Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Oh, Rod! I love this album so much. Boy, you sure can hear Ron Wood! Love the good time, honky tonk, rock and roll throughout the whole record. We deserve this!
8 / 10 Rock Setentero, con la inconfundible voz de Rod Stewart.
Loved this!
It's a great album that I didn't know existed. It's like Rod Stewart and The Rolling Stones had a love child.
I really liked this album. Had only heard the big hit before. I enjoyed hearing Ronnie Wood. Atlantic Crossing is my favorite Stewart album but I love hearing this ‘early’ work.
I was so surprised to hear Rod Stewart's voice when I listened to this album. I had never heard of Faces. I really enjoyed this one, Memphis is a fantastic song!
Deeply love this album. Faces are in the pocket for the whole thing, on par with Creedence Clearwater Revival at their best. Debris is a 10/10 Man Feelings song. Ronnie Lane writing about small realisations and intimate shared knowing between a son and a father. Seeing his dad as a whole complete human, feeling as if one day that will be him, admitting he should have listened to his father's advice, whilst still sadly and dismissively laughing at his senile grumblings. It's possible I love it so much because my Dad's love language does seem to be gifting people strange things he finds amongst the debris at charity shops. The rest of the album is fierce charasmatic shoe shuffling belters. It's funny. It's free. It's all playing for the song. Love The Small Faces, love what Stevie Marriott went off and did with Humble Pie, but this might be the best album from that whole crew, even though Rod went on to pump out some farts later on in his career.
Completely new album/band for me and I gotta say I was very pleased with it! I’m a big fan of that bluesy rock sound. Every track hit the mark for me and I think I’ve found a few new tracks to put into my regular rotation!!
Fuzzed out British blues rock. Good stuff!
I really enjoyed how jam-y these songs were, like Stay With Me and Memphis, Tennessee. And Rod’s voice just fits so perfectly. I almost couldn’t believe these guys were British.
Timeless classic
just discovered faces — easily one of my new favorite bands sucks that they only have like four albums, because each of these are amazing - 10/10
It's actually pretty groovetastic all the way through. Spotless.
Really great album! Really enjoyed all parts of it, great instrumentation, fun jams and great vocals.
Album 44 of 1001 Faces - A Nod is as Good as a Wink to a Blind Horse Favorite Track : Stay With Me Rating : 4 / 5 Awesome album. Bordered on a 5. Could change after more listens. Just good old bluesy rock done well.
Outstanding, I had forgotten how good they were.
Fantastic. A true rock and roll classic.
Faces & this era of Rod Stewart is pretty spectacular. They're rockin, bluesy, and witty. The lyrics to Stay With Me are hilarious...it's a one night stand, but ya better be gone by the time I wake up. The brutal honesty is on another level. Most bands use innuendo, but not this one. It's a perfect song. The rest of the album is just as good. Definitely one to revisit. 4.5 stars.
Loved it!
Standout Stones sound with Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood in the 70s
Lady of Soul for a reason!
It’s the faces! Of course it was awesome
Goord rock.
LOVED it! what a gem of a rock record!
Loved this album. Rod in his prime.
Perfection
Just some good old classic rock
Learned a lot about Rod Stewart last week. #1 thing I learned is that I just really love his voice. Faces was a new band to my consciousness, but I knew a couple of these tunes already.
This a solid album. Great energy.
I knew about Rod Stewart, but never knew about this band for some reason. Odd. Either way, this is pretty good 70s rock and roll, nothing felt repetitive or out of place, each song went from strength to strength, really enjoyed it.
This album is a revelation. I<ve listened to it three times and each spin has been more enjoyable as the one before. The band cooks and Rod Stewart is in fine voice throughout. THe band rocks so hard that at times I<m thinking this is as good as or better than any Stones album. 5 stars
Sara likes much, Eddie thinks inoffensive
sloppy genius - great rock and (EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY) roll. those boys could SWING!! Debris is especially magnificent, as is Stay With Me.
We were blown away by this album. Rod Stewart used to be _cool_?
Say what you want about Rod Stewart's career, but he in fact was a great blues and rock vocalist with the Jeff Beck Group and when he and Ron Wood left to join some ex-Small Faces to form the Faces. This was Stewart and Wood at their best (I prefer Wood's guitar work with the Faces than with the Stones) and A Nod Is As Good...was a high point for the band. The band was drunken and sloppy live, but their studio albums were classic records. Wood's guitar work is exceptional on Nod and Stewart never sounded better. The same band would also record on Stewart's early albums, so in reality the Faces produced a lot of great, memorable albums.
I love this album.
Probably one of the most underrated bands from this era
Very good album! Exciting and lively playing + great singing + (mostly) great songwriting = A great album. This is what classic rock is!
Prancing wigs with gravel in their throats, coke up their noses and a pocketful of fucking great rock songs. Best Tracks: Miss Judy's Farm; Stay With Me; Too Bad
I had an epiphany last year, listening to Every Picture Tells a Story for the first time: Rob Stewart was actually great, and EPTAS is a masterclass. So, I'm delighted that A Nod... is The Faces in exactly the same groove as EPTAS. What I wanted was more of the same, and it seems The Faces were in accord. Of course, saying one album sounds like another doesn't really say anything much. So, this album is a laid-back, rocking, laddish, boozy, bluesy, rogueish yet softhearted paean to both the raucous Saturday night and the dog-rough Sunday morning. Just don't think of The Stereophonics and you'll love it all.
I was not at all familiar with this band. It's good stuff. Reminds me of classic Aerosmith, but a lot groovier. I'm going to dig into this band a little bit more. I like what I've heard.
‘Stay with me’ was already a classic in this house, love the cover of ‘Memphis’ and the supporting tracks on this album. Rock on
This album rocked my absolute shit and made me into a fan of Rod Stewart, a feat heretofore deemed impossible.
Bought it
Мамуля это рок-н-ролл и никаких сусликов. Ееееее
Why didn't Rod stay here? As good as the Stones. This rocks. Great keyboards.
Didn’t think I’d recognise any of it but knew Stay. Reminded me a bit of Martin.
Wow, not familiar with Faces. Didn't realize this was Rockin' Rod. The initial impression is great bluesy rock. Definitely some similarity to the Doors. I like it. It will be interesting to see if all the tracks are like this.
Love this!
Best recommendation from this site so far
will never understand how hard these guys could rock when on the verge of passing out . . . but damn, they had something.
This is more my style! I enjoyed this one!
Fav Song: That's All You Need
This my jaaaaaaaaaam. Bluesy, rock with awesome vocals.
Always a pleasure to hear Rod Stewart's voice when starting and album.
538/1089 - Very solid classic rock. I like horses too, they're funny.
