Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

I first discovered the Small Faces on a British Invasion compilation when I was around eight years old. Even then, my tastes were skewed towards the psychedelic end of things - my favorite tracks on the record were "Pictures of Matchstick Men" by the Status Quo and "Itchycoo Park" by the Small Faces. I found the latter of the two songs to be particularly well crafted. Not only was it a well-written song, but it was impeccably produced (fantastic tones all around, particularly on the organ and bass) and arranged. Embellished with the tasteful use of such studio trickery as phased drums, "Itchycoo Park" epitomized to me the essence of "psychedelic." Despite my appreciation for the track, I didn't hear a full Small Faces record until I got my hands on Ogden's Nut Gone Flake (1968) over a decade later.

The Small Faces mime "Itchycoo Park." Is it just me, or does
the drummer look like he's playing in his underwear?

Fronted by vocalist Steve Marriott and bassist Ronnie Lane, The Small Faces were quite popular in the UK, charting such hits as "Itchycoo Park" and "Sha La La La Lee." For some reason or another (I blame poor promotion), the band never caught on in the States, charting only as high #16 with "Itchycoo Park." A quintessential mod act, the Small Faces were primarily an R&B outfit until recording Ogden's Nut Gone Flake, which is considered a masterpiece of the psychedelic era.

From the beginning of the album, one gets the sense that the band was trying to do something entirely different from its single-based work. Indeed, Ogden's Nut Gone Flake is something of a concept album. The title (and opening) track is an overture of sorts - it is a 2.5 minute instrumental featuring a piano (with a wah on it) and string section. "Long Agos and Worlds Apart" is a lovely slice of psychedelia, complete with ethereal organ and stereo-panned backing vocals. "Lazy Sunday" is an infectious (if a little bizarre) pop song featuring a Wurlitzer piano and Steve Marriott in the guise of an English youth. The entire second side of the record is devoted to a musical narrative of "Happiness Stan," complete with utterly nonsensical spoken-word portions - one would assume that some potent hallucinogens were involved in its making. The most curious aspect of the record, however, is its cover, a circular replica of an old chewing tobacco tin. Of course, having found a digital copy before a vinyl copy, I had no idea how unique the artwork was when I initially heard the album. Just one of the downsides of the digital era, I suppose...

You just can't package an mp3 in a replica tobacco tin...

Today's upload is "Afterglow of Your Love," the second track on Ogden's Nut Gone Flake. On top of it being my favorite song on the record, it is also the track best suited to stand on its own outside of the album. It is most notable for its soaring chorus, which features both a fantastic Hammond organ line and some tasteful two-part harmonies. Listen as well to the lazy psychedelic intro - one would not expect whistling and slurred crooning to lead into such a powerhouse track, but it does nonetheless.

Afterglow of Your Love