Face to Face

Good album! Reminds me of The Beatles so much. Sunny Afternoon is the best for sure.

Party lines in the UK sound much more interesting than those in rural Ontario. I always knew who it was. It was my neighbour and she was probably talking about horses.

Another fun Kinks album, though I feel that in this one the satire kind of overwhelms the music except for a few tracks such as “Rainy Day in June” and the contrasting “Sunny Afternoon”.

The Kinks are simply better and more interesting than their contemporary bands that get all the credit. This could be released as an indie record today and no one would blink an eye.

4eme album et dernier (enfin !) proposé pour ce groupe. Je n’avais pas apprécié les précédents (notés 2/5), celui-ci n’est pas plus intéressant. Rien de remarquable, pop/rock des années 70 dans un album bien trop long (14 morceaux…). Pas de seconde écoute envisagée. =>2/5

I fear I’m only a massive fan of The Kinks song “You Really Got Me”. Otherwise, it’s meh for me.

I had not heard this Kinks album before but I think it’s one of their better ones. 3.5

I like the Kinks, really like, have all albums from kinks in 64 to preservation act 2 in 74, but don't ever feel I love the kinks. Glad but mildly surprised this is here, it's halfway between their more straight rnb and the full english to come. the satire can be a bit to the point of not affecting quality but maybe, commerciality. Still Ray Davis is kind of the patron saint of that Engishness in popular music. All vague feelings of music halls, cockney knees up, 60s bedsits, landed piles and cups of tea. All things I have never seen or in the case of tea liked. Good album, would have been 5 if not for songs about session players, etc that I just don’t care for or about, so 4 star

15/17 Best song: sunny afternoon

A fairly strong 3.5. Enjoyable but also largely forgettable.

I really like the Kinks and Face to Face is a great listen. That said, I still prefer some of their later albums where they get a bit more weird with their sound

Good without any big kinks hit.

What I’m really enjoying about Face to Face is the character-driven storytelling. “Dandy” is a great bop about a man slut. While the “rock” elements are more subdued compared to earlier Kinks jams, when they decide to turn it up to 11, it really hits. The outro of “Dandy” is a perfect example, with Ray’s vocal delivery getting progressively raspier and more aggressive. The keys (harpsichord or whatever) on “Session Man” give me major Vampire Weekend vibes, which I love. It’s also a song that makes any musician feel a bit seen. And rhyming “session man” with “chord progression” might be the greatest forced rhyme ever (Lil Wayne would be proud). Then there’s “Sunny Afternoon,” an iconic track that could have fit perfectly on Revolver or any of the best albums of its era. It’s a testament to just how strong the songwriting is here. @dips We’re going to cover “A House in the Country,” which gives us an awesome opportunity to jam it into “Pump Me” or “Pink Cadillac.” @jon Figure out how to mash up “Holiday in Cambodia” and “Holiday in Waikiki.” There’s definitely something there. Giving this one 4 stars. I love a lot of this album, particularly the storytelling and those moments when the band lets loose. That said, a few songs, like “Fancy,” are misses for me, and there’s a little too much of that “kazoo” tone throughout the record. 8.4 out of 10.

