Today I'll be reviewing a classic disc that everybody needs to own. In mid 1960s London, nobody personified the mod lifestyle more than the Small Faces. But, in 1968, they were successful in breaking onto the psychedelic scene with one of the very first concept albums, "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake."
The album is almost 39 minutes in length, and separated into two distinct halves. Side A of the record is a mixture of early American style R&B and the popular psychedelic sound of the time. The title track and "Lazy Sunday" are some of my absolute favorite songs from this genre of music. But Side B is where things really start to get interesting. The second half of the album tells the fairy tale of "Happiness Stan" with both lyrics and the narrative of Stanley Unwin, a British comedian most famous for inventing Unwinese, a form of gibberish. Unfortunately, the tale of "Happiness Stan" is told in this ridiculous language, so it is near impossible for one to understand exactly what is going on. Basically the story is about a character named Stan who looks up at the moon one day and sees that half of it is missing. On his journey to find the second half, Stan encounters a gigantic fly and a hermit who knows the meaning of life.
This obviously LSD inspired nonsense makes the album most enjoyable. I don't think there is a person alive who could listen to the entirety Side B without bursting out laughing in enjoyment. I give this album 5/5 stars. One of the greatest albums of the era.
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