Ogdens Nut Gone Flake

Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake is an acknowledged masterpiece among critics and hardcore '60s-music fans, while remaining relatively unknown compared to The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band or The Who's Tommy, two concept LPs that represent the era more famously. The tale of Stan's search for the moon might not be the album's most compelling feature (though Stanley Unwin's narration has its incense-dipped charms), but it adds to the set's overall forward motion. Individual tracks such as "Afterglow of Your Love," "Song of a Baker," and "Lazy Sunday" play out with The Small Faces' brutal melding of garage rock with R&B and soul. Ian McLagan is an enviable keyboardist, putting together a tough organ sound that merges with Kenney Jones' severe backbeat for the most powerful sound of any small combo. The deluxe edition includes mono and stereo mixes of the album (mono is preferable for its solid punch) and intriguing early versions and alternate mixes that further illustrate the complexity of this raw piece of glorious psychedelia.