I really like the Kinks. I wouldn’t say I love the Kinks. They’re certainly one of my father’s favorite bands of all time, and I’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for their music. But they’re not a top-25 band for me. Even within the British Invasion, I’d put the Beatles, Stones, and Who in the top echelon, with the Kinks occupying something of a second tier alongside bands like the Animals and Dave Clark Five. That’s not a criticism so much as an acknowledgment of just how ridiculously good the competition was. I’m also much more familiar with the Kinks as a singles band than an albums band. I know the hits, probably their 20 or so most recognizable songs, but Face to Face was largely unfamiliar territory. And frankly, I was surprised to see this particular album on the 1001 Albums list. It’s not necessarily the Kinks record I would have chosen to represent them among the greatest albums of all time. Having listened to it, though, I can certainly understand the argument. What immediately struck me was just how much musical DNA this album shares with the other great British bands of the mid-1960s. The opening track, “Party Line,” could practically have come from the Beatles for Sale, Help!, or Rubber Soul sessions, albeit with that slightly peculiar Kinks sensibility. The lyrics are funny, the melody is terrific, and there’s an eccentricity to the whole thing that separates Ray Davies from his contemporaries. He’s not merely writing pop songs anymore. He’s constructing little stories populated by strange, amusing, and frequently ridiculous people. “Dandy” is an early standout and perhaps the clearest example of Davies coming into his own. It’s quintessential Kinks: jaunty, distinctly English, gently mocking, and almost theatrical. You can hear the songwriter who would spend the next decade and a half creating these wonderfully acerbic portraits of English life. “Most Exclusive Residence for Sale” works in much the same way. It’s pure Ray Davies, with his fascination with class, status, pretension, and the absurdities of society. These are the moments when the Kinks sound most unmistakably like themselves. Elsewhere, the musical comparisons are almost impossible to ignore. There’s a tremendous amount of harpsichord and baroque-pop instrumentation throughout the record, particularly on “Session Man,” which sounds like it could sit comfortably alongside the Stones’ Aftermath, while anticipating some of the experimentation of Their Satanic Majesties Request. I particularly love the way Davies articulates words like “musician” and “progression,” almost savoring the syllables. “Holiday in Waikiki” is another standout, with a driving rhythm and attitude that immediately reminded me of “19th Nervous Breakdown.” And I don’t mean that as a criticism. It’s rock and roll. These bands were contemporaries, absorbing the same influences, competing with one another, and occasionally sounding remarkably alike. “Fancy” ventures into the Indian-influenced experimentation that became fashionable in the wake of Rubber Soul. It’s very well executed, although it does have a slightly derivative quality to my ears. Almost an “Oh shit, the Beatles are doing Indian music, we’d better get in on that” moment. Ironically, the Kinks had actually explored Indian-inspired sounds before the Beatles with “See My Friends,” so perhaps I’m being unfair. But that doesn’t entirely change my impression of this particular track. “You’re Looking Fine” brings things back to a much bluesier, muscular British R&B sound. That enormous bass line immediately reminded me of John Entwistle, particularly “Boris the Spider.” And I absolutely love the piano solo, which has something of the bluesy keyboard swagger that Steve Winwood would bring to Traffic a little later. It’s a terrific performance, sitting somewhere between early Who-style mod rock and the more expansive British blues-rock that was about to take off. Then there’s “I’ll Remember,” which is just glorious Beatles-esque pop. This is a song I could genuinely imagine sitting on Revolver, and considering that I regard Revolver as arguably the greatest album ever recorded, that’s an enormous compliment. There’s something about the guitar work and melodic structure that makes me want to sing George Harrison’s “If I Needed Someone” right over the instrumentation. It’s that good. Not merely reminiscent of the Beatles, but operating in the same league. And then there’s “Sunny Afternoon.” What a masterpiece. This is unquestionably the magnum opus of the album, and one of the great songs of the entire British Invasion. Everything comes together here: the acerbic lyrics, the descending bass line, the lush instrumentation, the harmonies, the melody, and that wonderfully languid atmosphere. It’s this gorgeous, almost lazy summer pop song concealing a hilariously bitter portrait of a wealthy man lamenting his financial misfortunes. Davies manages to make the narrator simultaneously charming, pathetic, resentful, and ridiculous. It’s extraordinarily sophisticated songwriting. More importantly, this feels like Ray Davies realizing his full artistic potential. It’s almost as if he’d listened to what Lennon, McCartney, Jagger, Richards, Townshend, and everyone else were doing and decided he was perfectly capable of matching them. I see your Rubber Soul, and I’ll raise you a “Sunny Afternoon.” And that really gets to what makes this period in music so extraordinary. We’re entering what I consider perhaps the greatest stretch in rock and roll history, roughly 1966 through 1973, maybe extending a little beyond that. The musical arms race is accelerating. The Beatles release something brilliant, the Stones answer, the Who push further, and the Kinks come roaring back with something of their own. Everyone is experimenting, expanding the vocabulary of rock music, and challenging everyone else to do better. “Sunny Afternoon” is the Kinks raising that competition another notch. That is, of course, until the Beatles went fully nuclear with Sgt. Pepper. Ultimately, Face to Face is a much better album than I expected. It doesn’t entirely escape the shadow of its contemporaries, and there are moments when the Kinks sound more like participants in the broader British rock movement than the innovators leading it. But the songwriting is consistently clever, the arrangements are surprisingly varied, and the number of genuinely excellent tracks is impressive. More than anything, it’s fascinating to hear Ray Davies developing the singular voice that would define the band’s greatest work. I still don’t know that I’d put the Kinks alongside the Beatles, Stones, or Who in my personal pantheon. But this album makes a stronger case for their inclusion than I was expecting. And when Davies is operating at the level of “Sunny Afternoon,” the distinction between those tiers becomes pretty damn meaningless. 8.5/10.

