The Who - Face Dances (1981) [MFSL LP] 24-bit/96kHz & CD-format

“

Without Keith Moon, the Who may have lacked the restless firepower that distinguished their earlier albums, but Face Dances had some of Pete Townshend's best, most incisive compositions since Quadrophenia. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine/AMG (3.5/5 Stars)

”

Face Dances is the ninth album by English rock band The Who. It was originally released in 1981 in the US on Warner Bros. Records and in the UK on Polydor Records. It was the first full new Who album with drummer Kenney Jones as a replacement for Keith Moon, and their first for Warner Bros.

Although some jeered at the album, Roger Daltrey went on record saying he liked this album in a 1994 interview. Some critics, notably in the Boston Globe in a review in April 1981, said it was the Who's best album since 1973's Quadrophenia.

The album peaked at #4[3] on the US Billboard album charts (the chart topper was Styx's Paradise Theatre) and #2[4] on the UK album charts.

The album cover features paintings of the members by many British painters, who were commissioned by Peter Blake, designer of the cover of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Artists include Tom Phillips, Richard Hamilton, Allen Jones, David Hockney, Clive Barker, R. B. Kitaj, Howard Hodgkin, Patrick Caulfield, and Blake himself.

In 1997, the album was re-released by MCA Records with three outtakes as well as two live tracks. The live track "How Can You Do It Alone" is an edited version of the live performance.

The first single on this album was "You Better You Bet"; its music video was one of the first music videos aired on MTV in 1981.



Track listing

All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted.

Side one

"You Better You Bet" – 5:36
"Don't Let Go The Coat" – 3:44
"Cache Cache" – 3:57
"The Quiet One" (John Entwistle) – 3:10
"Did You Steal My Money" – 4:11

Side two

"How Can You Do It Alone" – 5:26
"Daily Records" – 3:27
"You" (Entwistle) – 4:31
"Another Tricky Day" – 4:55

Personnel

The Who

Roger Daltrey – lead vocals
Pete Townshend – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals on "I Like Nightmares" and "Somebody Saved Me"
John Entwistle – bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "The Quiet One"
Kenney Jones – drums

Additional musicians

John "Rabbit" Bundrick – keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals