Faces: "A Nod's as Good as a Wink... to a Blind Horse" Album (1971)

Faces
Dec 10, 1971
2 min read

Updated: Sep 23

Faces’ A Nod’s as Good as a Wink... to a Blind Horse was released as an LP album in the UK by Warner Bros. Records (catalog number K 56006) on December 10, 1971, following its US release on November 23, 1971.

The release was the third album from Faces, also their second release of 1971, gained widespread success, partly due to lead singer Rod Stewart's solo hit "Maggie May". It became their most successful album globally, reaching No. 6 in the US and No. 2 in the UK. The album features their largest US hit, "Stay with Me", which climbed to No. 6 in the UK and No. 17 in the US, and earned a gold certification from the RIAA in 1972.

The album includes two original ballads and a rendition of Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee". Bassist Ronnie Lane, typically limited to backing vocals and rare lead vocals on earlier Faces albums, takes the lead on three of his compositions in this record (one of which he co-wrote with keyboardist Ian McLagan). Among these, "Debris", a nuanced reflection on father-son dynamics, was selected as the B-side for their successful single "Stay With Me". Additionally, Lane's "You're So Rude" was the B-side for the American version.

The initial release of the album was accompanied by a large poster, which featured the album's lyrics, close-up shots of pills and pharmaceutical capsules, and polaroid pictures (seemingly taken while on tour) showing band and crew members partying with nude groupies in hotel rooms. Shortly after its release, the record company reissued the album without the poster, instantly making the original copies with the poster highly sought-after collectibles.

The album was reissued on 28 August 2015 in a remastered and expanded edition, featuring two songs from an unreleased BBC session as bonus tracks. This vinyl reissue also replicated the poster that was included with the initial pressing of the vinyl release.