Сара 3 Марко 3,5

This was....fine, I guess? Very mid-Beatles, for better or worse.

TL;DR: Inessential but harmless psychedelic pop. Sunny Afternoon is the obvious highlight and playlists exist for a reason. BEFORE: My enthusiasm for this is pretty muted as I've always found the Kinks hit or miss, although their good stuff is really good. AFTER: This was a lot of fun but feels inessential. Very similar to lesser Beatles stuff from the same era, but with sillier lyrics. Nicky Hopkins is all over it, which is always a positive. HIGHLIGHTS: Sunny Afternoon is head and shoulders better than the rest of the album. Beyond that, Party Line and Dandy are energetic and catchy and Rainy Day in June is atmospheric and dramatic. I liked the psychedelia of Fancy and Little Miss Queen of Darkness has a great guitar line. LOWLIGHTS: Nothing on here is aggressively bad but most of it pretty forgettable. VERDICT: Sunny Afternoon and some other pretty good tracks. Not sure why this album is on here but then this list does have 4 Kinks albums. 3 stars and I never need to listen to it again.

Maybe I'm just an ignorant Yank BUT where's the hit? I have never heard any of these songs in my life. I know of the Kinks. I'm sure I know a song by them but not off this album. That being said, I like it. I love the satirical punk rock songwriting. Most of the time it sounded like 60s music. I like 60s music. 3

Embarrased to say today is when I found out Sunny Afternoon is not from The Beatles… Very enjoyable album! Varied and although I can’t really follow it as a concept album, it definitely had a storied vibe to it.

I guess I don’t really know that much about The Kinks. I know a few of their songs and that’s about it. And I know that the guy from The Kinks is named Ray Davies. That’s about it. What I didn’t know is that their albums from the mid-60s sound just like The Beatles. Or maybe The Beatles sound just like them. I can’t say for sure. What I can say is that this very Beatles-sounding album is pretty good. It’s not great and it’s not terrible. It’s right down the middle for me.

Hmm the music sounds good, but I preferred the other Kinks album I had (the Princess Marina Joyce Hat one). Did kinda blend into one during the end but the music is solid!

One of their best. Start to finish.

Not too kinky

Why isn’t there a book called 101 albums you must hear before you die, so we can skip all of these rubbish albums?

I feel like 4 records from The Kinks is too much for a list like this. At least it's 4 for me so far, there can't be any more can there? But it seems weird that they wouldn't have the self titled album that contains their two most famous songs, maybe not counting Lola. Anyway, from this record I've heard Sunny Afternoon, but I'm not sure about the rest. This album sounds like if you mixed the Beatles with Simon and Garfunkel but it's not as good as either. It's pretty straightforward 60s British pop rock, it's good but hasn't really stood the test of time. Great drums on this record though a d for whatever reason the drums sound amazing. Like you can hear the snare ringing which is not usually the case. Kind of cool. Overall I like this album but wouldn't really seek it out or think to play it again. I feel like The Kinks are one of those bands where a greatest hits album will pretty much give you all you need. 3/5

