0039. The Kinks
Face To Face

I can't help making parallells between the first song, Party Line, and todays Internet chats "is she big, is she small, is she a she at all - who is on my party line?"
This is the Kinks' fourth album and after the first listen I'd say that for the most part the music's kind of the run-of-the-mill pop. But sometimes they pull it up a notch - like in the drumbreak in Little Miss Queen Of Darkness which was very unexpected.

Then, after the second listen I'm more tuned into the nuances and realize that it's an enjoyable album in its own right. Another factor that raises Face to Face is Ray Davis' lyrics which at times are very sarcastic, a treat for anyone who's grown tired of the sugary styles of much of the early 60's pop. He mostly takes on the vapid lifestyles of the rich and bored and that works just fine.

And of course this is the album with one of their (eternal) hits, Sunny Afternoon, but I also think Rainy Day In June can hold its own even though the lyrics are a bit la-la-land. Well, all in all I have to agree Face to Face probaby belongs on the list of the greatest albums released. Maybe not on the top rungs, but on the list.