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.

2 Comments

  1. 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!

  2. 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.

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