Aujourd'hui, j'ai décidé de replonger mes oreilles dans l'année 1971, une époque où les utopies fleuries de la fin des années soixante venaient de s'effondrer dans le caniveau, le psychédélisme vaporeux laissant la place à la réalité crue des pubs londoniens. Une époque où une bande de garnements a décidé d'ériger le laisser-aller et l'arrogance au rang d'art absolu. Je veux bien sûr parler des Faces et de leur troisième effort, au titre aussi interminable que réjouissant : A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse. Une œuvre bancale, glorieuse, magnifiquement débraillée, à laquelle j'attribue un solide et chaleureux 4 sur 5, et je vais vous expliquer pourquoi ce monument de rock de comptoir reste indispensable. Pour bien comprendre le miracle des Faces, il faut d'abord se rappeler d'où ils viennent. Prenez les Small Faces, amputez-les de leur leader Steve Marriott parti fonder Humble Pie, et injectez-y la sève brute, sauvage et passablement imbibée de deux transfuges du Jeff Beck Group : le guitariste Ronnie Wood et un chanteur à la tignasse improbable et à la voix de verre pilé, un certain Rod Stewart. À cette période précise de sa vie, Rod n'est pas encore la caricature du crooner de la jet-set internationale qu'il deviendra quelques années plus tard ; c'est un gamin de la classe ouvrière, un styliste vocal exceptionnel capable de faire passer n'importe quel riff de blues pour une question de vie ou de mort. Le mariage entre la basse vrombissante de Ronnie Lane, la batterie métronomique de Kenney Jones, le piano bastringue d'Ian McLagan et les lignes de guitare sinueuses, presque négligentes, de Ronnie Wood crée une alchimie unique que j'appellerais volontiers le "chaos contrôlé". Sur cet album, j'évite d'emblée le piège du titre par titre fastidieux parce que ce qui compte avant tout, c'est la température et l'ambiance qui s'échappe des haut-parleurs dès les premières secondes. On sent que le légendaire producteur Glyn Johns a simplement posé ses micros au milieu du studio, a appuyé sur "enregistrer" et a prié pour que personne ne vomisse sur le matériel. Le son est lourd, chaud, organique, avec une section rythmique qui refuse de faire de la figuration et qui impose un groove hérité du rhythm and blues noir américain, mais totalement digéré par des voyous de banlieue. C'est un rock lourd, sexuel et arrogant, qui préfigure avec quinze ans d'avance tout le mouvement sleaze rock. La guitare de Wood ne cherche jamais la perfection technique, elle cherche au contraire le riff qui s'incruste dans le crâne pour ne plus jamais en sortir. Évidemment, impossible de passer sous silence le joyau de cette couronne de débauche, ce morceau d'anthologie devenu l'hymne absolu de la drague lourde et des fins de soirée embrumées. C'est ici que les Faces atteignent leur sommet pop-rock, avec une structure en montagnes russes, des accélérations rythmiques totalement folles où tout semble prêt à s'effondrer mais où le groupe retombe systématiquement sur ses pieds avec une classe insolente. Rod Stewart y livre une performance vocale d'anthologie, hurlant sa frustration et son désir avec une assurance de paon en rut. C'est vicieux et ça balance un coup de pied magistral dans les fesses du rock progressif pompeux qui commençait à pointer le bout de son nez à la même époque. On est là pour transpirer, pas pour faire de la philosophie de comptoir. Alors, pourquoi pas la note maximale ? Tout simplement parce que l'album porte déjà en lui les germes de la destruction future du groupe. L'ego de Rod Stewart commence sérieusement à déborder du cadre, sa carrière solo parallèle vampirisant peu à peu l'énergie collective des Faces. Par moments, le disque s'éparpille un peu, flirte dangereusement avec le grand n'importe quoi et laisse une impression de travail inachevé, comme si la bande avait préféré écouter le match de football ou filer au pub plutôt que de peaufiner les dernières prises. Mais franchement, on s'en contrefiche car ce manque de rigueur est précisément ce qui rend ce rock désespérément humain. C'est un instantané parfait d'un groupe qui brûlait la chandelle par les deux bouts, conscient que le rêve ne durerait pas éternellement.
I really loved all the instrumentals, but I don't really like Rod Stewart's voice; he lowkey sounds like a dying cat lol.
Musically great and just enough to overcome the lyrics and Rod Stewart
Really enjoyed this one
When to listen: At a very empty, very wooden bar where the bartender knows everyone’s names and resents you for being there. I liked this album but that makes sense because I like Maggie May. Thought it was a good mix of sounds that always sounded like *them.*
its nothing unique or special but it does it well nearly a 5 but its too middle of the road to warrant it
Young Rod Stewart with Ronnie Wood is a treat. Good old rock n' roll.
Would be a 3, but 'Stay With Me', earns a +1. Sometimes one song can do it.
Another good 'un
Damn it I like Rod Stewart don’t I? This rocked front to back. Stay With Me and Debris were my favorite moments here. Debris actually being quite moving to me. The slide guitars were super cool. I think the weakest track is the opener.
1. Miss Judy's Farm (★★★★★) -Fav -Frisson alrededor de los 2min con 50seg, suenan muy bien a mi parecer... 2. You're So Rude (★★★★☆) -Suena bien... 3. Love Lives Here (★★★⯨☆) 4. Last Orders Please (★★★⯨☆) 5. Stay with Me (★★★★★) -Fav 6. Debris (★★★☆☆) 7. Memphis (★★★★⯨) 8. Too Bad (★★★★⯨) 9. That's All You Need (★★★★★) -Fav TOTAL = ★★★★⯨ (4,2)
Oli kyllä hyvä levy. Ehkäpä pitää kuunnella uudestaan. 4/5.
Very nice
I only knew their hits- I dig the rest too. Its right up my alley and varied enough that his voice doesn't become irritating.
Really enjoyable, I feel like I've heard this band before but couldn't recognize any of the tracks. Honestly there wasn't a song on here I didn't at least like a little. Favorite track: Love Lives Here
Groovy, kinda rock/blues-y. Cool piano action. I wanna steal a horse now.
These guys can rock!
Rod Stewart rightfully gets dragged for his solo work. But his voice with the Faces is just so spot on. That being said - based on what these songs are about, how none of these dudes got #MeTooed is beyond me.
Bap baaapap düdüdidilidapapapa wahou wahou wahou dapapa didilidapaaaaahh! 4/5
4 out of 5. I liked what I heard here.
I mean, it's bluesy rock and roll, the type you find in a greasy dive bar. Thick with cigarette smoke, 80's/90's beer paraphenalia everywhere. Maybe some bikers outside, maybe not. 4/5
I loved the sound of this album and I could see this being one I return to often
5: Fuzzy Logic 4: Crime of the Century, A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse, Pink Flag, Arrival, 3: Darkness on the Edge of Town, Court and Spark 2: Ramones, Paul's Boutique, When I Was Born For The 7th Time 1: Rain Dogs
If you like good ole classic 70's rock, then this one's for you! Luckily, I am particularly partial to that particular genre of music, so I really enjoyed this. Not perfect, but let's face it, it's perfectly good.
Me: “This guy sounds like Rod Stewart” Wikipedia: “girl, lemme hold your hand when I tell you this” Strong 8
Turns out one of my most nostalgic songs wasn't written by Rod Stewart solo.
Rod stewart led, Ronnie lane Stay with me Memphis
Bra! Framför allt när Rod Stewart står för sången. Älskar Stay with Me, en sådan bra låt. Bra sväng på övriga låtar också.
Great album. Really consistent sound with variety between the tracks. Vocals and guitar are at the forefront in this album, and pair together wonderfully. Wouldn't put it into groundbreaking or 5 star territory, but this is a great collection of tunes.
