Reviews (page 4 of 9)
Would give this a 3.5 if I could. Always liked The Kinks and this has some great catchy pop tunes but overall album was too long
Temu Beatles
My kink's The Kinks. This sounds so chill though, how were they ever controversial?
With this album The Kinks started into their most interesting phase and that is ditching the harder rock parts for some sophisticated baroque pop elements. I personally love it and "Sunny Afternoon" ist not only one of the best tracks of the album, but one of the best the bands ever wrote. Can't rate it full 5 stars because not every track is perfect - later albums achieved that.
Pretty fun album, can't say I was expecting a harpsichord in most of the songs. My big issue with a lot of the 60s bands on this list is that they all sound exactly the damn same. Quoting a review from this site for a Mamas and the Papas album: "Most 60's groups had three choices: copy the beatles, copy the beach boys, or sexually abuse minors." These guys chose to copy The Beatles, but actually did their own thing with it, and by that I mean they used a harpsichord. Jokes aside, most of these songs are good. I especially like Rosy Won't You Please Come Home and Rainy Day in June. Lots of interesting lines and a fun feel no matter what direction the music itself goes in. Definitely one of the more creative albums of the 60s.
A little too poppy for me. I like the kinks but this one came up short in my opinion
Great project. Catchy, beatlesy, great example of the other music coming out of the 60s that stands toe to toe with the other guys
More of a psychedelic album from the Kinks than the previous ones we’ve had. I think they do a pretty good job of it, better than some pure psychedelic bands do it even. The first half of the album is definitely more pop than the latter, and they’re good at that as always. Decent enough and I can see why fans of them only warmed up to it later since it’s a fairly big departure from their earlier work.
A typically milquetoast collection of bleeding-heart parochialism from the 60s most infamous commie wimps. Not quite. It might just be the one “inarguably one of the best pop songs of all time” that’s on this particular Kinks record (rather than the usual three or four), but the whole thing still has that special shimmer of a band coming into the peak of its powers. From “Party Line” (“The best Beatles song I’ve heard yet”, according to Fleur; jokingly, but also…) to “I’ll Remember” it’s a blast of 60s life, its attitudes, perturbations, frustrations, joys and perspectives that feels museum-quality. Listening to “Face to Face”, you can’t help but conclude that America’s loss in those cancelled years was musical posterity's gain. A Time Machine with a couple of timeless numbers, and the total perfection of “Sunny Afternoon” to boot. If this is what commie wimps sound like, sign me up.
Generic Brit-Rock of the era, but nothing special and doesn't hit the same as The Beatles etc.
taxes too high and shit music, they were ahead of their time
It doesn't contain as many hits as their first couple of albums, and village green preservation society is easily the best Kinks album but it's still very enjoyable. It would be fair to think you're listening to the Beatles, but thats just the style of the time. The Kinks are a bit more raw, using overdrive effects, (effect is a loose term as I think Dave Davies basically just stabbed his amp with a knife.) Good album, brilliant band.
Mum: We have The Beatles at home
Great listen!!
Not their best album
Clever wordplay but still a mid-60s British pop sound
Back half wasn’t bad, liked You’re Looking Fine. Low-end three
Nice
I keep waiting to find the bad Kinks album, but this ain't it.
