Оглядываясь назад: История альбома Small Faces в табачной банке.

Side one of the album showcases a variety of musical styles. The opening title track is an instrumental re working of "I've Got Mine", a failed single from 1965. This recording uses a piano treated with wah wah pedal and orchestral flourishes from a string section led by David McCallum Senior (the father of The Man from U. N. C. L. E. star David McCallum.). An eclectic selection of tracks follow; the proto Hard rock of "Song of a Baker"; the psychedelic ballad "Long Agos And Worlds Apart"; cockney knees up songs "Lazy Sunday" and "Rene" (the latter featuring a lengthy psychedelic jam as its coda); and the intense, soul influenced ballad "Afterglow"

The album was originally released on vinyl in a circular novelty package of a metal replica of a giant tobacco tin, inside which was a poster created with five connected paper circles with pictures of the band members. This proved too expensive and not successful as the tins tended to roll off of shelves and it was quickly followed by a paper/card replica with a gatefold cover. Two limited edition CD releases (including a three disc deluxe edition in 2006 that included the original mono mix of the album on CD for the first time) went even further by packaging the disc(s) in a circular tin (as the original vinyl release had). Most CD releases use conventional packaging, superimposing the circular artwork on a square booklet. Album cover illustration was by Harry Willock, 1969 D&AD Silver Award winning album cover. Early pressings of XTC's The Big Express (1984) were similarly packaged in a round sleeve in tribute to the Small Faces album. It was ranked number 21 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Album Covers in 1991.

The original vinyl album includes a segue between the end of "Afterglow" and the beginning of "Long Agos And Worlds Apart". Most CD editions have a different stereo mix, and use a version of "Afterglow" without the segue. There is also a segue between "Long Agos and Worlds Apart" and "Rene", and this is retained on the CD. Some CD editions also include one or more bonus tracks. The US Immediate vinyl LP looked the same as the British original, but was printed on flimsy paper stock. The CBS/Immediate issue was always sold in a plastic bag with a foldover snap. The sound on the US release was not as bright as the UK release or most subsequent CD issues. In 1989, Castle Communications released a single disc commemorative "tobacco tin" version that included a 'live' version of Tin Soldier as well as several table coasters replicating the cover. The 2006 Castle Music/Sanctuary Records 3 disc "tobacco tin" Special Edition includes fully remastered mono and stereo mixes complete with segue, plus an episode of the BBC Radio documentary series Classic Albums in which the band discuss the making of the album. A second 3 disc Deluxe Edition was released in 2012 on Charly Records, this time, overseen by surviving band members Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones, and featured newly remastered mono and stereo mixes complete with segue, with the third disc full of outtakes and alternative takes, versions and mixes, including some specially mixed from newly discovered original session tapes. In countries other than the UK, however, the 2012 3 disc version was a limited edition and was replaced a year later by a two CD version with conventional packaging, and the stereo mix is omitted completely from the package. In 2018 the album was reissued in a deluxe 50th anniversary edition that included the full 2012 3 disc version and a DVD that included the Colour Me Pop performance. On many reissues, the cover design still spells the title as Ogdens' , but the label and sleeve copy gives it as Ogden's. The vinyl LP was reissued in 2015 for Record Store Day.

In 2000 Q magazine placed Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake at number 59 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. The album was featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Rolling Stone gave the album a positive review. It was voted number 337 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).

The title track was played during the debut trailer for the video game Grand Theft Auto V and was later featured on the in game Los Santos Rock Radio station.

All songs written by Marriott and Lane, except where noted. Discs one and three of the deluxe edition contain the original album in stereo and mono, respectively.