I have a theory and a suggestion. There is a place for albums like this as precursors to other amazing albums or influencers that clearly deserve recognition but because of the passage of time, technology and even artistry, these acts don’t belong in any discussion about greatest albums. My theory is that they remain included because the authors have an economic incentive to keep these earlier influences on modern music likely tied to the cost of reformatting a book no longer sold in large quantities and because keeping these 60s artists in the book attracts people of a certain age who might actually purchase and read a book. That’s my theory. My suggestion is to “retire” certain artists to a new section on legends - those individuals and groups who influenced modern music and are responsible for advancing the art. This way we preserve the legends, honor them, but move forward with the challenge of identifying new ideas and new influences in this highest of musical stratospheres. The Kinks would be in this first group with Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix etc. we know they are legends but in many cases their original albums no longer merit the accolades when measured against more contemporary artist. This album clearly was an influence on many of the late 70s and early 80s acts who made no secret of their love of the Kinks and their influence. On this record you could trace a direct line to The Soft Boys, Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians, Van Halen, AC/DC, the Ramones, The Jam etc. Sunny Afternoon still pops up in Tik Toks but there are also several other terrific tracks including Party Line and Little Miss Queen of Darkness. I do note that this album is infected with the 60s musical virus that destroys the likeability of several tracks. That virus is the tambourine which makes everything sound shitty. On this album it is so high in the mix it is both distracting and unpleasant. So, let’s move the Kinks into that legend influencer chapter of the book and forget this album exists. 2/5

Proven to me through completing this list that The Kinks are one of the best bands to have come out of the 60s and created multiple brilliant albums. Not a patch on the astounding three albums that followed this, but a lovely precursor to their absolute classic period.

A great band I’ve never heard of, fantastic album!

Kinda fun poppy 60s. I did know ‘Dandy’ but only the Hermans Hermits cover.. I’m right in line with the global average, 3.25/5

As of Face to Face, I’ve now rolled The Kinks 3 times for this project, out of the 4 of their albums on this list in total. I even gave one of them a 5 earlier. They’re a band I greatly enjoy, but not everything always hits. And when it doesn’t hit, it’s just alright. But when it does, you’ve got some absolute bangers. I already had “Sunny Afternoon” saved to my music library years ago, and you already know that it’s the best song on the album. Even if as a whole this album isn’t their best, there’s a solid case to be made that “Sunny Afternoon” is their best song, full stop. I also really enjoyed listening to “Rosy Won't You Please Come Home” on this album as well, as I wasn’t familiar with that one, and it comes off as one of the most serious and real, heartfelt songs that The Kinks have. Interesting to note, Revolver by The Beatles, another album I’ve already bestowed a 5 star review upon, came out the same year as Face to Face. While most bands at the time were still sounding like the old Beatles, the Beatles themselves managed to make an album completely unlike anything they’d done before. The reason I’m giving this album a 3, is that it just doesn’t compare to Revolver, and it really sounds like they’re still trying to be the Beatles of old a lot of the time. Now I want to go off on a little bit of a somewhat off topic tangent. Why does Spotify not have the original version of this album available to search by default?? I have to Google it to get it to pop up and link me back to what I’m actually looking for on Spotify. So I know that it’s hiding in the code somewhere, and I can force it to play, but I hate that I can’t just use Spotify to search for the original without putting the right songs in a single playlist. I don’t want to listen to the Deluxe edition of any album really, and this problem is surprisingly common, where I have to end up looking at Wikipedia to see the track list, since Spotify won’t tell me what the actual album I’m reviewing is supposed to look like. I hate when it’s the only option. Vent over. This is another great album by The Kinks, but it’s got a lot of just ok songs in the mix as well that really hold it back from being the best, even with what very well be my favorite song of theirs included. It’s a 3 out of 5. One more The Kinks album to go. I’ve given two 3’s and a 5 so far. Let’s see if they can get another solid 4 or 5 to end it off. I’m hoping they can, because I very much enjoy listening to this band, even if they are a bit Beatley.

A good listen I enjoy The kink albums

He’s a top musi-sheeyan :)))))

I'm going to become one of those old dudes who complains about how much better pop music was in the 60s because damn I really enjoyed this. I don't know what it is about this jangly zippy light sound, I wish I understood music better. It always makes me smile and feel better. Thanks, The Kinks. Second act montage needle drop in my biopic: "Most Exclusive Residence for Sale"

It's cute, it's quirky, it's fun. I believe there is more to the lyrics than I paid attention too. But this is what I imagine hippies listening too, with the tambourine and the tinny keyboard.