Grew into it
Voilà, ce sera un 3 sur 5, un 3 sur 5 pour un album qui te fait dire "Ok, j'ai compris le truc, on peut passer au suivant". Et c'est exactement ce que je me suis dit après avoir religieusement écouté ce "Face to Face" des Kinks, nouvelle étape sur mon chemin de croix des "1001 Albums" Pour être tout à fait honnête, c'est une expérience "mi-figue, mi-raisin". Tu te retrouves avec deux ou trois titres absolument brillants, et puis le reste... eh bien, le reste est loin d'être exceptionnel. On sent l'ébauche, le brouillon, l'album de transition par excellence. Remettons-nous dans le contexte, on est en 1966, le Swinging London bat son plein, les Beatles viennent de sortir "Revolver", les Beach Boys leur "Pet Sounds". La pop music est en train de devenir un art majeur, une sorte de course à l'armement psychédélique où chaque groupe se doit de repousser les limites. Et au milieu de ce bordel ambiant, il y a les Kinks, menés par un Ray Davies au bord de la crise de nerfs, un génie torturé qui, entre deux bastons avec son frangin et des problèmes juridiques qui l'empêchent de tourner aux USA, décide de chroniquer la vie de ses contemporains. "Face to Face" est souvent considéré comme l'un des premiers "concept albums" de l'histoire du rock. Un concept, certes, mais un concept aussi flou qu'une fin de soirée à la bière tiède. Le concept, c'est la vie quotidienne des Anglais, leurs petites frustrations, leurs grandes désillusions, leurs maisons de banlieue et leurs vacances ratées. En gros, Ray Davies inventait la pop sociale, le portrait au vitriol d'une Angleterre qui n'avait de "swinging" que le nom qu'on voulait bien lui donner. Et c'est là où se trouve le problème et que ma note de 3/5 prend tout son sens. Quand il touche au sublime, il n'y a personne pour rivaliser. "Sunny Afternoon" par exemple, ce morceau est un chef-d'œuvre absolu, une perle de cynisme et de mélancolie portée par une mélodie faussement enjouée. C'est le tube de l'été pour dépressifs, l'hymne des nantis qui s'emmerdent. Même moi, le vieux con élevé au post-punk et au rock indé crasseux des années 90, je ne peux que m'incliner. C'est une chanson parfaite, point barre. On peut y ajouter "Dandy", petite pique bien sentie sur les freluquets à la mode, et peut-être "Rosy Won't You Please Come Home", jolie ballade mélancolique. Et puis... et puis le reste. Le reste, c'est une collection de vignettes plus ou moins réussies, de croquis qui sentent parfois un peu le renfermé. On sent que Davies a une idée derrière chaque titre, une histoire à raconter, mais la musique, elle, ne suit pas toujours. Ça manque de mordant, de cette rage primaire qu'on trouvait sur leurs premiers brûlots rhythm 'n' blues. On est dans un entre-deux, entre la fureur des débuts et la sophistication narrative de ce qui allait suivre, notamment le monumental "The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society". Et puis, il y a ce putain de son. On a beau me dire que c'est l'époque, que c'est le charme du vintage, mais là, on sent le poids des âges. La production est plate, ça manque de basses, de dynamique. C'est comme regarder une vieille tapisserie magnifique mais dont les couleurs ont passé. On devine la grandeur passée, mais on a du mal à être ébloui. L'album hurle son besoin d'un bon remastering, d'un coup de polish pour faire briller les chromes. Alors, pourquoi cet album est-il dans la liste des 1001 ? Parce qu'il est historiquement crucial. C'est la pierre angulaire de tout ce que les Kinks, et une bonne partie de la pop anglaise (de Blur à Pulp), allaient devenir. C'est l'acte de naissance de Ray Davies en tant que chroniqueur social, un observateur hors pair des mœurs de son pays, avec une plume aussi acérée que celle d'un journaliste satirique. Il y a dans "Most Exclusive Residence for Sale" ou "House in the Country" les prémices de tout ce qui fera le sel de la Britpop trente ans plus tard. C'est un disque plus important pour ce qu'il annonce que pour ce qu'il est réellement. C'est un document, une pièce à conviction dans le grand procès de l'histoire du rock. Il faut l'écouter pour comprendre d'où vient une certaine idée de la pop anglaise, cérébrale, littéraire et un peu snob. Mais est-ce que je vais me le repasser en boucle en sirotant un whisky ? Probablement pas. Pour moi, qui ai grandi avec la froideur de Manchester et la fureur de Seattle, ce Londres de 1966 me semble aussi lointain et exotique qu'une danse folklorique balinaise. C'est intéressant, culturellement enrichissant, mais ça ne me parle pas aux tripes. Verdict : à écouter, oui. Pour la culture, pour l'histoire, pour "Sunny Afternoon". Mais ne vous attendez pas à prendre la claque de votre vie si, comme moi, votre panthéon musical est peuplé de gens un peu plus fâchés avec l'existence.
Love it, fan of the kinks
This is my 4th and last Kinks album on this list, and the oldest. Besides the classics, the rest is ok, nothing really outstanding.
This was so good. The Kinks remind me of the Beatles.