I thought the guitar work was solid and catchy, Rod has a vocal style even if a bit one-sided. Overall a good rock album.
I wasn’t aware that Rod Stewart sang with a band before his solo career (or maybe they were concurrent). Musically I got Black Crowe’s vibes from this. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say The Black Crowe’s give me “Faces” vibes. I love bluesy rock, and I enjoyed the variation in vocals between Stewart and Lane. Excellent album.
Awesome! Is this Rod Stewart?
Du rock classique, sans fulgurance mais fondamentalement solide.
Looking for an archetypal example of 70s blues-rock? Here ya go. Growly vocals and chugging guitars, with some tasty slide here and there. I don't really know much about (the) Faces, but I think I do now. And it's a good time.
Really liked this, worth another listen
Hmm. 70's blues rock. Oh. That's definitely Rod Stewart - who I'm not the biggest fan of. Aw man. I guess isn't half bad. That's not what I was planning for. Dang it, it's kinda good.
Faces strikes me as an efficient & potent amalgam of The Rolling Stones & Creedence, boasting the pub rock sound of the former & the heartlandia of the latter. This is good music, the kind we need in the world - that we get for cheap, that we keep coming back to in the end b/c it scratches an itch & offers a vigorous simplicity. Stewart's still an underrated vocalist, & Lane does a more than competent job adding a pinch o' Dylan to the mix. 'Why! They're playing "Tracks Of My Tears".' Clearly in love w/ rock 'n' roll, plain & simple, Faces only falters to the extent that their calories are at times as empty as the vacancy they don't really fill. Others have done a better job w/ this sort of product. No matter tho, A Nod Is As Good As gets my vote.
Great
08/05/2026 I enjoyed this and I enjoyed reading the history of how their music and members influenced and formed other music of the era. Spotify listeners: 2.6 million
Light, fun bluesy pop-rock with that one-of-a-kind Rod Stewart voice. How come we never hear Faces on the radio anymore?! I'm not familiar at all with their music, and I'll be back for more.
Solid album, this. Rod Stewart has a very recognizable voice.
Pretty , pretty good!
I wish I had a copy of the original album with the Polaroids. I don’t, but they left the music behind, which I enjoyed.
swaggy
I was swinging and swanging
Great capital “R” rock album, love the chunky guitar riffs, Stewart’s voice is one of the greatest in rock.
Este tercer disco de Faces con Rod Stewart como cantante ofrece el mejor rock de esta banda británica. Diría que soy mucho más fan de las baladas que del resto de temas. "Love Lives Here" y "Debris" son mis preferidas, y "Miss Judy's Farm" de entre las más movidas. Una música esencial de un rock que ya no se hace, por lo que casi lo podemos considerar clásico.
Rod at his finest.
This is a pretty record and the hits be hitting
Interesting to hear Rod Stewart before his solo career. My listen was broken up but I enjoyed it, 3.5/5
Good listen, upbeat and really enjoyable despite the band being a bit crap on the talent side. Gotta love a bit of Rod
Summer vibes. I enjoyed how laidback it was, and got a sense they were having a lot of fun writing and playing these songs. Stay With Me is a classic too.
A good album elevated by the wonderful Stay With Me and Debris at its centre. I prefer Ooo-La-La. But I’m alone in that.
I did not know who this band was. Yet immediately I was like "is that Rod Steward? So for me, good find, if not kinda great for various reasons, such as they are simple but good. I like the vibe, I like that I did not know them, and I like that I now know who made this or that song outside of just Rod Steward. Yeah, this was a good find and I am glad for it.
Nice surprise
I listened to this album driving around Glendale on a lunch break, stopping to Burros & Fries tacos in a Circle K parking lot. It's a little funny to hear a British band playing a style of rock so clearly influenced by southern American country, but hey, it sounds pretty damn good! They wear the costume of a country-tinged rock band pretty well, helped along by the raspy vocals which sound choked on dust and bourbon. I will always have an appreciation for campy homages to existing styles, and I think Faces does a good job at that task. The songs are definitely a bit more engaging when the energy and the tempo kicks up, but his album was a pleasant surprise all around. Highlights: Miss Judy's Farm, You're So Rude, Last Orders Please, Stay with Me, Memphis, Too Bad, That's All You Need
1971 was a great year for Rod Stewart. As well as his hit solo album featuring the song Maggie May, he released this album with Faces. The tracks are split between those written by Stewart and ones by bassist Ronnie Lane who also steps up to the microphone for vocal duties and does a great job. The music is bluesy rock and roll played with what sounds like considerable enjoyment from everyone involved. Stay With Me is probably the standout track but great cover of Memphis, Tennessee by Chuck Berry is also worthy of note. It’s no surprise that this band were one of John Peel’s favourites until The Undertones came along a few years later, and there are a lot of similarities in the feel of a band of young shavers in their 20s having a grand time.
I need a garage, and a car that I’m ‘going to fix up soon’, and a six pack, and the sluttiest little jorts the world has ever seen.
Somehow I had never heard this before. I like the bluesy vibe. I added “Debris” to my Generator playlist.
Really good opened my taste up to start more 70's music
Fun.
Really cool album that I wish I'd heard before. The guitar playing was great, rhythm section was solid, and the singer has a nice voice.
I was already familiar with this album. It is a really solid rock album. The best track is Stay With Me, but the entire album is really good. Rod Stewart is an excellent vocalist, but really the whole band is very good. I would listen to this album any time.
Quite good
Solid stuff!
Great sound, and Stay With Me
I liked the name, album was ok
This is decent stuff. Enjoyed.
Sounds like James Brown insipirstion? Good rock music. This is my speed
I thought the album was good but mixed. Rod Stewart is awesome
I had Stay with Me saved before i listened and completely forgot about that lol. Really good overall, pretty consistent vibe
Default British rock. Not like that’s a bad thing
Above average dad rock with no real bangers.
Love “Stay with Me” and like the rest enough to round up to 4
I liked this a lot, several good-to-great songs, obviously topped by Stay With Me. It helps that I’m not a music critic, just a music fan, and I’m just here to find/rediscover tunes that are fun or mean something to me.
Tough one to rate. Didn’t dislike any song. Probably a 3.5.
At this time, Rod had one of the great blues voices and this is touched by greatness. Unfortunately, it's slightly uneven.
Good from start to finish
This album tricker me into liking a Rod Stewart album. The rock sound was solid.
A solid 70s rocker. I keep being surprised by how much I like Rod Stewart. In the 80s, I hated everything about him. Was it just that he was better when younger, and I just don't like his later stuff, or have my tastes changed? I think it's the former, but jury is still out.
A great and enjoyable album. Could have been double as long. I only knew one song but they were all fun to hear.
I thought I recognized the singers voice and of course I did. This album sounds very "of its time" to me, the smooth rock with lots of room for solos. Not bad at all but I feel like I can find better in the genre easily and some are probably on this list. It was fun hearing Rod Stewart in a way I hadn't heard before though.
Listened Before? N Faces were really something else. This was a scorcher of a 70s rock album. It's no wonder Rod Stewart was considered such a star. I am also not surprised he went on to have such a successful career of his own. This is great stuff. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Stay With Me
Probably their best album, The Faces laid-back style of blues rock is as comfortable as an old pair of slippers. I believe their vocalist did alright for himself after this.
