Musical Phases
The Underground Garage’s decision to put Small Faces’ brilliant “Tin Soldier,” absolutely one of the top ten rock ‘n’ roll songs of all time, into its rotation, coupled with a project to digitize many of my tapes from the ’80s and the attendant further exposure to the band’s tremendous work caused me to declare at dinner last night that I am officially moving into a Small Faces Phase. When I had my first Small Faces Phase, something like 27 years ago, a certain roommate let it be known that she had really preferred my Raspberries phase. I couldn’t blame her, but it was a weird time in my life and the rough production, edgy noise and hard beat suited me perfectly at the time.
I announced this last night, and my wife replied that that was too bad, because she was about to get into a Rolling Stones Phase. Everyone around here, especially she, knows that I just had a Rolling Stones Phase, which has lasted for months. Nevertheless, she wanted it to continue.
So Rebekah suggested that that could be her Christmas present, that I should give my wife a Rolling Stones Phase for Christmas. Which isn’t a bad idea, when it comes right down to it.
In the meantime, it takes my children to inform me that one of my favorite songs of all time is referencing a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. Listen, I just sing along.
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I just had to go download the Small Faces “Tin Soldier” from iTunes . . . I agree, it’s a masterpiece, though I first encountered it through Todd Rundgren’s version, not realizing that it was cover for an embarrassing number of years.And if you stick to your Rolling Stones phase as gift idea, I hope you’ll give “I Just Want to See His Face” ample consideration . . . it is the greatest groove ever, I think. It pains me to know that it fades in and fades out, so somewhere on a tape, there’s a longer version of it. I want!
And here I had no idea Rundgren had covered it. I think Steve Marriott is one of the most underappreciated vocalists in rock history. You may also want to check out "Afterglow (Of Your Love)," and although Flo & Eddie did a credible cover, I'd stick to the original.My Stones phase has me glued in particular to their country-tinged gems, especially "Dead Flowers," a song I barely noticed before this year. I tend to only like country music as interpreted by British R&B musicians.