THE WHO:FACE DANCES (1981)

For some, well let’s say many when it comes to discussing The WHO lineup’s over the years it’s Keith Moon or nothing. I get that. For myself though my discovery point of getting into The WHO was when they were breaking up in 1982 when I was 15!

So for that fact the two Kenny Jones studio albums that Ken drummed on, those being “Face Dances(1980”) and “It’s Hard(1982)” will always be held in high esteem around here at Arena Rock Central!

Sorry Moon The Loon! Love your stuff too but this period of The WHO is my entry point.

This year for Father’s Day my three daughters and The Boss let me run wild online for RSD 2021.

I hit my go to place AUX333 in Montreal and I scored with four albums (which you will see in reviews at some point sooner than later) and this one that I have been wanting to own on vinyl since 1982 which is ….

THE WHO: Face Dances!

You Better You Bet I got a copy!

Now years ago(mid eighties) I bought “Face Dances” on cassette tape for $5.99! I loved it yet when I got back into buying vinyl seriously about four years ago I began the hunt for this album.

Thanks to RSD in June 2021 I search no more!

Pete and Rog have reissued “Face Dances” and once I seen that I was thinking I need to be getting this one!

Got it!

LP1: The Original Album

Side One:
1. You Better You Bet
2. Don’t Let Go The Coat
3. Cache Cache
4. The Quiet One
5. Did You Steal My Money

Side Two
1. How Can You Do It Alone
2. Daily Records
3. You
4. Another Tricky Day

LP2: Face Dances Part 3

Side 3 
1. I Like Nightmares
2. It’s In You
3. Somebody Saved Me
4. Dance It Away (previously unreleased) with Roger on lead vocals
5. Don’t Let Go The Coat (previously unreleased) with Pete on lead vocals

Side 4 All tracks live at Grugahalle, Essen, 28 March 1981 and broadcast live for Rockpalast
1. Don’t Let Go The Coat (previously unreleased)
2. You Better You Bet (previously unreleased)
3. The Quiet One (previously unreleased)
4. Another Tricky Day (previously unreleased)

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A huge batch of music and it’s finally great to own a copy on vinyl. The standouts for me on the original album are of course “You Better You Bet” which Roger Daltry delivers what I believe is one of his best studio performances ever which has always impressed me as Rog was always singing the words of Pete Townsend who as we all know all can be a pretty fickle fella when it comes to his music and fair enough as Pete has earned that right.

“Face Dances” is one of those albums that I can dig in as the album does not lag whatsoever but when I read about the thoughts of how the band felt about the material at the time, they were taking pot shots at each other about the songs on it and it didn’t help matters that as The WHO hit the road before the album came out that producer Bill Szymczyk was left to the final mix which also did not help the cause as the band was not happy with it.

Whatever the reason I love it man..

  Sprinkled throughout the album is classic WHO rock (“Daily Records”),old school WHO (“Cache Cache”) as well as some other kinds of WHO rhythm (“Don’t Let Go the Coat,” “Did You Steal My Money”).

Another ace in the hole tune on “Face Dances” is Bassist John  Entwistle’s song “The Quiet One” which has the boys rocking out in a power trio fashion and is one of my all time fav WHO nuggets. Where the band really soars though on this tune is the live version on Side 4 off the record.

I always have loved how Pete just cuts loose and lets it all hang out on the 6 string. Windmills, power chords and the amps pushed to 11 have Pete going bonkers and there are a few live versions of “The Quiet One” out there and I don’t think I have ever heard this song end the same. Kudos to Jones on the drums as well riding that cymbal with a bunch of different patterns underneath.

1980 and The WHO were headed into a new decade with a new album and a new drummer in tow and all these years later (41 to be exact) I finally got on vinyl.

So good So brilliant So get this…