Face Dances

[Keithjmoon70@xxxxxxx]

OK,

Now that I know how this goes, I'll chip in my thoughts.

Face Dances:

1981.  I eagerly awaited the new Who album.  Having "come in" on Who Are You 
and it's incredible title track with Keith back there still, I was worried 
about how it would sound without him.

I laid in my bed listening to the single YBYB as it played over the 4 rock 
stations in my town at the time.

I dug the first piano note and the percolating sounds that followed. But ... 
to my disappointment there were no powerchords. Seemingly no guitar. And those 
drums.  Those "different" drums with an upbeat tempo with high hat opening 
and closing that sounded like a pop song.  He may have been going fast at times, 
but the feel was way different and it was obvious to me that it wasn't Keith 
Moon.  Then at the end those electric sounding drums going "boo-doo boomp 
boomp boom" made me hate him. I hated how his toms sounded. I hate that 
rat-a-tat-tat white boy drummer snare sound like he is hurrying and *trying* to keep up. 
(even  though he wasn't behind)  The drums sound like a drum kit from a 
television variety show. I felt let down. On some songs he sounded good, so hear 
goes...


YBYB: This song grew on me.  I now like it a lot and it has aged well.

DON'T LET GO THE COAT: I don't like Roger's voice much on this song.  Kind of 
like on It's hard's title track.  It's a snappy song with an experiential 
deep meaning.  Pete does his singing bit in the middle and I realize that this is 
the Who.  When I learned what the lyrics meant, I was very happy. 

CACHE CACHE: The drums at the beginning make my case against Kenny.  Never 
liked this song.

THE QUIET ONE: Finally a rock song. I love it.  Even Kenny sounds good on 
this one.  Maybe it is the material that made him get a bad rap, but his drums 
sounded like rock drums on this song.  John will be missed.  Pete did what I 
bought the album to hear.

DID YOU STEAL MY MONEY: The only thing I like about this song is the drums.  
Ugly tune, stupid lyrics.  Nice bridge though, so I still listen to it.

HOW CAN YOU DO IT ALONE: Yuck.

DAILY RECORDS: Bright sound and melody. "I just don't know quite how to wear 
my hair no more" - Kenny does a John Bonham!  Then those damn spacey sounding 
toms. Well, it was 1981.  but "Star Search" wasn't for another 4 years!  I 
like this song and when I listen to this album it's a highlight for me.

YOU: I liked this when I was young.  It expressed some of my frustrations and 
it was another rock song that sounded good loud.  I grew out of it quickly.  
The line "You lead me on like a lamb to the slaughter and then you act like a 
fish out of water" made me feel dumb to sing along with even when I was 17.

ANOTHER TRICKY DAY: Great song.  It was the "other" single.  Pete shows he's 
the songwriter on this one. Having been turned off by FD for years, I never 
actually knew what it was about until Keets posted some of the lyrics after 
John's death.  Now I can forget about those "Solid Gold" sounding drums and enjoy 
it.  The chucka chucka riffs on Pete's guitar are so cool.  Why is it that 
only Pete sounds like that when he plays a chord?  Does he have his own special 
chords?

I LIKE NIGHTMARES: Don't trust the captain. He's just a boy like me.  I love 
that line.  Did Roger tell Kenney to try and sound like Keith?  Fun song and I 
like Pete's Who voice.

IT'S IN YOU: Cool song.  I can see some drunk ho at the bar really getting 
into this beat and putting on a show.  I don't like that powerchord statement 
though!  I hope that Pete repented.  I know it's in me, but he made me jump!

SOMEBODY SAVED ME: Pete knows that there are two scenes in this universe. The 
visible, superficial, obvious, physical one; and the invisible, deep, real, 
meaningful one that requires one be open to see.  This is the song let me know 
that something opened him. He is an honest man and he tells things according 
to his experience here.  No arguing that.  He told it on Face Dances, the album 
written during the time he was in the valley of his life up to that point.

Favorite Song: THE QUIET ONE

Least Favorite: HOW CAN YOU DO IT ALONE


Jon in Mi.