This great album, weirdly starts out with the DAVE Davies song "Party Line"... Beatle-esque... but... more raw... Ray Davies, one of the greatest songwriters of ALL TIME is credited with writing it, but his brother Dave, says he wrote it... lol... anyway... "Rosie Won't You Please Come Home" is next... and the unmistakeable nasal brilliance of Ray Davies is fully evident... "Dandy" is typical Ray Davies song craftsmanship... these are the kinds of songs, that in '66, the Beatles simply could not do... it was up to The Kinks... and they deliver... next is the deeply personal "Too Much On My Mind"... there's simply more to life... than to live it... "Session Man", of course, has session man Nicky Hopkins do the harpsichord intro... and who could write this, but Ray? "he's a session man, a chord progress-ian (LOL), a TOP musicIAN"... what a genius... "he's not paid to think... just play"... hahahaha... i can't review EVERY song on this masterpiece, or i'd be here all day, lol... "Rainy Day in June"... is great... "House In The Country"... rockin' and rye... er... wry... Side Two opens with "Holiday in Waikiki"... Ray, to me, loves to the the epitome of the English Bloke... whether at home.. or abroad... "Most Exclusive Residence For Sale" is his take on the, pretentious "upper class"... "Little Miss Queen of Darkness" lol... is a Ray Davies take on ragtime... "You're Looking Fine" is sung by Dave... then comes "Sunny Afternoon"... an entire review could be on this great song alone... and one that, for me, puts him up there with the Beatles, Pete Townshend, or anyone from the British Invasion... Ray Davies is up there with Dylan... prolific, and consistently GREAT... the album ends with "I'll Remember"... the two brothers harmonizing Lennon/Macca style... FIVE STARS... all day long... but, really... TEN..."
I didn't expect to like this album as much as I did. It was pretty good and that's all I have to say really
Sounds a little dated Gets better as it goes Sunny Afternoon*classic*
- Ich kannte sogar zwei Lieder von diesem Album, hätte ich nicht gedacht - Es macht gute Laune und würde ich sicher nochmal hören Topsong: Sunny Afternoon
I don’t like it. It’s like the Beatles, but boring. Doesn’t do it for me.
58 minutes was a bit long for this album, which seemed a bit repetitive. There were certainly some enjoyable songs within, but nothing really stood out. I liked "Little Miss Prince of Darkness" the most. I hate to just blatantly say, "They just sound like their ripping off the Beatles." I mean it's impossible to overlook the similarities. But I can't rightly say I know who, if anyone, influenced who and what the timeline was there. Overall it sits right in the middle for me.
I didn't like this at all. A lot of the songs sounded like they were written about someone the band hated and it came off as cynical. I don't know enough about 60's culture to know if they were trying to make a statement about society or what. The music sounded like every other British band from the 60's who wanted to sound like the Beatles.
Hit songs: Sunny Afternoon
Solid 60s rock. Definitely Beatles inspired but not a complete rip off. Love Sunny Afternoon. Favorites: Rosy Won't You Please Come Home, Too Much on My Mind, Sunny Afternoon
Some great songs. The standout is Dead End Street. Better than anything coming out of the British Invasion
The satirical writing saves this record from sounding like a stereotypical 60s British rock album. Even then, I still find it quite enjoyable
A big step towards the brilliance of Something Else, Village Green, Lola vs, Arthur and I'm going to throw in Muswell Hill. Not perfect, but still pretty great.
Not alot of thoughts, alot of these songs are so basic in the 60s melody writing that i could just trace it to future pop/rock song writing that were influenced by the Kinks. Stuff like Green Day during Warning years and all. Something I found unique is their use of sound effects for atmospheric painting which sounds pretty unique to me for a simple power pop/garage band
Great album!
2.5
First time i've heard the album. Feel like I need to listen to this more than once. But I like it. 6/10.
Classic
Peaked at sunny afternoon
My partner commented on me getting another Beatles album and to be fair it is a legitimate comparison. The Kinks were arguable just as interesting, if not more so in some respects. I wonder what would have happened if they hadn't been kicked from the US market for four years. Overall a solid album, but how many albums like this do we need for this period? Maybe it is just my current streak, IDK
Wasn’t familiar with 95% of these songs. Probably holds true for their whole catalog. Always pleasantly surprised.
This album encapsulates the British Rock'n'Roll sound of the 60s perfectly for me and adds a lovely ray of sunshine to even the coldest, cloudiest autumn morning. My favourite song, even there are a lot of great ones in here, is Sunny Afternoon.
I listened to the original release, which had fourteen tracks. The album cover is very colorful and very 1960s. Not sure who that guy is on the cover. The Kinks have a lot of good songs but there are not enough of them on this record for a high rating. ‘Dandy’ is a good song but Herman’s Hermits did a better version of it. Sunday Afternoon is the one song that is frequently played on oldies stations.
My review got deleted again! Rats! I think my main takeaways were: -Party Lines sure are a time capsule. -This album cover looks like an old board game, too (and I like it). -I continue to generally like the Kinks; pop is top! Still sounds Beatlesy, pleasant, yet a little old (sound-wise). I think I'm too annoyed about the deletion so I'm rounding down to a 3. In another world, this coulda been a 4 maybe. Highlights: 'Party Line', 'I'll Remember' (album bookends!)