# In-Depth Review: *A Nod Is As Good As A Wink... To A Blind Horse* by Faces Released in November 1971, this third studio album by Faces represents the band at their commercial and creative peak—though it emerged during a period of mounting tension between Rod Stewart's burgeoning solo superstardom and the group's collective identity. Co-produced by the legendary **Glyn Johns** (known for his work with The Beatles, The Who, and The Rolling Stones), the album captures a band simultaneously tighter than ever yet on the verge of fragmentation. --- ## The Music: Ragged Glory Meets Studio Discipline The Faces' sound on this record is defined by what critics have called **"sloppy perfection"**—a paradoxical blend of loose, bar-room energy and surprisingly sophisticated musicianship. Glyn Johns' production was crucial here; he served as a "stern taskmaster" who helped wrangle the notoriously unruly quintet into recording shape without sacrificing their essential grit . **Ronnie Wood's** guitar work is the album's sonic signature. His tone is dirty, fuzzy, and immediately addictive—particularly on the opener **"Miss Judy's Farm"** and the hit single **"Stay With Me."** Wood's style is less about technical flash and more about **feel**; his chunky, jagged riffs and slide guitar work would soon land him a spot in The Rolling Stones, and you can hear why . **Ian McLagan's** keyboards provide crucial texture, from the honky-tonk piano that drives the party atmosphere to the more subtle organ work on quieter tracks. **Kenney Jones** (later of The Who) delivers propulsive, sometimes "lumpen" but always energetic drumming, while **Ronnie Lane's** bass grounds the proceedings with melodic sophistication . The album moves fluidly between styles: Chuck Berry-derived rockers ("Miss Judy's Farm," "Too Bad"), British blues stompers ("Stay With Me"), tender ballads ("Love Lives Here," "Debris"), and a swampy, low-down cover of **Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee"** that many argue improves upon the original . --- ## Lyrics & Themes: Booze, Heartbreak, and Working-Class Poetry The album's lyrical content spans the gamut from **bawdy, politically incorrect rockers** to **wistful, introspective ballads**—reflecting the dual songwriting personalities of Rod Stewart and Ronnie Lane. **The Party Anthems:** - **"Stay With Me"** is the album's centerpiece and the band's signature song. Lyrically, it's a brutally honest (and now controversial) paean to a one-night stand: *"Don't be here in the morning when I wake up"* . The song captures the Faces' devil-may-care attitude—sleazy yet somehow charming, with Stewart's raspy vocals selling every line. - **"You're So Rude"** (sung by Lane) and **"Miss Judy's Farm"** deliver semi-slapstick tales of sexual misadventure and rural romps, respectively . **The Quiet Moments:** - **"Debris"** is Ronnie Lane's masterpiece—a delicate ballad about a son's relationship with his father, observing the "debris" of a life lived. Lines about seeing his father as a complete human being, with "hidden scars" and strange charity shop gifts, offer genuine emotional depth . Lane's plaintive, fragile vocal delivery makes it one of the most moving tracks in the entire Faces catalog . - **"Last Orders Please"** and **"Love Lives Here"** provide moments of vulnerability that contrast sharply with the album's raucous majority . The tension between Stewart's swaggering persona and Lane's introspective folk sensibility creates a fascinating dynamic—two distinct worldviews sharing space on one record. --- ## Production: Glyn Johns' Disciplined Approach Recorded between March and September 1971 at **Olympic Studios in London**, the album benefited enormously from Johns' involvement. While previous Faces records had suffered from a lack of focus, Johns imposed a discipline that allowed the band's natural chemistry to shine through more clearly . The production is **raw but not messy**—you can hear every instrument clearly, yet the overall effect is of a band playing live in a room. Johns captured what one reviewer called the "chaotic spirit and big heart of prestige rock and roll but shorn of any purist posturing" . The album reached **#2 in the UK** and **#6 in the US**, earning a gold disc from the RIAA in 1972—making it their most commercially successful effort . --- ## Influence & Legacy *A Nod Is As Good As A Wink...* has proven enormously influential on subsequent generations of rock bands: - **The Black Crowes**, **The Quireboys**, and countless other "bar bands" have drawn directly from the Faces' template of British blues-rock swagger, honky-tonk piano, and brazen guitars . - **Punk and pub rock** bands admired their no-BS, straight-up rock 'n' roll assault—Glen Matlock of The Sex Pistols would later join Faces reunions, and the album's energy prefigures punk's rejection of prog-rock excess . - The album represents a **crossroads of classic rock royalty**: Stewart became a solo superstar, Wood joined The Rolling Stones, Kenney Jones joined The Who, and Ronnie Lane pursued a respected solo career before his tragic death from MS . Critics note that while the Faces were often dismissed as "ersatz Rolling Stones" during their era, this album proves they had their own distinct identity—**messier, more democratic, and ultimately more fun** than their more famous contemporaries . --- ## Pros | Strength | Details | |----------|---------| | **Musical Chemistry** | The band plays with telepathic connection; every member shines without overshadowing the others | | **Glyn Johns' Production** | Captures the perfect balance of raw energy and studio polish | | **Song Diversity** | Seamlessly moves from raunchy rockers to tender ballads | | **Ronnie Lane's Contributions** | "Debris" and "Last Orders Please" add emotional depth and showcase his underrated songwriting | | **"Stay With Me"** | A genuine rock standard—one of the greatest songs of the 1970s | | **Ronnie Wood's Guitar** | Distinctive, fuzzy tone that would define the sound of The Rolling Stones for decades | | **Rod Stewart's Vocals** | At his absolute peak—powerful, raspy, yet capable of surprising tenderness | --- ## Cons | Weakness | Details | |----------|---------| | **Inconsistent Lead Vocals** | Ronnie Lane's songs, while beautifully written, might have benefited from Rod Stewart's more commanding voice (particularly "Debris") | | **Politically Incorrect Lyrics** | "Stay With Me" and "You're So Rude" have aged poorly in terms of sexual politics—though some argue this "brutal honesty" is part of the appeal | | **Identity Crisis** | The album was created under the shadow of Stewart's solo success (*Every Picture Tells a Story* was released the same year), creating tension about the band's future | | **Kenney Jones' Drumming** | Occasionally described as "lumpen" or basic compared to the more sophisticated playing of his bandmates | | **Short Running Time** | At just 9 tracks, some listeners may find it slight compared to double albums of the era | --- ## Verdict *A Nod Is As Good As A Wink... To A Blind Horse* is **the definitive Faces album**—the moment when their ragged, boozy, soulful rock 'n' roll finally crystallized into a coherent masterpiece. It captures a band at the height of their powers, even as the forces that would eventually destroy them (Stewart's solo fame, Lane's departure after their next album) were already gathering. The album succeeds because it embraces contradiction: it's **sloppy yet precise**, **tender yet sleazy**, **working-class yet musically sophisticated**. Glyn Johns deserves immense credit for bottling lightning, allowing the Faces to be themselves while ensuring the results were listenable. While it may not have the unified conceptual ambition of *Every Picture Tells a Story* or the folk intimacy of *Ooh La La*, it represents the **purest distillation of the Faces as a rock 'n' roll unit**. For anyone interested in 1970s British rock, pub rock, or the roots of bands like The Black Crowes, this is essential listening.
this isn't winking but a full nod of the head
The music is fine, and holds up, but it doesn’t stand out.
