The Small Faces

With the countless number of the Small Faces' best-ofs released over the years, many of them having gone out of print and most of varying lengths and degrees of comprehensiveness, it's often nice to see a simple offering. Yes, Absolutely the Best is just that -- an 18-track single disc featuring the British group's biggest hits without any frills. The sort who gripes about the inclusions and whether or not the songs are presented in chronological order is better off bothering with one of the more detailed and comprehensive Small Faces best-ofs. This album is best suited to casual fans curious about the group, the sort of people who just want to hear a few good songs and not get submerged in the little details. So if that's all the listener wants -- a simple single-disc best-of -- then this is it. There are a lot of great Small Faces songs missing here, and it would be nice if it was packaged with more care, but that's what the more elaborate best-ofs, like The Darlings of Wapping Wharf Launderette, are for. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide