Faces. – The First Step

Faces – The First Step

Released in 1970, The First Step is the debut album from Faces, one of the great British rock bands of the early 1970s. Bringing together former members of the Small Faces and Jeff Beck Group, the record captures a newly formed band combining blues, rhythm and blues, hard rock and good-time rock'n'roll into a sound full of character, swagger and raw musical energy.

The line-up brought together Rod Stewart on vocals, Ronnie Wood on guitar, Ronnie Lane on bass, Ian McLagan on keyboards and Kenney Jones on drums. With three former Small Faces members joining Stewart and Wood from the Jeff Beck Group, Faces emerged from two important strands of the late-1960s British rock scene. Their chemistry was immediate, although this debut finds the musicians still developing the loose, unmistakable identity that would make them such a formidable live act.

Recorded at De Lane Lea Studios in London between 1969 and 1970, the album was produced by the band themselves. Its ten tracks demonstrate a remarkably democratic approach to songwriting, with contributions from across the group. Ronnie Lane's melodic sensibility provides a counterpoint to the tougher blues-rock approach of Stewart and Wood, while McLagan's Hammond organ and piano add warmth and depth to the arrangements. Jones supplies the powerful, swinging rhythmic foundation that gives the performances their distinctive momentum.

The album opens with Bob Dylan's 'Wicked Messenger', a muscular interpretation that sets the tone with its gritty vocals and driving instrumental arrangement. Original compositions such as 'Devotion' and 'Shake Shudder Shiver' reveal the band's blues and R&B foundations, while 'Stone' showcases Ronnie Lane's more reflective songwriting and distinctive vocal character. 'Around The Plynth' is a particularly strong example of the group's heavier, guitar-led sound, with Stewart delivering one of his characteristic soulful performances.

The second side continues with 'Flying', an early Faces composition that captures the band's freewheeling approach to rock'n'roll. Ronnie Wood's instrumental 'Pineapple And The Monkey' offers a change of pace, while 'Nobody Knows' brings together the contrasting vocal personalities of Stewart and Lane. 'Looking Out The Window' gives McLagan and Jones an opportunity to demonstrate their instrumental chemistry, before the album closes with 'Three Button Hand Me Down', a lively, piano-driven number that points towards the more relaxed, swaggering style the group would refine on subsequent releases.

Although the Faces sound would become even more fully realised on albums such as A Nod Is As Good As A Wink... To A Blind Horse and Ooh La La, this debut remains an important document of the band's beginnings. It captures five accomplished musicians bringing together their individual influences and personalities, with an unpolished spontaneity that is central to the album's appeal.

For fans of Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Small Faces, British blues rock and early-1970s classic rock, The First Step is an essential part of the story. A spirited debut from a band whose influence and reputation have only grown over time.

Tracklist

Side A
A1. Wicked Messenger (4:00)
A2. Devotion (4:48)
A3. Shake Shudder Shiver (3:09)
A4. Stone (5:33)
A5. Around The Plynth (5:45)

Side B
B1. Flying (4:10)
B2. Pineapple And The Monkey (4:23)
B3. Nobody Knows (4:04)
B4. Looking Out The Window (5:00)
B5. Three Button Hand Me Down (5:30)