Faces ‘faces at The Bbc The Complete Concert & Session Recordings (1970 1973)

A strong argument can be made that Faces were the greatest rock 'n' roll band ever. To be fair, that argument is strongest after a couple of pints or with the stereo at an appropriately loud volume (preferably both). But even in the most academic sense, it's easy to make a case that the band purely embodied the most essential elements of what made the early '70s rock 'n' roll landscape so exciting. Utterly unconcerned with being a supergroup (the remnants of the post-Steve Marriott Small Faces combining forces with Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart from the Jeff Beck Group), and instead focused on delivering a loose, bluesy (and boozy) update on the Small Faces’ soulful psych-rock, Faces charted a back-to-basics course for other bands to follow out of the muck of the late '60s.

A strong argument can be made that Faces were the greatest rock 'n' roll band ever. To be fair, that argument is strongest after a couple of pints or with the stereo at an appropriately loud volume (preferably both). But even in the most academic sense, it's easy to make a case that the band purely embodied the most essential elements of what made the early '70s rock 'n' roll landscape so exciting. Utterly unconcerned with being a supergroup (the remnants of the post-Steve Marriott Small Faces combining forces with Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart from the Jeff Beck Group), and instead focused on delivering a loose, bluesy (and boozy) update on the Small Faces’ soulful psych-rock, Faces charted a back-to-basics course for other bands to follow out of the muck of the late '60s.

Nine-CD box set featuring expanded editions of the albums recorded for Decca and Deram by the English progressive rock band between 1970 and 1975. Also included are a selection of BBC performances and a live album. Contents: Disc 1: 'If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You' (1970); Disc 2: 'In the Land of Grey and Pink' (1971); Disc 3: 'Waterloo Lily' (1972); Disc 4: 'For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night' (1973); Disc 5: 'Caravan & The New Symphonia: The Complete Concert' (1974); Disc 6: 'Cunning Stunts' (1975); Disc 7: 'Live At the Fairfield Halls, 1974'; Discs 8 and 9: 'The Show of Our Lives: Live At the BBC 1970-1975'.

A founder member of SOFT MACHINE, Kevin embarked on a solo career in 1969, signing to EMI’s Harvest label and recording the album ‘JOY OF A TOY’ the same year. It is a mark of Kevin’s stature that his recordings during this period would feature contributions from notable musicians such as arranger and keyboard player DAVID BEDFORD, ROBERT WYATT, SYD BARRETT, MIKE OLDFIELD, LOL COXHILL, STEVE HILLAGE, ARCHIE LEGGET and more. This boxed set includes all of the surviving BBC sessions and In Concert appearances recorded by Kevin during this period, including a previously unreleased John Peel concert from 1970 and other tracks featuring Soft Machine, Bridget St. John and Gong. Other highlights include the inclusion of a complete set recorded at a Hyde Park Free concert in 1970, newly mixed and restored by Stephen W Tayler, previously unreleased session out-takes and a segment from a 1972 concert and a performance at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in 1973. Rounding off the set is a region free Blu-ray video disc which includes a series of live performances recorded for French television, along with two sessions for The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1972 and 1973 (with three previous unseen alternate performances from 1972) and the ‘Caribbean Moon’ promotional film.