Small Faces [Decca] Small Faces Artist

What makes this fortieth anniversary edition of {|the Small Faces|}' self-titled 1966 debut album more worthwhile than other CD reissues of the same record -- particularly the 1996 expanded edition on {|Dream|}, which offered five bonus tracks? Well, this 2006 upgrade, aside from bearing the obligatory digitally remastered sticker, offers eleven bonus tracks. These include all five of the bonus tracks from the 1996 expanded edition (those being alternate versions of {|What'cha Gonna Do About It,|} {|Come On Children,|} {|Shake,|} and {|E Too D|} that showed up in the French EP format, as well as an extended version of {|Own Up Time|}). They also include all five of the 1965 and 1966 U.K. A-sides and B-sides from their first four singles that weren't included on the original {|Small Faces|} LP, as well as an alternate version of one of those A-sides, {|Hey Girl|} (source unspecified). Those A-sides and B-sides make great additions, as they all fit in well sound-wise and style-wise with the tracks from the LP. The alternate versions are less essential, but still nifty for the die-hard {|Small Faces|} fan, which is whom this fortieth anniversary edition is targeted toward, after all. Also, the liner notes are a big improvement over the 1996 expanded edition, this time running to 20 pages of intensely detailed information about the group's early career and recordings by {|Andy Neill|}, with lots of photos and memorabilia reproductions. Yes, it's true that the big {|Small Faces|} fan is likely to already have all of these 23 tracks somewhere, so much has their catalog been reissued in various formats. This is likely to be unsurpassed, however, as the most thorough (and thoroughly annotated) collection of the material they released through the middle of 1966, when they were at their most raucous stage of their {|R&B|}-soaked {|mod|} {|rock|} sound. And, extra goodies and ribbons on the packaging aside, this is vital {|British Invasion|} music that at its best -- the hits {|What'cha Gonna Do About It,|} {|Hey Girl,|} and {|Sha La La La Lee,|} as well as the flop single {|I've Got Mine,|} the single-worthy pop/rocker {|Sorry She's Mine,|} and the {|Muddy Waters|} rave-up {|You Need Loving|} (which helped inspire {|Led Zeppelin|}'s {|Whole Lotta Love|}) -- is {|mod|} {|rock|} at its best, though some of the other material here is energetic filler verging on generic {|R&B|} jams. ~ Richie Unterberger