4. First Step (1970)

The Faces’ first offering roars out of the gate with a dirty, bluesy cover of Dylan’s “The Wicked Messenger” – propelled by Rod’s full-throated vocal and the blistering guitar and organ contributions from Ronnie Wood and Ian McLagan. It’s a fine introduction to this newly minted confederation of rock and roll stalwarts. As debut records go, First Step has more crests than troughs, and serves as evidence of a band that is finding its sea legs in a murky maelstrom. At times, there is a ramshackle quality that accompanies these recordings, which can jar the senses in unpleasant ways. But the overall effect is one of a feral band with nothing to lose.