"A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse" by Faces is a pretty good classic back-to-the-basics rock album. It has that loose, raw, no-nonsense rock sound that just works. The band and the album are probably not super famous these days, but I think most people will have heard "Stay With Me" at least once. The overall sound also reminded me of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, CCR, The Who, and the Rolling Stones, just that kind of straight-up rock vibe. I really enjoyed listening to it again and it was a great revisit for me.
En skön skiva. Mycket najs sångröst och piggt melodiskt hela vägen. Får inte wow-feeling, men det är jännbra hela (korta) skivan.
This went hard I liked it a lot. First half of the album was awesome then second half was ok to pretty good
Never heard of em idk why but was a pleasant surprise, solid 3.5 from me will round up from from the joy i didn't think an unknown would get me
I feel dumb for not knowing Faces earlier - I dig it!
Pretty fun album. Great, loose unprocessed 70s sound. This is the best way to hear Rod Stewart - where he takes a break from singing every few tracks.
Sweet and loose.
I really enjoyed this. Like Rolling Stones light, with Rod Stewart!
Pretty good
As much as I'm not a fan of Rod Stewart's voice, this was actually quite good.
I really enjoyed this just has that classic sound! If it had In A Broken Dream on it too I'd have given it a 5.
Really enjoyed this
'A nod is as good as a wink' is een heerlijk Brits rockalbum, dat klinkt alsof Faces iets te bewijzen had tegen Amerikanen. Rod Stewart en Ronny Lane hebben fantastische zangstemmen, die ook nog eens heel fijn samengaan. Over Lane gesproken, de bas op dit album is echt héér-lijk. 'Debris' is een overduidelijke favoriet, die het ongemakkelijke gevoel van een volwassen relatie met je vader prachtig weet te vangen. 'Stay with me' is ook een banger. Gewoon een heel lekker album!
I would have previously said Ooh La La was the better album but after listening to both back to back, I'll be gravitating more to this one now. Probably a 5 without Debris, but still a solid 4
really enjoyed some tracks on this, just some good instrumentation and rock music
Love me some 70s music 🕶️
A nice, concise and cohesive album. Doesn't quite reach the heights of the likes of the Stones, but enjoyable nonetheless
When I read this album's title, I did not expect it to be what it was. I was thinking more outdated, cheesy rock music. Boy was I wrong. This is truly timeless, and I really loved the hint of blues throughout. The musicianship had me hooked right away, and the vocals were top notch. My only complaint, and it's a small one because this album was incredibly solid, is that there were similarities between each song. Consistent, yes, but it would've been cool to see a track or two that broke the mold a bit.
I enjoyed a lot of this album, very much background music but it didn’t bore me. Sorry for short review
Good rock n roll. Stewart had a great voice in his younger days.
Great loose, early 70s blues rock, with enough timelessness to the sound that means it's still a lot of fun to listen to. At its best, the band's looseness goes all the way around to some really tight tracks, like Stay With Me, which is outstanding. Not everything in the album works as well for me, but Stewart was great back then, and Ronnie and the band are having fun, so it's somewhere in the pantheon.
Crazy to think there was a time when one of the coolest things around was a bunch of scrawny white British dudes playing old blues music.
oneont
I'd never heard of Faces before, but this was solid stuff. Basically CCR-lite. Maybe they don't even need the suffix. 3.8
Nice bluesy-rock outing from the band that gave us Rod Stewart (all right, and Ronnie Lane). I did rather like this, very listenable and worthy of repeated plays. Good stuff
Only Ron Wood, Rod Stewart, and his band could create such a beautiful album.
Liked the psychadelic blues jammyness of this one. Very solid through and through. 7/10
Pretty good. Simpsons: does Rod Stewart count?
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse is a mouthful of a title for a really darn good blues rock album. I am pretty familiar with the style of music Rod Stewart does from his two solo albums and that one Jeff Beck album here so i still expected this to be a good one. The music here is very fun despite suffering a bit from same face syndrome at points (especially with the first two songs) and the vocals, be they from Rod Stewart or Ronnie Lane or the other members' backing vocals, were all really good here. I was initally thinking of giving this album a high 3 stars but those last few tracks were enough to push it to a 4. Best Song: Stay With Me Worst Song: Miss Judy's Farm
There’s about 2 inches or so of snow on the ground, and I love snow, well, at least until I get tired of it. But living in Kentucky my whole life, I rarely get a chance to get tired of snow because there usually ain’t none! So, I’m a bit more chipper today, plus I just canceled a doctor’s appointment and there’s nothing better to boost your mood than canceling an appointment. And today’s album is the Faces’ A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse. Hot damn! I love the Faces and I think if lead singer Rod Stewart hadn’t gone off to be a solo artist, and they were able to not drink themselves to death, they’d have been just like the Rolling Stones today. Hell, Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood is a Rolling Stone today. The Faces formed after the lead singer of the Small Faces, Steve Marriott, left to form the underrated band Humble Pie. In steps Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood of the Jeff Beck Group and the Faces were born. Damn, those first two albums by the Jeff Beck Group with Stewart on vocals and Wood on bass are just gems. But I digress. Anyway, the Faces recorded a couple of albums that didn’t really do much, but then came A Nod Is As Good As A Wink and things blew up. It helped that by this time, Stewart was making a name for himself as a solo artist, which brought fans of his to the group. As an aside, I think Stewart may be the greatest rock ‘n’ roll singer ever. His voice is great on the rockers and great on the sad songs. He’s even good on disco songs and ’80s synth rock songs. Again, I digress. This album contains one of my all-time favorite rock songs, Stay With Me. The guitar riff mixed with Stewart’s snarling vocals just create a badass mood. It’s not very PC, but who cares, it’s rock ‘n’ roll. Beyond the rockers, the Faces’ bassist Ronnie Lane also shines as a vocalist on three songs he wrote, including a song called Debris which is about Lane’s relationship with his father as a child. Perhaps the best thing about the album is that it clocks in around 35 minutes. It gets in and gets out and leaves you wanting more. The first two Faces albums were thought to be a bit bloated, so for this one, they trimmed the fat. My favorite tracks on this album are, obviously, Stay With Me, Ms. Judy’s Farm, Debris, and That’s All You Need. But there are no bad songs on the album. A Wink Is As Good As A Nod is a straight-up 70s blues rock banger, and I’d put it up against any Rolling Stones album that isn’t Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St., but that’s pretty good. So, if you’ve never heard of the Faces, you’re welcome and Merry Christmas.
very unexpected like!
Why does Rod Stewart sing like that…. Badass backing band though
Good guitar. Bluesy.
A bop
Gammel Rock - gemt
Rod Stewart was married to Stacy's Mom
There were some cool tunes on that album. Not sure if it was the husky voice, funky bass or cool guitar rhythms, but I enjoyed that.
Classic Rod and Ronnie - cracking album.
i really enjoyed this one. used to have this on tape back in the day. never upgraded. always loved "Stay with Me" and i forgot how good "Miss Judy's Farm" was. little trivia. Rod Stewart is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, twice. one for his solo career, the other is for Faces. Eric Clapton is the only artist in three times.
