FACE DANCES

An atrocious album!! Having lost Moon The Loon for a drummer, they might have folded as Zeppelin did, once they lost Bonham. Alas Townsend didn't have the foresight, but I'm not sure he was alone deciding this. Indeed, bassist John Entwistle contributed to the greater part of this album and to be quite frank, it shows. Entwistle's songwriting always brought a fun second facet to the group and everything was fine as long as his songs where in the small minority. But here, obviously Townsend seemed a bit at a loss for ideas, so Entwistle picked up the slack (he also released two solo albums around those "lean Who years") and most of them being good Entwistle composition, they simply can't match Townsend's songs even on a poor day.

And bringing in old boy Kenny Jones to fill Moon's shoes was also a big mistake, for he simply lacks the power that Keith had gotten us used too. The production on this album is also quite weak. And even the lead-off single You Better You Bet is twee, feeble and unworthy of The Who's sheer power, even in the studio.

The Who will rebound with a better It's Hard album with an excellent Eminence Front single, but clearly the group should've folded before FD. Best avoided especially if you are an authentic Who fan.