Officially I'm on vacay but I listened to this while whiending some Irish wool and I thought it was quite loveleigh, this is just exactly my kind of cocomelon shit I love the psychedelic organ noises I don't even know for sure if they're coming from an organ or knot, Likeligood that the members of this band lezzed out IMO: 3/5 I can see it although I truly no nothing about these guys but I hope so

the kinks are so awesome, i had a good time listening to this. kind of punk??? a few times i walked into the front room at work and a random song from this was playing and i was like what the hell is happening.. i couldn't tell u what song it was.. probably gonna listen again and be more attentive to the different tracks but sunny afternoon is a classic . kinks are another band that my mom played a lot when i was a kid so they've got that special place in my memory too

Hat Spaß gemacht! Bekam ich ganz solide Laune bei!

This LP is full of gems!

Sunny Afternoon is a great song, but apart from this song, this album was nothing special

The Kinks were a great British Invasion band whose unique contributions can sometimes be missed. They proved over the decades to be intelligent, musically versatile, and enduring. After almost inventing punk rock with earlier hits such as "You Really Got Me" and "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" (both covered later by Van Halen), this is apparently the first album to lean fully into Ray Davies' wry storytelling style. For me it's an absolute success. Not only is the songwriting great, it just SOUNDS so good. It really pulled me in. I'm keeping this in rotation!

This album sits in one of the greatest sweet spots in rock and roll history where the four iconic giants are doing great work just ahead of their most defining works. The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, and The Kinks at this point are more similar than different (that will come), but you still see fun differences. Face to Face has the Kinks flexing their quirky character both musically and lyrically. They even have a song about a session musician. The recognizable hits are a joy to return to, but the other tracks remind you of why this band is so enduring. Enjoy the Kinks!

Dull and boring. Would rather jerk off than listen to this. 1/5

Pretty good, now I know more Kinks

3.4465

Easy to forget

1966 garage pop, too much like beatles Dandy Sunny afternoon Dead end street

Is Ray Davies on Team Lennon or Team McCartney? This album seems to owe a lot to the Beatles and for me the style is more akin to John than Paul. Nothing too special here.

Aika hyvä levy Kinkseiltä. Ei aivan niin hyvä kuin Village Green Preservation Society, jolle annoin neljä tähteä. Face to Face saattaa olla yksi parhaista kolmen tähden levyistä.

Прикольно . Правда половину песен я считал битловскими. Sunny Afternoon вообще вкус детства , стоит всего альбома.

I am convinced after listening to this, that I was born in the right generation

Dung. No wonder Blur thought this kind of stuff appealed to them.

A fun listening, I'm a big fan of the 60's so naturally this is a good catch for me. Sunny Afternoon is the stand out track, obviously.

It's like the Beatles but really really bad.

I wasn't alive in 1966 but I'm sure this pushed some boundaries in its day. One of the more enjoyable 60s albums on this list so far. 3.5/5 rounded to 4.

Nice Kinks album. Favourite tracks: Sunny Afternoon, Dandy, Party Line

Pretty groovy, but I did question a few times if I had mixed up & put on The Beatles by mistake.

It took until “Dandy” for this album to really catch my attention. It wasn't a bad album, and some of the songs are nice enough, but there just isn't much here that makes me want to come back to it.

Cant really pinpoint why, but I find it annoying, average at best but not for my taste

Knew a couple of the songs here but never really been particularly aware of The Kinks. All very pleasant to listen to... a couple of the songs were a little experimental but otherwise it did get quite samey. It wasn't a long album so never got to the point of grating, but I don't think I would want to listen to much more of it in one sitting. Sounds very much like the Beatles but it's from the same era so that makes sense. Bit plain, but nice melodies and a couple of classics.

This feels like it's so close to being amazing, it's got a lot of the psychedelic vibes I love but the guitar sounds really muted which means it doesn't hit as hard as it could There's some super creative stuff in here like the guitar that sounds like thunder in "Rainy Day in June" All the sounds are short which just means they don't get much time to develop.

Thought myself a Kinks fan, but every of their album I've encountered on this list has never lived up to the expectations. They have some real stellar songs, and I really like their lyrical writing, which is a feat in itself. But the albums always feels like it contains 1-2 good songs, and the rest are shrugs. And it's the same with this one. 'Sunny Afternoon' is good, but the rest are not nearly as interesting or memorable. Weak 3.

