Face to Face (The Kinks)

Face to Face is an album of Pop-rock'n'roll British group The Kinks going back to 1966.

Context

After the album Kinks Kontroversy (which still reflects the blues influences) and a period of intense round, Kinks records their fourth album.

In fact the rounds sowed the discord within the group, in particular between Mick Avory and Dave Davies. Their variations on scene and their behavior even were worth to them a prohibition of stay in the United States. It is thus folded up on them even, in prey with large doubt that the sessions of recording start.

Ray Davies, quite front Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, is wearied rounds and would like to compose only the titles while the three other members would make promotion of it. In prey with an enormous tension, to alcoholism, to a nervous breakdown, but also to a bulimia of creation, Raymond literally will hatch in this album where he composes totality of the titles.

The album

Ray Davies would like to join together within an album a description of her time, to sing what surrounds it. Consequently, it will become a true writer mixing with humor the critic social " Sunny Afternoon" and nostalgia " I' L Remember". The album is almost a Concept album before the hour, but the recording company " Pye" slows down in many its projects. In the majority of the songs, one feels the influence of Bob Dylan and more generally of Folk song " Too Much one My Mind" , " Dandy" where acoustics is omnipresent. Even if the album starts in brass band with very Rock " Line" party; , the unit very calm and is balanced. The songs are made readily reflection the one time old: it is necessary to quote the criticism of the young people of Canarby street privileging appearance in " Dandy" , the money worries of the English middle-class " Exclusive Most Residence for Sale" and " With House in the Country". In general the songs of this album slices with aggressiveness general of the three first. True rupture on the musical level, it is also mental: Ray milked there of disappearance his/her sister " Turned pink Won' T You Please Like Home" or of its desire to flee " Fancy" (it is also one of the first songs using Indian sonorities).

Pinnacle of the album - Ray Davies, which always lives with his wife in the poor district of its childhood - will write, compose and sing the pearl of this album, Sunny Afternoon : a criticism of a young shareholder remaining idly sitted with the sun when its finances are low, involving and finely allusive if one sees in the " big mama" the Queen of England.

Many sound effects (vague, ringing of telephone, storm and rain…) add to the unit of the unit, and mark a concession of Kinks to psychedelic vagueness, concession which dureraa besides hardly.

Marketing

With Sunny Afternoon which reaches in England and a little everywhere in Europe the head of the hit parade of the summer 1966, one would think that the album continuity of this title will go up at the top. It of it is nothing! PYE (definitely) left little time before the marketing of the disc a " best of" in the United States and in England for (allegedly) starting again the career of the London quartet. If the " Best Of" is N°9, the album can rise only with the twelfth places (what is already honourable taking into account the presence of known as the " Best of").

In addition Ray, which had many titles in its double sack, sees the recording company withdrawing several of work " from them; Mr. Reporter". Let us add that a disc " EP" containing four titles will not be distributed by the recording company which certain countries have.

Finally the recording company refused in Ray Davies her small pocket (black uniform, before the white Album of Beatles!) by replacing it by another table of Ray which is chatoyant being…. Whereas Ray Davies wanted to design this album like at the same time critical of her time and personal introspection of her temporary depression, the recording company continues to promote a " group; tendance" and happy… in spite of the contents of the album.

Titles of the album

Party Line
Turned pink Won' T You Please As Home
Dandy
Too Much one My Mind
Session Man
Rainy Day in June
has off House in the Country
Holiday in Waikiki
Most Exclusive Residence for Sal
Fancy
Little Miss Queen Darkness
You' Re Lookin' Fine
Sunny Afternoon
I' L Remember

No-claims bonus of the republication

I' m Not Like Everybody Else
Dead End Street
Big Black Smoke
Mr. Pleasant
This Is Where I Belong
Mr. Reporter
Little Women

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