Wow Jones, Wood & Stewart. What a band
solid album. rod stewart is pretty great on here, it's a pretty good selection of songs. the musicianship is good, particularly ronnie wood's guitar playing and the underrated ronnie lane's bass playing. 'stay with me' is an all timer, and although there are several other good songs on here, nothing else really strikes me better than good here. some of the songs are honestly pretty forgettable, and their cover of chuck berry's 'memphis' is pretty mid. all in all though, it's a solid enough listen.
Had never heard of this band. Solid. Enjoyable. I'll be coming back.
there aren’t many voices more suitable for rock than rod stewart. add in ronnie wood on lead guitar, this album had to be great… and it is a gem. highlights: “stay with me” “memphis” “too bad”
Full of greats
Another fun one, Faces make ramshackle rowdy pub rock. Suitable for framing- in your ears!
I’ve always liked Rod Stewart a little more than I’ve thought I should. This was pretty great.
That was good enough to listen to twice
Классный альбом и характерный вокал Стюарта его только украшает. 7,5 из 10.
netter blues-rock, mit wirklich guter instrumentalisierung. lustig das hier neben rod stewart auch ron wood (rolling stones!) am werk war.
Wusste nicht, dass Rod Stewart mal in einer Band war. Aber top und richtig rockig!
Really fantastic album
Again, I really like 70s rock
This was much better than expected. I don't know why, but I expected this to be trash and it was definitely not. I could listen to this again. 4/5
Lovely classic rock with plenty of blues and some hard rock too. Rod Stewart is a great frontman. He’s got an awesome rock n roll wail. I don’t know how singers like him perform every night without losing their voice. “Sweaty girls and damp motels is where I'm gonna stay” — something about that line on “Too Bad” hit for me. Like, hell yeah. I love that off-kilter guitar part on “That’s All You Need.” And listen to those steel drums at the end! What a pleasant surprise! I was jamming to this from beginning to end.
This album is great. The songs are really enjoyable, and it is a very strong recording overall. I wouldn't say it's excellent, but it's a highlight for sure.
Muy bueno
My original review some months ago, I gave a 4: "Well, I'm surprised. I don't like Rod Stewart, "Maggie May" grinds me to the point of needing to smash the speakers to pieces. But he's tolerable in this. The other vocals are okay too. Musically very enjoyable. A pleasant selection for a miserable, rainy, Friday." Funnily it's Friday again, but not at all rainy. I liked it a little more than last time I think, but it's still Rod Stewart.
Whoa, of course I know of Rod Stewart, but I had never heard of Faces. This album is great, and Stay with Me is an all time classic.
Love the vibe and the rock volume of it
I wasn’t familiar with Faces before this, but the second I heard the vocals I instantly recognized Rod Stewart. His voice has that distinct grit and swagger that gives the whole record its character. This album has that loose, barroom rock feel that just works perfectly for the band’s style. The musicianship is top-notch, and Ronnie Wood absolutely killed it on pedal steel. His playing adds this warm, rootsy touch that makes the songs hit even harder. You can tell the band was just having fun in the studio, and that energy bleeds through every track. Overall, A Nod Is As Good As a Wink...is a solid rock record that feels both tight and effortless at the same time. It’s messy in the best way, with enough attitude and soul to keep you coming back for another listen. Favorite song: Memphis
Finally been given an album I haven't fully heard of before, reminding me the reason why I did this challenge. To finally listen to some of these bands that I've heard of or remembered or otherwise find and learn new music that is highly regarded that isn't something super famous. I know of Faces primarily knowing it as where Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood had to go to get away from the crazy and fluid Jeff Beck. What makes this a "must hear before you die" record is Ronnie Wood being a boogie guitar hero. Especially on Memphis and That's All You Need, quite a hypnotic rhythm from the soon-to-be Rolling Stones member. It's otherwise a "dad rock" record, or 'Classic Rock' record if you ever listened to the radio for music before you ever used music streaming services. A Nod Is As Good As A Wink... captures that true rock energy before punk/new wave/metal would shape music going forward. Boogie rock is perhaps better heard in bands like CCR or John Lee Hooker, bands from America where blues began, but the English side of it (sans Clapton thank the Lord) also shows an interesting perspective and twist on it. I'm biased in favor of the John Lee Hooker type since it's what I was raised on, but this is still a good capture of that blues rock sound as it was beginning to wane out.
Am I hearing some form of transition between the earlier blues rock and what will become glamrock? Perhaps. People keep talking about this Rod Stewart guy. Never heard of him, let's google him... So this guy did a lot. At some point he makes something that pisses someone off? He hasn't yet with me though. Voice has a nice rasp to it, guitars play strong riffs and the rythmic changes keep it fresh.
Good rock band out of the 70’s . Made even better with the vocals of Rod Stewart. Good music, sound of 70’s rock.
Rating: 7.5/10 Nothing mind-blowing but consistently very good rock album, a lot of catchy melodies.
Rod Steward has such a distinctive voice. This was fun!
Just straight blues rock with shredding guitars and Rod’s hoarse voice.
I have no way to prove this, but I hear the joy of creating and playing music in this album. Could be the recording was tumultious and toxic, but I couldn't believe that. This one was a pleasant listening experience. Also, Rod Stewart has that cocky big d*ck swinging energy that few come close to.
I always forget about pre-Maggie May Rod Stewart but the Faces are solid. The opener to this album, Miss Judy's Farm, is a great rocker. The Ronnie's bring it on guitar (Wood) and bass (Lane) and Stewart's vocals and energy take it to the next level. Ian McLagan's key work throughout is pretty outstanding, brings that extra jangle to the rock. I'm not sure I noticed Kenney Jones' drums that much and I didn't love Ronnie Lane's vocals on You're So Rude or Last Orders Please, though I can tolerate them on Debris because the musical arrangement is real good and Stewart's harmonies are solid. Still, their songs are better when Stewart sings lead. No one is going to argue with me on Stay With Me (a classic rocker) but Too Bad and That's All You Need are also wicked rockers (Wood's guitar is outstanding on the latter) and Love Lives Here is a sweet softer piece. This album is a definite 4 but has a few dips.
Good heavy blues rocker - before the 1001, I never really listened to anything Rod Stewart did before his 80s big hair days, and I can't say I was a fan but I'm really appreciating his early work, both here and with Jeff Beck. Every song is good, but they sound like a lot of other bands (even contemporaries - I try to be sensitive to appreciating who were the trendsetters). The lack of originality keeps them from getting a 5, but they get the 4 because I'd happily queue this one up again. Favorite tracks: Miss Judy's Farm, Love Lives Here, Stay With Me (one of those "hey I know this one!" moments), Debris (with Ronnie Lane singing lead with Stewart on backing vocals - nice chill song), Memphis Tennessee (fun Chuck Berry cover), That's All You Need (love the slide guitar - Ronnie Wood, soon to join the Rolling Stones). Yeah, that's 2/3 of the album. Good stuff.
Major kick buttage. Enjoyed considerably. Can hear some of that Stones~ish flavor from Ronnie Wood. And that distinct Rod Stewart raspy sweetness.