Rarely have i been disappointed by a Kinks album but this one failed to deliver on the expectations i had. I wasn't bad per se, just felt quite bland compared to a lot of their other albums. Summer Afternoon is an all time great though. 3 star.

1. "Sunny Afternoon" 2. "Rosy Won't You Please Come Home" 3. "Too Much on My Mind"

I dont know, I wasnt fascinated or interested all that much. I listened to a deluxe that had way too many boring songs, and though it's a bit better than their other offering, I still think it's Beatles light and not in a great way. A bit yawn.

Back in my late teens, I used to drag my friends to a bar called “Drum” every Wednesday night. The reason: Drum would host a sixties night, full of great tunes from the likes of The Stones, The Doors, The Beatles, and of course The Kinks. I always think of those nights when I hear The Kinks. Back then, I had only recently discovered the band, mostly through a “Best of The Kinks” CD that I had acquired and listened to on repeat. I was much more taken by the rough and rowdy fuzz-toned garage rock tunes like “All Day and All of the Night” or “You Really Got Me” than the “Dedicated Follower of Fashion” tracks on the compilation. But a song like “Sunny Afternoon” was my gateway drug to the more quirky acoustic sound that the band had moved towards in “Face to Face”. The songs on this album are essentially a collection of English social satires, each song painting a picture of wealthy people, suburban respectability, fashion, class, money and status. While some songs are overly quirky and twee, the quality and catchiness of the songwriting and the sound - that coupling of jangly acoustic guitar with heavy bass - is enough to get us through it all. A lot of the sound here actually feels like a precursor for the indie rock scene. It starts really strongly with “Party Line” and “Rosy Won't You Please Come Home”, but the one that really stands out is the absolutely fantastic “Rainy Day in June”. This one doesn’t settle with the other themes, feeling more poetic and introspective in lyrics and mood than the other satirical character studies. The explosion sound effects might take away from it slightly, but not enough to detract from the impact of this amazing song. I have to give an honourable mention to “Dead End Street”, which isn’t technically on this album, but is included as a bonus track. What an unreal song. The subject matter is depressing, but played to an upbeat melody, with a chorus that’s such an earworm, it’ll have you startling your dogs as you randomly shout “Dead End!” to yourself for the rest of the day. It’s one of my all-time favourite Kinks songs. And then there’s “Sunny Afternoon”. It’s a classic for a reason. That descending bass and guitar combo is instantly recognisable, and properly iconic. The chorus and verse are jovial, and the melody is so unbelievably great that you have no idea what they’re singing about. In fact, I never properly listened to what I was singing along to all these years until today. It kinda sums up how I feel about the songs on this album in general. I’m not really the biggest fan of the whimsy of the lyrical content, but it doesn’t matter that much. Because the music itself is good enough to carry it. 3.5 stars

This album has 2 of my favorite Kinks songs and is good but 4 albums is excessive for this list.

Didnt love this one. Music was upbeat but not a lot of substance behind it - it felt almost like kids music. Also just with how old the album is this style seems very outdated. Just wasn’t for me.

Sounded like The Beatles perhaps everything that came out of England in that same timeframe sounded like the Beatles… It's just that the Beatles were lucky enough to be the ones who took off the most. That was good though some quirky, fun stuff.

You can't rhyme 'charms' with 'demarnds' and act like that's okay

I don't even think this is that bad, it's perfectly fine pop music of its era, but wow is it inessential

I quite like the Kinks, but in this album they aren't quite fully cooked yet. The back end has a lot of the wacky weirdness I enjoy, but the first half reads like a Beatles Cavern Club tribute band, and they can do better than that.

Honestly quite lovely, felt like I was listening to the Beatles with it feeling burnt out on the revolving discography (I love Beatles don't be misconceived)

A band I know little about - just the singles and that they were around during the 60's when psychedelia was just firing up. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accurate social sniping. There's an angry undercurrent under this album despite the happy tone a lot of the songs carry. From Rainy Day in June to Sunny Afternoon - the kinks are taking aim at social concerns of their era. Musically it's about what I expect for the time - probably half the tracks you could pass off as the Beatles quite easily and most people wouldn't notice. I do like it when they mix it up a bit more - Dandy is almost proto grunge and several tracks feature a harpsichord which is a treat. There's a lot to like here - but my highlight is holiday to Waikiki which is just a fun track with pounding drums, surfer rock vibe and decent snipes at commercialisation/tourist culture. 3* potential rising to 4* Definitely one to return to for me.

i like the kinks

I think these guys Beatled. Was okay, I did like 'Sunny Afternoon', can see why it was the popular one.

