| A Nod's As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | Faces |
| Cover: | Faces-A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...To a Blind Horse (album cover).jpg |
| Released: | 17 November 1971[1] |
| Recorded: | March–September 1971 at Olympic Studios, London |
| Length: | 35:56 |
| Label: | Warner Bros. |
| Producer: | Faces and Glyn Johns |
| Prev Title: | Long Player |
| Prev Year: | 1971 |
| Next Title: | Ooh La La |
| Next Year: | 1973 |
A Nod's as Good as a Wink... To a Blind Horse is the third album by British rock group Faces, and their second album of 1971. Bolstered by lead singer Rod Stewart's recent solo success with "Maggie May", it was their most successful album worldwide, peaking at No. 6 in the US, and reaching No. 2 in the UK. It also contains their biggest US hit, the swaggering "Stay with Me" (No. 6 in the UK, No. 17 in the US), and the album itself would be certified gold by the RIAA in 1972.
The album features two original ballads and a cover of Chuck Berry's "Memphis Tennessee". Bassist Ronnie Lane, usually confined to backing vocals and the occasional sole lead vocal on previous Faces records, sings lead on three of his own compositions here (one co-written with keyboardist Ian McLagan). Of these, "Debris", an elliptical examination of father-son relationships, was chosen as the B-side to their hit "Stay With Me". (Lane's "You're So Rude" served as the B-side of the American release.)
The original issue of the album came with a large poster consisting of a picture collage, including images of pills and pharmaceutical capsules, as well as polaroid photos apparently taken on tour of band and crew members reveling with naked groupies in hotel rooms. Within weeks of release, the record company re-issued the album without the poster, turning original copies with the poster into collectors' items overnight.[2]
On 28 August 2015, the album was reissued in a remastered and expanded form, with the bonus tracks being two songs from a previously unreleased BBC session. The new vinyl reissue even replicated the poster included with the first-pressing vinyl release.
The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[3]
2015 reissue bonus tracks
Track numbering refers to CD and digital releases of the album.
| Peak position | |
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[4] | 18 |
|---|---|
| Position | ||
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[5] | 75 |
|---|
| Position | ||
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[6] | 20 |
|---|