I should start this review by saying that I think The Who are either the third or fourth best musical act of the rock era, period. Quadrophenia is in my top ten albums of all time and Live at Leeds is by far, the best live rock album that I know of. But good things don't last forever, and by 1981, Keith Moon was no longer alive and the Who were largely washed up. Still, with expectations appropriately set, I (mostly) enjoyed Face Dances. There are a lot of flaws with the album, undoubtedly. The production fails to distinguish the instruments, so the guitar, bass and drums all blend together, a travesty for a band like the Who. Even worse, Roger Daltrey's singing is horrible throughout, lacking the raw power that he was known for in the 70s.
Still, I will keep this album in my collection because although they could have been performed and arranged better, most of the songs here are good, at least in an embryonic state. Pete Townshend's songwriting abilities had declined, but he hadn't completely lost his mastery of hooks. Plus, there is one Who classic in opening track "You Better You Bet," which although somewhat dorky, can't help but bring a smile to my face. I definitely wouldn't blame someone for giving this record a thumbs down rating, but for me, the positives ever so slightly outweigh the negatives. That said, this one sure doesn't make me excited to listen to It's Hard, their last studio album, and by all accounts, an even weaker effort.
Still, I will keep this album in my collection because although they could have been performed and arranged better, most of the songs here are good, at least in an embryonic state. Pete Townshend's songwriting abilities had declined, but he hadn't completely lost his mastery of hooks. Plus, there is one Who classic in opening track "You Better You Bet," which although somewhat dorky, can't help but bring a smile to my face. I definitely wouldn't blame someone for giving this record a thumbs down rating, but for me, the positives ever so slightly outweigh the negatives. That said, this one sure doesn't make me excited to listen to It's Hard, their last studio album, and by all accounts, an even weaker effort.
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