The grooves made me groove. Rockabilly-Punk aesthetic with a pop undertone. Toss in a little Country-Rock and some silly, yet intriguing lyrics. The juxtaposition is what makes the Kinks so compelling. I put 'the Kinks' up there with 'the Band' as underrated musical units; cursed by being very well recognized and appreciated, and yet still not receiving the full credit they should. That probably doesn't make any sense. Whatever!
The kinks rock. Never kink shame
Hooray! More britpop. I mean it's better than most britpop I've heard. There are a couple of tunes that I enjoyed but the whole of it left me kinda... bleh. It sounds like most of the music coming out at that time sure they are the front runner for that but since it doesn't hit with me this is a miss.
meh
Good, not terribly long, some real bangers. The style does wear on you after a while.
нормалек.
I really enjoy The Kinks - this has some great songs on it, but never reaches the compelling level of "The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society" or "Lola and the Powerman 5000". Still a great listen though.
Basically, it’s if the Beatles were worse. It isn’t bad, and there probably is a smarter take about it, but this is how it sounded to me
I did not really like this album. I can see that is is some people's vibe but not really for me. 4/10
A cracking song in "Sunny Afternoon" and the whole album flowed together nicely, great compositions, great harmonies, and Ray Davies is just a great songwriter. If not for a couple of guys from Liverpool then he might have been the preeminent British songwriter...
Pretty standard 60's pop, not something I'd revisit
60's boink-a-doink rock with social satire might have been ground-breaking at the time and opened many doors for future artists, but I found it underwhelming. It's clear that the musicians *can* do something interesting and they're choosing not to, which is not the choice I want them to make. Funny, quirky, fun, and ultimately forgettable.
As a songwriter, Ray Davies does an excellent job of creating a song out of, in my opinion, just looking around and writing about whatever he happens to be going on. Dandy & Sunny Afternoon are the hits but the rest of ‘em are catchy well. A band that was big but should have been bigger.
the Kinks hebben bij mijn weten geen slechte platen gemaakt
3/5
*weary sigh* As much as I love this project, sometimes the list feels like hard work. It says it all that the Spotify track count for this album is around 500k-1m for everything and then TWO HUNDRED MILLION for Sunny Afternoon. And Sunny Afternoon is a load of tedious old bollocks Defaults 3 stars.
Very Beatles-esque. They started to form there own sound after the first few tracks, they became more distinct. This isnt an album I would listen to I dont think. I did like the songs Dandy and Little Miss Queen of Darkness. Songs like Sunny Afternoon are make me feel like I'm sitting on a park bench licking an ice cream wondering what the hell I'm doing with my life.
Another Kinks album so soon? Better than the other one, but I don't like.
Weird, I could've sworn that I was listening to the Beatles. At any rate, the album is great brit-pop and very listenable.
Love it but it is more singles than a one whole art piece.
Fun album by a legendary band. Love the stripped down sound, their harmonies and arrangements. Yeah, this is The Kinks.
6.5/10
It’s interesting how many albums in 1001 fall into that category of being lukewarm upon release but later recognized as pivotal, and I feel this is no exception. Face to Face marked a tonal shift for The Kinks, moving away from their raw early sound toward something more introspective and thematic. You can see why it’s often cited as one of the first true rock/pop concept albums. This is the sound of a band beginning to experiment. Not just musically, but narratively, weaving character studies and social commentary into their songs. It might not have made an immediate splash, but in hindsight, it feels like the bridge between the early British Invasion energy and the more artful, story-driven albums that followed. A fine and fascinating entry in The Kinks’ evolution.
I usually like the kinks, I didn’t enjoy this album. I liked track 3 but that’s all.
