1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: 74. The Kinks – Face to Face (1966)

 

The last of the Big Four UK bands of the Sixties make their appearance, and a later album than some of their harder-edged early work. That fuzzy rocky element of songs like You Really Got Me is still present, on songs like Dandy, but there’s a move towards more music-hall influenced pop, more melodic songs with a story (often humorous) behind the lyrics.  

Probably the most famous track on here is Sunny Afternoon, and this and Dandy demonstrate the running theme of the album, mostly about socialites fallen on hard times or satire of the illusion of wealth in the music industry. A House In The Country becomes, in another track, a Most Exclusive Residence For Sale. The Session Man is a jobbing musician who does all the work while others get the glory. Soundwise it’s a mix of what we’d expect from The Kinks, a little bit rocky, a little bit jangly, a little bit folky, a little bit pub knees-up. It’s good, I don’t think it’s their best one, but I don’t think the Davies siblings could ever be bad. 

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