Did not know that Rod Stewart was in a band. Really liked the album
Really good rock album!
Great early 70’s Blues based rock!! Rod Stewart’s vox are great… some of the tunes and sounds remind me of the Stones from that era! BUT if you have Rod Stewart in your band you shouldn’t let anyone else sing lead on your album! 4 Stars!
I really liked this one. Rod Stewart has a lot of personality in his voice, and it’s a great classic rock sound from the rest of the band.
Easily accessible and mixes blues with rock effortlessly. Always love Rod Stewart’s vocals and Stay With Me is a classic jam. Easy four stars and I’ll come back to it for sure.
I'm a sucker for Rod Stewart, so finding out he was part of Faces was a huge discovery for me. "Stay with Me" is an all time song and I only knew it from Stewart's solo albums. I wonder how the royalties work with that one? Overall, I really liked this album. Totally understand if people say it's forgettable, but compared to a lot of this list, it's a hit!
I can’t remember if we’ve listened to a Faces album yet or not. Maybe I’ve said this before but this is not a band I grew up listening to and had some preconceived notions about Rod Stewart. That’s why I really enjoy listening to this music because it blows those stereotypes apart. I really enjoyed the listen. Good rock ‘n’ roll.
Das dritte Album der britischen Rockband Faces wurde 1971 in London unter der Produktion von Glyn Johns aufgenommen. Musikalisch verbindet es kraftvolle Rock’n’Roll-Stücke mit souligen und bluesigen Einflüssen, wobei die raue Stimme von Rod Stewart und die verspielten Gitarrenparts den Ton angeben. Mit „Stay With Me“ enthält die Platte den bekanntesten Titel der Gruppe, daneben stechen auch „Miss Judy’s Farm“ und „Too Bad“ als typische Rocknummern hervor. Ronnie Lane brachte mit Liedern wie „Debris“ eine ruhigere Note ein, die der Platte zusätzliche Tiefe verleiht. Insgesamt ist es ein energiegeladenes, abwechslungsreiches Werk, das den ungestümen Sound der frühen 70er Jahre gut einfängt und bis heute als ihr gelungenstes Album gilt.
Blind A Wink Horse Good Nod As A As To Is A 3.5/5.0: Very Good
bello ma un po’ blando
I never knew Rod Stewart was in another group...and I love me some Rod Stewart. Maybe not quite as good as his solo stuff, but this goes pretty hard. Really good classic rock.
Great album blues rock sound Rod Stewart’s voice sounds amazing
Pretty fine
It's better than many a stones album imho
Never really listened to the faces before other than that one song. Really lovely simplistic but effective instrumentation with some memorable and unique tongue in cheek vocals! Mr beast
Some classic rock, pretty good.
These days, Rod Stewart’s got way more bad albums than good ones, and his reputation’s taken a beating because of it. But he wasn’t always like that, and this record proves it. With the Faces, he had this boozy, sloppy energy that his solo stuff at the time didn’t, and it totally worked. Rod Stewart could definitely rock.. it just feels like that was a long, long time ago.
Good blues rock with Ronny Wood and Rod Stewart’s best vocals.
I like Rod Stewart when he's doing rock. And this is a pretty good version of that Rod Stewart.
Lots of good rock and roll, with just a little bit of country. Got a little weird toward the end but mostly a banger
Great vibes on this! From the band that made Ooh La La, that's no surprise. The last track on this is quite annoying, but otherwise this album was a whole lot of fun. I'd be excited to return to it in the future.
good album
I ended up listening to this more than I expected, just trying to decide if it was actually good, and it turned out it is. The album is a great listen throughout, full of swagger, grit, and personality. Faces really hit their stride here.
A surprise! Love a surprise, especially when it’s really good.
Could easily listen to this kinda stuff all day
1. This is nice 2. Oh no, it's Rod Stewart 3. Cannot recover from the shock 4. Read everyones reviews 5. Listen to Stay with me and following tracks 6. This is actually quite nice!
I’m a sucker for blues rock. The more harmonica the better. These British boys were feeling it! It isn’t quite complex enough to rate five stars, some of the lyrics are clunky, but I did enjoy listening to this.
Ronnie Lane is a perfectly adequate singer, but the juxtaposition with the songs where Rod Stewart leads shows what a compelling frontman Rod is. Three stars for the Lane stuff, four for the Rod stuff. Going to give a four as there is more of the latter.
My funny memory. Carpool at the time by another mother. Her daughter rode in front seat and controlled the radio. Stay with Me came on the Top 40 station. The mother heard a few words and told her daughter to turn off that trash! Great song. Great album.
Álbum competente e agradável. TRN VX PRO+.
Good stuff for an old band, it still sounds fresh and rockin' today. Stay With Me is a banger. Gotta love ol' Rod.
Good album! I'm a fan of this kind of music so It was a really good experience
og rock n roll
Awesome
This is album seems like vintage fun 70s rock and roll/blues rock. Which makes me wonder why Faces isn’t often mentioned in conversations about bands of the time, like The Rolling Stones, the band, and others. Is it because Rod Stewart became… well, rod Stewart? This rocks as good as any of the era and Stewart’s voice shines in its squeezed out uniqueness.
Going in, I was expecting this to be an entirely new one on me, as I didn't so much as recognise the band name or artwork. However, the opening track "Miss Judy's Farm" rang some bells in my brain due to being played at home over the years, and from there on in I had a fun time with this boogie rocker. A welcome and endearing injection of fun and positivity, I think this suffers ever so slightly when it aims for that "moving ballad" approach on a track such as "Debris". However, the keyboard work from Ian McLagan is unrelentingly radiant throughout the album, and whilst this isn't mind-bending stuff, I feel that this album is an example of making modesty and looseness count. Arse shaking riffage, coupled with Rod Stewart's raspy, charismatic vocal offering, gives the album a real hazy 1970s whisky bar quality to it.
It's a decent Rod Stewart album basically.
Loved it.
Listened a few times, enjoyed it lots! I think it's a soft 4 star album, but it makes me feel FOMO to leave it as a 3 so... here we are (notes lost)
Surprisingly great. Straightforward 70s rock with some fantastic guitar and I've never heard Rod Stewart sound so good.
The Good: Faces… always nice to look at! The Bad: The faces aren’t top-model quality… The Ugly: The look in my face while trying to figure out the album name… Going to keep this one short. We’ve got early ‘70s pop-rock. Some songs upbeat, others downbeat, all with a good beat. Fun album to listen to, with 1 massive hit. Though I will give this album a 4*, I don’t know why it is listed as an album you have to hear before you die...
7/10
Very satisfied with this pick. I think the album left something to be desired on a few tracks, but I was still asking for more when the 36 minutes were up. Rod Stewarts voice definitely belongs on this list. Ian McLagen on the keys provides so much “70s” taste to most of the songs Stay With Me, Love Lives Here and Debris are tasty tracks. 3.5 and rounding up.
I was always confused when I saw Faces as the artist for Ooh La La over the years. Knew it as a Rod Stewart song, and thought that version sounded like him. When we got this album, finally realized this is Rod’s original band - had no idea. But then read about Ooh La La from their other album, and that’s Ronnie Wood on vocals, sounds just like Rod. This album was pretty excellent - love Rod’s vocals and Ron’s guitar work. Funny album title too.