I expected better

ok

Groovy

2.5

It was catchy and enjoyable. I don’t feel like my life was changed from this album, but it was fine.

I see "Face to Face" as a filler album in this list. There's nothing offensively bad or groundbreaking. Maybe it's because "Face to Face" was once revolutionary, but it lost its uniqueness. The big single, "Sunny Afternoon", is a pretty good song. It's also the only Kinks song I've listened to previously. 3 stars for "Face to Face".

Music years before I was born. Some nice tunes and pleasure to listen to, but the music doesn't stick with me. I could not really distinguish the music for a lot of bands emerging in that period of time.

Beatles but less good

Fine ig

I just don't seem to dig most music from the 60's.

Genoten

Nog een kinks album! Consistent leuker dan het vorige kinks album, en die was ook al leuk. Fijne listen, goeie experience, niet helemaal mn style maar overal beter dan gemiddeld. 4 bangers!

The album is a true concept album. It offers a satirical take on English culture and the music industry. Some songs sound like The Beatles, while others are reminiscent of The Rolling Stones. The record also features some highly psychedelic moments. I like it a lot, though I was already familiar with it beforehand, so I am a bit biased. In the early 1980s, the East German record label AMIGA released a wonderful compilation of The Kinks' music. I loved that record and later bought more of the band's albums using Deutsche Marks. The Kinks are considered one of the most influential British bands in music history; they enjoyed incredible success during the 1960s and 70s. "Dandy" and "Sunny Afternoon"—featured on this record—are certainly among the Davies brothers' best-known compositions.

its like if every early/mid beatles song was a george harrison song

Not my favourite of the Kinks albums I've listened to (Village Green is better), but this is still really solid. It doesn't have many standout tracks, but loads of really good ones. Sunday Afternoon is one of their best of all time.

The record where Ray Davies started becoming the distinctly English chronicler of ordinary life that made him one of the great songwriters of the era — the social observation and character studies that would fully flower on Village Green Preservation Society audible here in earlier, less realized form. "Sunny Afternoon" is the landmark, sardonic and perfectly constructed, doing something nobody else in British rock was quite attempting in 1966. The honest limitation is that 1966 was Revolver's year and most of what surrounded it suffered by comparison — Face to Face included. Beatles-lite is a fair verdict for a record that's working in the same sonic space without quite the same songwriting genius or studio ambition. Good without being great, interesting as a document of Davies finding his voice before he fully found it. Village Green earned a four in this project for delivering on the promise this record makes. A three for the promise itself.

A fun listen. I really enjoyed some of the songs, especially Sunny Afternoon.

Ale miła przypominajka, do roku bodajże 2011, kiedy odkryłam ccudowny film The Boat That Rocked, który był po brzegi wypełniony The Kinks. Przefajna płyta.

Alright album. Feel like you gotta be a big kinks fan to appreciate highly. Otherwise just seems like an okay album, that taken or left behind

Wait - I thought The Kinks were punk? This just sounds like the Beatles decided to make 2 minute songs. Yuck.

Really good Mod album

Great Songs: House in the Country, Sunny Afternoon Good Songs: Rosy Won't You Please Come Home, Dandy, Too Much On My Mind, Rainy Day in June, Holiday in Waikiki, Little Miss Queen of Darkness, You're Looking Fine, I'll Remember Mid Songs: Session Man, Most Exclusive Residence for Sale, Fancy Bad Songs: Party Line

The Kinks are a really interesting band. I don't think they measure up to their contemporary British Invasion bands, yet they were very influential all the same and have some fantastic singles. From this album, Sunny Afternoon is by far the standout. What a lovely song, evoking memories of spring days walking through a green park.

The best album by the kinks in this list.

I can see this getting to 5 for me, but as always The Kinks kind of wash over me a bit--they are really the seeds of BritPop though. 4.5 after listening twice.