Really? What is so WRONG with Face Dances? ... The Who were dead. Keith Moon died in 1978... just weeks after the release of Who Are You?... A album.. the ended an era of the bombastic group. BACKTRACK.... The Who.. a mid to late 60's loud ass mod english group.. with one of the best drummers ever... on the kit. Moon. There... next to Keith was John Entwistle... a bassist like never seen before... trained in french horn.. and wanting to play lead gtr... The OX.. owned the bass... he reinvented it. There.. with Pete Townshend... his songwriting.. and need of volume.. The Who pushed it. They were a band. .. loud.. British.. and powerful.
That said... by 1981... Keith was dead.. Pete was SO over Tommy... Roger was Tommy/Liszt/McVicar... John was John... Enter Kenney Jones... ex Small Faces.. ex Faces... He was dropped into the biggest shoes. Moon's. So what happens? They tour the WHO ARE YOU songs... and Pete records the next REAL WHO record... Empty Glass... so what's left? A new record contract with Warners... a need for cash..a need to keep the band alive... Townshend coughs up songs.. that were the runners up to Empty Glass...
well.. It seemed cool to me in 1981.. then by 1991... i hated it.. then by 2001.. i pitied it... now in almost 2011... i love it.
The best part of any Who record.. that at any part of yr life.. you can read into it.. Sure Townshend's songs are wrapped in self pity.. and John's songs are bullish show offs... Roger is Roger.. and at light does.. approaches a Freddie Mercury .. type rock pose on these songs. (how could he not? he WAS Tommy for chrissakes!)... It's not a WHO record.. like Sell Out.. or Quadrophenia... it's a slight return.
now.. this is just for Face Dances... It's Hard is a piece of shit. Sorry.
I didn't like Face Dances when it came out and it's gotten worse as time has passed.
ReplyDelete"Don't Let Go the Coat" and "Another Tricky Day." Crap and crap. The Who makes plenty of stuff that will last forever and plenty of stuff that shtanks. File Face Dances in the latter category.
Pat.. you ain't getting the sound of that record. Entwistle's bass lines are amazing on this record... and to tell you the truth... it's a better freaking record than The Who By Numbers. "Squeeze Box"? ...
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