The Small Faces

All or Nothing 1965-68 DVD

(www.the-britishinvasion.com)

Beatles or Stones? I get so tired of that question that whenever it gets brought up, I like to counter it with another: Who or Small Faces? After all, there’s a lot more to discuss in there. As much as a Who fan as I am, I can admit they probably really hit their highest highs from 1969 to 1974. For pure mod raveups, an all-pervasive cool, and trend-setting Brit beat creativity, the Small Faces have it over the rest of the pack from 1965 to 1968.

It’s no coincidence that these are years—the years of Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott, Ian McLagan, and Kenney Jones—that are captured on a new British Invasion DVD series. If you want to get into it, this collection makes the compelling argument that there really wasn’t a better and more pure rock-and-roll quartet in this era than Small Faces. Twenty-five full live and performance clips are here, and not a duff one among them, including firecracker renditions of “Whatcha Gonna Do About It,” “Tin Soldier,” and ”Song of Baker.” In addition to video and audio being fully restored and remastered for unparalleled digital quality, the DVD adds new interview footage with McLagan and Jones. Also included are archival interviews with the late Marriott and Lane. All the interviews frame the clips, fleshing out the journey of the Small Faces. The DVD also includes an outstanding booklet loaded with pictures and recapping much of the disc’s footage.

This is a collection that no self-respecting mod or 1960s Anglophile will want to be without. If you ever need to prove that the Small Faces were indeed the best bunch, just reach for this.

But don’t get me started on the Kinks.

—donny kutzbach