Can-Con 45 Of The Day - January 27

Re: Can-Con 45 Of The Day - January 27

Postby Richard Skelly » Fri Jan 26, 2018 11:38 pm

Rare is the cover version that virtually duplicates the original while improving on it. Streetheart’s redo of The Small Faces’ Tin Soldier qualifies. Although possible heresy to declare, I reckon Kenny Shields sings it better than Steve Marriott. It’s definitely a close call. And it may simply be Streetheart benefitting from vastly better recording technology than The Small Faces. Yet Marriott and his mates sounded superb on other SF hits like Itchycoo Park and Lazy Sunday. Alas, their Tin Soldier—at best—got lost in a dreadful mix.

Otherwise, Streethearter Daryl Gutheil matches Ian McLagan on frenetic electric piano. Prairie axeman John Hannah slightly betters Marriott’s original guitarwork. And it’s a draw between the Streetheart rhythm section of bassist Spider Sinnaeve and drummer Herb Ego versus Small Faces Ronnie Lane and Kenney Jones.

Sad to see this Capitol Records label and realize the song’s writers—Marriott and Lane—died long ago. And that Streetheart frontman Shields passed in 2017 after battling heart issues for years.
Richard Skelly
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