1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #66. The Kinks - Face To Face (1966)

The Kinks - Face To Face (1966)

Label – Pye
Producer – Shel Talmy
Art Direction – Uncredited
Nationality -UK
Running Time – 38:31

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Party Line
2. Rosie Won't You Please Come Home
3. Dandy
4. Too Much on My Mind
5. Session Man
6. Rainy Day in June
7. House in the Country
8. Holiday in Waikiki
9. Most Exclusive Residence for Sale
10. Fancy
11. Little Miss Queen of Darkness
12. You're Lookin' Fine
13. Sunny Afternoon
14. I'll Remember

Conceived as a loose concept album, The Kinks ‘Face to Face’ record shows Ray Davies fascination with English class and social structures. Each song creates a new and vivid character portrait of different classes and types of people. So while simular in theme – the songs can’t really be considered a story like say the Who’s “Tommy”. In its original inception, Ray Davies had wanted to join all the songs together with sound effects, but was forced to remove them by Pye Records before the album's release. Davies was also in conflict with Pye over the final album cover art, whose psychedelic theme he felt was inappropriate.
There are as many styles as there are songs on the record . The Hawaiian guitars of the rocker "Holiday in Waikiki," the Eastern droning of "Fancy," the dance music hall shuffle of "Dandy," the lazily sounding rolling "Sunny Afternoon." While not filled with the classic songs we’ve all come to know the Kinks by, this may be an their overlooked classic. It starts The Kinks move away from those hard-driving rock and roll riffs which had catapulted the group to international stardom. It is also the first Kinks album consisting entirely of Ray Davies compositions, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
The only down side, unlike some other 60’s classic albums, age has not treated this record very well and it DOES sound very dated. Nevertheless, it is highly recommended.



You can purchase the CD here.