG OF A BAKER TELL ME HAVE YOU SEEN HER TIN SOLDIER UNIVERSAL WHAM BAM THANK YOU MAM WHATCHA GONNA DO ABOUT IT