Track Listing

1. Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
2. Afterglow (Of Your Love)
3. Long Agos and Worlds Apart
4. Rene
5. Song of a Baker
6. Lazy Sunday
7. Happiness Stan
8. Rollin' Over
9. Hungry Intruder
10. Journey
11. Mad John
12. Happy Days Toy Town

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61722 in Music
• Released on: 1997-05-26
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Barely qualifying as a "concept" album, the second half of this album tells the story of Happiness Stan, a young man who sees the moon turn from full to half and decides he needs to find the missing part. It's a rather odd tale that's adorned with lush, psychedelic arrangements. The spoken narrative that links each song (provided by one Stanley Unwin in barely decipherable Clockwork Orange-style English) contributes to the yarn's surrealistic atmosphere. The real gems on this recording, however, are the six songs that make up the record's first half. From the sludgy, acid-jazz feel of the title track straight through to the comic plea for peace, love and understanding ("Lazy Sunday", a song that opens with the universal sentiment "Wouldn't it be nice to get on with me neighbours ... "), the real concept at work here is based on unforgettable songwriting. --Percy Keegan

CD Description
Having begun their career as the archetypal Mod band, the Small Faces latterly embraced traces of flower-power's whimsy. Astute enough not to sacrifice their identity, the quartetretained a distinctive perspective, as evinced by a string of superb pop singles, including "Here Comes The Nice" and "Itchycoo Park". A sense of pop melody and adventurism culminated on this album which encompassed tongue-in-cheek fun ("Lazy Sunday") and passionate love songs ("Afterglow"). Steve Marriott's voice remains completely self-assured and the group's characteristic organ-based swell is often enhanced by P.P. Arnold's emotional backing vocals. Eccentric comedian Stanley Unwin narrates the concept suite "Happiness Stan", butthe music is strong enough to withstand the novelty tag. OGDENS' NUT GONE FLAKE was the Small Faces' swan-song, at least until an ill-starred reunion, but it proved a fitting end to a golden era.

Customer Reviews

Lysergic heaven
Sadly, there are only a handful of great English psychedelic albums of the 1960s (as opposed to those of the 1970s - Man, Gong etc, before you ask). If you're new to the genre, forget Pepper, it isn't that great a trip, really. The ones you want are Ogden, The End's "Introspection" (difficult to get hold of, but probably the best of the lot), Pink Floyd's "Piper At the Gates of Dawn", Kaleidoscope's "Tangerine Dream" and Rainbow Ffolly's "Sallies Fforth". Yep, it's a wasteland out there. Except for the Floyd, none of these are particularly brain-frazzling - for that you'll have to look to Germany or Holland (hint: start with Group 1850's "Agemo's Trip to Mother Earth") but all of them enhance a good trip appreciably. And that's what they're for, ain't it?

What's so good about Ogden is its good humour. There are literally no dark edges whatsoever. This puts it in the same league as The End's album (have I recommended it enough yet?) and the psychedelia of the US, most notably Country Joe and the Fish ("Electric Music" and "I-Feel-Like..."). On the first side there are a clutch of great psychedelic pop songs, the title track being an amazing instrumental, "Song of the Baker" about as good as britpop gets, but "Renee" drags a bit and "Lazy Sunday" is the least interesting of the lot.

However, the meat of Ogden is the second side, an untitled concept (no, don't switch off) in which they tell the hilarious story of one Happiness Stan, narrated with-tongue-firmly-in-cheek by that Cockney intellectual, Stanley Unwin. And what a wonderful journey this is. Happiness Stan, living in his multicoloured dreamworld, looks up one night and sees that half the moon has disappeared. Oh blow your cool man! So off he sets on a voyage of discovery. Stopping for a bit of lunch, he encounters a hungry looking fly, with whom he shares his shepherd's pie. This act of kindness (ah, the deep symbolism) pays great dividends, for the fly magically increases in size until it's big enough for Stan to ride on its back. And off they go.

After a beautifully weird aerial sequence, and after flying for seven whole days and nights (must have had more than just one shepherd's pie, then), they land in a forest where Stan encounters Mad John, a character I'd guess was nicked from the Donovan song. John fills Stan in on the disappearance of the moon - it's back again now, look! - and they alll have a freak out in celebration.

Yeah, it's simple, stupid, naive, childish. But when you're off your face on acid, it's the most wonderful cartoon you've ever been in. And that's the point. No bad moments and we all have a fantastic time. For that, the Small Faces deserve some kind of medal. And for that, Ogden is one of the best-loved and highest-revered albums among trippers.

The concept - a journey into the other world - was nothing new, even in 1968. They probably stole bits of it from Nirvana's "Story of Simon Simopath" the previous year (a psychedelic concept album about a journey into space, but too wimpy to be recommended). Later the same journey would be taken to its lysergic peak in Gong's peerless "Radio Gnome Invisible" trilogy (Flying Teapot, Angel's Egg and You) in which the acid experience is spread out over three disks, from dropping the stuff, to the wild ride, to coping with the aftermath! You'll love Ogden. But if you're only after something to drink beer to, you'll probably be left somewhat bemused. But forget Leary -- as a companion on your great adventure, this is one of the essential texts. Oh what a mind blast.

NOTE: drugs are bad. Really bad. So ignore everything I just said.

the bizzo
This CD is without doubt the finest example of the small faces you will ever purchase. If you don't buy this then you'll regret it. The first side is sing-along and lovely and the second side blows your mind with its eccentricity and oddness. OK, so on CD you don't get sides as such, but you'll understand when you play it where the crossover lies. Up The Wooden Hills To Bedfordshire ...

MONO OR REMASTERED VERSION
I brought the lp of this album in 1968 on the immediate label and i thought it was a cracking album i still got the lp but it's in the loft somewhere it will be all rusty so i'll will dig it out someday and give it a good clean. Having even brought the remastered version CD of the album i think it sounds more better than the actual mono lp. Buy the odgen's nut gone flake album remastered trust me your money will be well spent on the small faces album.