The Small Faces was previously reviewed in 1997. Since then, the album has been reissued in a number of formats including an Immediate Records boxed set. This new version is the definitive version with remastered tracks offering the best sound quality yet. An additional track on CD2 is Don't Burst My Bubble, a real rocker and a clear influence on The Jam's The Gift. This more than any other track highlights the improvement in sound quality. The three opening guitar harmonics and so crystal-clear they are piercing and the percussion of the middle eight sounds like never before. The Small Faces never received the commercial treatment they deserved. It was only many years after the demise of the band that a deal was done to secure royalties from their own recordings. Furthermore, their influential music had been the subject of numerous low-price, low quality compilations that there was a real danger the importance of the Small Faces would be diminished. However, the hard work of many including band members Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones has ensured that not only do the band members (or their widows in the case of Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane) receive their royalties but now the music itself is given the attention it deserves. Both Mac and Kenney were heavily involved in the release of these deluxe Small Faces CDs.

Some of the additional tracks, at least the alternative versions, offer a different perspective on the original album's songs although there is not really anything new here. The non-album singles and b-sides are a great addition as they are some of the landmark tracks that the Small Faces released. Tin Solider is a classic of all time while Itchycoo Park and Here Come The Nice are vital singles from that period. An essential inclusion is the b-side of Itchycoo Park which is surely one of the greatest b-sides ever released. I'm Only Dreaming is a classic track and its appeal remains undiminished by time. Like the following single Tin Soldier, this is the Small Faces at their best; a great piece of songwriting, superb vocals and every member of the band playing at their peak. Simply perfection. 

The album was originally released in July 1967. It was the Small Faces' second LP if you exclude the round-up album From the Beginning. Like the first LP, the album was self-titled although it is commonly referred to as the "first Immediate album" to distinguish it from the debut album on Decca. The band had moved to Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate Records due to dissatisfaction with previous manager Don Arden. They were at their peak and had already had a number one hit with All or Nothing. However, they felt creatively stifled. They could not hear themselves at live concerts due to the screaming girls and music was moving away from that towards more serious work. Andrew Loog Oldham promised them plenty of studio time and they made the most of this during extended periods in Olympic Studios, coming up with a string of classic singles and two critically-acclaimed albums. The group had a chance to experiment with their sound and they made the most of the opportunity. The Small Faces (Immediate) certainly deserves to be ranked amongst the greatest British albums of the time along with Revolver and Odyssey & Oracle. Like Revolver, The Small Faces represented a major transformation from the pop market to the rock market. However, the album did not achieve the sales it really deserved at the time although this may partly due to being released in the same month as Sergeant Pepper!

There were no singles included on the original album although (Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me had been planned as a single but contractual problems prevented its release. This a real hidden gem and a great album opener. An alternative mix is included on CD1 but the original remains the better version.

Marriott & Lane belong on the list of great writing partnerships like McCartney/Lennon and Jagger/Richards although, like the Beatles, many of their tracks are clearly one or the other. There is a different feel to those songs written by Ronnie Lane such as Show Me The Way, Something I Want To Tell You and Green Circles. Itcyhcoo Park, arguably the band's best-known track was mostly written by Ronnie Lane, although Marriott sings the lead vocals. Steve Marriott contributed the middle-eight "I feel included to blow my mind, get hung up, feed the ducks with a bun" as well as the line "I get high. Mischievousness was never far away! Itchycoo Park became the band's biggest hot after All or Nothing, reaching number three in the UK during the Summer of Love.

However, it is the follow-up to Itchycoo Park which provided more of a classic even if it did not reach so high in the singles charts. Tin Solider is the most popular track, by far, according to readers of the Small Faces Web site Room for Ravers. This was more than a four-piece band at their very best. Immediate label-mate PP Arnold joined the band on backing vocals and added a crucial dimension to the song with her soulful voice. This is three minutes of total perfection.