Side One
Party Line
Rosy Won't You Please Come Home
Dandy
Too Much On My Mind
Session Man
Rainy Day In June
A House In The Country
Side Two
Holiday In Waikiki
Most Exclusive Residence For Sale
Fancy
Little Miss Queen Of Darkness
You're Lookin' Fine
Sunny Afternoon
I'll Remember
Bonus Tracks of note
I'm Not Like Everybody Else
Dead End Street
Big Black Smoke
Mr Pleasant
Cecily's Notes... Personal Background: First impression was hearing it in the car, my father driving us somewhere. I remember that every song I really started getting into would end suddenly. I also remember liking 'Mr. Pleasant' a lot. Later, this became my most played of the classic Kinks trio, mostly for sheer consistency. No 'Death of a Clown' or 'Animal Farm' on it, in other words.
Resonance: Ray Davies is so easy to relate to. He has this perpetually happy-sad voice of the everyman, even on the "wannabe-Donovan" number 'Fancy.' 'Rosie, Won't You Please Come Home' sounds like it's sung from the bottom of a well over an early wireless set. The Kinks were underrated at the art of the riff - 'You're Looking Fine' holds its own. Then there are the little vaudeville numbers, with all their twee charm. Ray Davies was singing the stories no one was telling, about all the "uncool" people: the rich, the unromantic poor and the middle class, as well as the terminal nerds, the broken hearts and the sad families of those bright young things in other songs. 5/5
Design: What I appreciate here is how much of a garage band the Kinks are. They have a sound that would have crushed the delicate soul of George Martin. I mean, 'A House in the Country' is almost identical to something by the Clash or the Jam - I don't know if that means the Kinks were early punk or the Clash Jam weren't really punk at all. Let's not dwell on it. The point is, every one of these songs has an unfinished feel, even though each track is a completed melodic thought. Not much spit and polish, no attempt to sound like a British Invasion hearththrob, all Chad & Jeremy. The exception is the final album track, 'I'll Remember,' which I'm pretty sure rips off 'If I Needed Someone' for the bridge and just feels so much like a pale Beatles imitation the rest of the time. From the opening telephone ring to the final "in the summertime..." on 'Sunny Afternoon' (an album closer if I ever heard one), Face to Face is perfectly constructed, so they lose a star. 4/5
Utility: With bonus tracks, this is a full meal. Great way to open up the summer, or get a lot done in a short burst of energy. Good on bad speakers, so it gets hauled out on car trips a lot. I can recite the words to every song, which isn't much of a boast - it's like memorizing fifteen haiku instead of 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.' Anyway, this ended up my most played Kinks album, so it's a little tired now. Whenever I unbox the other ones I'm sure they'll be on heavy rotation a while. I miss 'Harry Rag' and 'Village Green.' 4/5
Best: 'Sunny Afternoon,' by a midsummer mile.
Worst: 'I'll Remember'...or not.
Conclusion: 13/15. Really good stuff.
Ticharu's Notes... Personal Background: I avoided listening to The Kinks for many years because bands I didn't like had hits with Kinks covers. Is that an odd reason? I don't know, that's just how things go with me. Maybe in the 90s when I realised I'd missed something. Much the same with T-Rex but possibly not missed so much in that case. The Kinks on the other hand were real genius.
Resonance: Well, it's very English but even so they sing about stuff that's easy to relate to with a delivery and simplicity that draws you in. Deceptively simple most of the time. Simplicity cleverly done. It's not going over your head but there's enough in it to keep you coming back. The melancholy shifts, the short turnarounds as in 'Most Exclusive Residence For Sale'. The dark humour of songs like that or the poignant beauty of songs like 'Sunny Afternoon' or 'Too Much On My Mind'. 5/5
Design: Again it's quite simple, guitars, bass and drums with harpsichord and I swear there's a French horn in there although it isn't credited. Straight up, the sessions can't have taken long to complete, rough around the edges setting it apart from The Beatles production and not as bombastic as The Who in style. A tasty middle ground with excellent song writing. 5/5
Utility: This album is a delight! Who wouldn't want to hear it? 5/5
Best: It's all top drawer but my personal fav is 'You're Lookin' Fine'.
Worst: The only track that falls down a bit is 'I'll Remember'.
Conclusion: 15/15