A pretty stunningly beautiful first half of an album. Glad I got to hear it.
This album made me have a new appreciation for Rod Stewart. I love the bluesy southern rock sound and although I’m still not the biggest fan of Rod’s voice, it meshed a lot better than his usual more sappy songs that I am used to.
Rod Stewart genuinely has one of my all-time favourite voices, and yet I couldn’t really call him one of my favourite artists because he’s recorded some right old dross over the years. Give him a bit of bluesy 1970s rock though, and he's so good that I'm slightly disappointed when Ronnie Lane sings lead instead. No offence Ronnie, but Rod would have knocked You're So Rude out of the park.
pretty good rocking out in the car
Incredible
4/5. A pretty solid rock album, just well-written songs throughout. Most are pretty short and don't overstay their welcome. The alternating vocals of Stewart and Lane between songs was a great choice. And the guitar at the forefront with Wood at the helm makes this album feel a little heavier which is to its benefit. Not all of the songs were perfect, but this was still really good. I definitely feel like it will grow on me with more listens. Best Song: Stay With Me, Miss Judy's Farm, Memphis, That's All You Need
Some problematic lyrics, especially the first song but good musicality and mixing
Awesome 70’s guitar rock! Absolutely loved this!
It good
Rod Stewart snuck up on me in this one, and it was kinda cool! Liked this album way more than expected, might even add it to the rotation.
Weird album title, but guitar riffs and sound are way better than I was expecting. Memphis in particular I really liked.
Album is incredible. Absolutely loved it. Going to listen to more of them now. 8.3/10
The album title is so goofy that Faces had to cut it short for the cover art. Not a great sign of things to come. Actually, I really enjoyed this listen. Stay With Me, while not exactly the Sam Smith version many people might've hoped for, is arguably even better. I enjoy the high energy and relentless rock-vocalising. Miss Judy's Farm is also a big highlight. With its driving rhythm, great guitar riffs, gritty honky-tonk piano, textural breakdowns (man, that middle section!), and wild percussion towards the end... what's not to like? Add Debris to the list of highlights. It's a rock ballad reminiscent of something off the Stones' Exile On Main Street (released just one year later). It's texturally dense, yet has a kind of mellow, sorrowful feel to it. None of the other tracks particularly stand out, but all are at least reasonably strong in isolation. I appreciate the change of moods throughout the record, keeping with the primary goal of an album: to demonstrate a variety of sounds from a particular band. That being said, a greater diversity of genres would've been good too. Got this album the day after Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells A Story. The two records are functionally equivalent, and hence I shall give this one a 4-star rating. (One star for each set of 9 minutes that I felt like I was listening to a Stewart extended cut – not that that's a bad thing.) 4/5 Key tracks: Miss Judy's Farm, Stay With Me, Debris
I really enjoyed this. Wouldn't listen again so only gets a 4 but makes me appreciate Rod Stewart all the more. Glad to have heard it.
Had no clue Rod Stewart was in a band, I really enjoyed this
Actually was pretty good.
Hey I know that guy!! That’s Rod Stewart!
Second Rod Stewart project in a week. His voice sounds better and more unique the more you listen to him. Never listened to this full album before and I can say I like it more than his solo work. It's quite a generic blues album, with some less inspiring covers like Memphis in there. But I'm a sucker for blues rock, so I don't really mind. Stay With Me is an amazing song and the rest of the album is enjpoyable as well. It sounds a lot like what the Black Crowes would go on to copy 20 years later.
Really solid bluesy rock record, impeccably recorded. Most of the songs remain interesting all the way through with good energy. Must have been a trip to get bombed with these lads.
"Stay With Me", and "Memphis" were my favorite songs. The only song I didn't like much was "Debris". This album has a great run-time, and I liked almost every song. No complaints, this is some nice rock and roll. 7/10
This album was so good. Ronnie wood plays some incredible guitar. Found out it’s one of dad’s all time favorite albums too. They had great guitar tones. Bluesy and fun.
Sounds really good
wow
This was cool, always a big fan of the jazzy keys on rock songs like these
Solid 70’s Blues Rock. A collection of nomadic English musicians that found themselves together for 4 albums before all went on to bigger and better things (Humble Pie, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Solo). Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood were a great song-writing tandem while they lasted. This album is their best effort. No skip songs, but standouts are Miss Judy’s Farm and Stay With Me (Side 1). Too Bad and That’s All You Need (Side 2). 4⭐️ album. It will be spun again for sure.
Well, I'm surprised. I don't like Rod Stewart, "Maggie May" grinds me to the point of needing to smash the speakers to pieces. But he's tolerable in this. The other vocals are okay too. Musically very enjoyable. A pleasant selection for a miserable, rainy, Friday.
# Album Name: A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse # Artist: Faces # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Not a bad album for Rod. I've never been his biggest fan but he does have some decent singles in his back catalogue. Now this album has a nice rock n roll and bluesy feel to it. I assume thats the ronnie wood influence if im honest. Theres some good guitar and piano work. Rods vocals are good as usual. Nothing new here. Stay with me is THE stand out track. It is a absolute classic. Great song. Threes a few more tracks on this album which makes it a notable 4 for me. # Top Tunes: Judys farm / Youre so rude / Stay with me / too bad / Thats all you need # Would I listen to it again? Yes
A good album, I liked Memphis the most.
oh shit i gotta apologize to rod. i was unfamiliar with his game.
Excellent, 4.5 stars
Solid bluesy and jazzy rock tunes, with Rod sometimes taking a backseat on vocals. By this time, they have dropped “Young” and the foolish psychedelia.
For something with Rod Stewart on vocals this was good. Great music.
this was so fun, i had a great time and learned that rod stewart used to be in a band
There's some solid bluesy rock here and I enjoyed it. Rod's unique voice is well suited for what they were doing and it's easy to understand how Ronnie Wood eventually fit in so well with the Rolling Stones.
Oddly enjoyable
Actually great stuff. Stay With Me is such a good song
This was the first time I grew to have an understanding that Rod Stewart had a band prior to his solo career, and that the band actually seems to be quite good. Faces is literally like if I said 'Rod Stewart is a pretty great singer, but all his songs are too lame' (I do say this!) and 'he should start a band with some much cooler, maybe blues-y tracks' (I don't say this, but in retrospect I should have!). Yes, I had heard 'Ooh La La' and 'Stay With Me', but prior to today I had never actually placed those songs to an actual band. Now that I know, Faces is on the radar and I anticipate discovering more of them in the future.
A lot of my fellow millennials have no idea how hard Rod Stewart used to rock. Long before his days of standards and adult-alternative, Rod knew how to boogie, and this is a damn good rock album. Early Faces doesn’t get enough credit for how much they rocked, though I think they are finally starting to get their due. 4.1/5
Very good album. Enjoyed it very much.
норм
This album had good musicians and a good sound. Nicely mixed as well. It made me consider the rich history of country/folk music and how many people must have contributed to its refinement.
An album that confirmed that the individuals that made up this band were the real deal. This music would be part of rock going forward from its inspiration. Fantastic album.
Great rock n roll album.