The Good: A face to face experience! The Bad: I didn’t like the face I was paired with… The Ugly: My face to the paired one… what??? It would have been nicer had this album shown up on a Sunday, and I would’ve had the opportunity to say that “on a lazy sunny Sunday afternoon…” Alas, it was Tuesday, and that means it wasn’t… Though there are reasons enough to really enjoy this album, I have a difficult time finding them. The sound—I believe that on Wiki they refer to it as baroque—has never been my thing. As a matter of fact, it ranks close to the bottom with rap and psychedelia… Yes, the songs are well written. Yes, the songs are of a nice time limit. Yes, there are good harmonies. Still, aside from the sunny afternoon song, I find all the other tunes to be similar, and boring… 2 1/2* downgraded
Golden age of Kinks? Det blev väl aldrig bättre än You really got me now. Trea
Not my taste
опять забыла какие они старые и битлоподобные И что я их уже знаю из каверов. норм, если бы я не знала битлов, можно было бы в них втянуться
Face to Face is a pretty good album. There doesn't seem to be much of a difference between it and the follow-up to this album (Something Else) as they do seem to be cut from the same cloth which makes sense due to them both being by the same band (obviously) but i think i do like this album a little bit more. I feel that this album has a little something that it's follow-up didn't have even if I'm not exactly sure what that is. Even then, they still aren't too far apart from each other as they both do have some pretty good songs and some rather rough production qualities which is expected from this time period. This is still a pretty decent album. Best Song: House in the Country Worst Song: Fancy
Album #36 of my 1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die List The Kinks - Face To Face I love the Kinks, they rocked hard, were obnoxious & wrote songs that poked at certain muckety-mucks in society. The album Face to Face was a change from the You Really Got Me days. The songs were a little smarter, though still poppy, with a more baroque style. The Kinks never really broke big in the US, mostly due to being banned due to their all-around crappy behavior. Had they been able to tour here, I believe they’d be in the same stratosphere as the Rolling Stones & the Beatles. According to Kinks historians, this is the album that kicked off their golden age & was also the 1st, or 1 of the 1st, concept albums in rock music. The highlights for me are Party Line, Dandy, Session Man, You're Looking Fine & the hit, Sunny Afternoon. This album is phenomenal & would be a great introduction for someone who wanted to explore the Kinks.
3,5
Not the best kinks.
The Kinks album that first got me hooked on this great band. One of my all time favorites.
It sounds like The Kinks. While not as great as some of their other works, it’s still a fine album.
Party Line - 5/5 Rosy Won't You Please Come Home - 5/5 Dandy - 5/5 Too Much on My Mind - 3/5 Session Man - 3/5 Rainy Day in June - 5/5 House in the Country - 4/5 Holiday in Waikiki - 5/5 Most Exclusive Residence for Sale - 5/5 Fancy - 3/5 Little Miss Queen of Darkness - 5/5 You're Lookin' Fine - 4/5 Sunny Afternoon - 4/5 I'll Remember - 5/5 Average score: 4.4/5 (rounding up)
Very good!
I was honestly a little surprised by quite how much I liked this. The Kinks are a band I know from singles only and whilst I generally do like those, I didn’t feel like there’d be much depth to them in general. Turns out most of this album is great! Highlights include _Rosy Won’t You Please.._ and _House in the Country_. There’s a slight lull at the start of the back third but it gets over that with a really strong finish, closing on _I’ll Remember_, proceeded by the classic and my… **Fave track:** Sunny Afternoon
Solid
3 // beatles-like
Not their best but still solid
It's britpop!
Sunny Afternoon is an amazing song. The rest of this is fine. Probably deserves a more detailed listen for the lyrics though.
Kinda lame
It's fine. Whatever. 2 really good tracks. The rest are just okay. British
I felt nothing listening to this album. I didn't feel happy, nor sad, neither did I feel angry. I was empty.
It ain’t the beetles
My first Kinks album. Not bad at all, but not fully my type either. An easy-breezy listen on a Tuesday morning.
I really disliked the first half of the album, but there were some good songs in the second half.
Gostei muito! Não conheço The Kinks em profundidade (talvez uma, duas músicas) e o álbum deixou-me relaxada, animada, muito semelhante ao que sinto com The Beatles, o que é muito bom!
Un light rock farfalloso e un po’ moody. Le prime canzoni non mi sono piaciute, la voce del tipo non mi piaceva, ma poi è cambiata. Le mie preferite: Rainy Day in June, House qualcosa, too much on my mind, Looking fine e Sunny Afternoon (in effetti l’ho già sentita, quindi sarà quella più famosa). Beli gli effetti sonori particolari che iniziano le canzoni Non so perché si ascoltano solo le canzoni famose. Come uno scrittore scrive i capitoli di un libro, i cantanti scrivono le canzoni e sono come capitoli di un album. Ha senso ascoltarle così.
Enjoyable mid-60s rock. Doesn't shoot for the moon, but doesn't outstay its welcome either.
++*: You're Looking Fine ++: Dandy, Session Man, Rainy Day in June, House in the Country, Holiday in Waikiki, Most Exclusive Residence for Sale, Little Miss Queen of Darkness, Sunny Afternoon +: Party Line, Rosy Won't You Please Come Home, Fancy, I'll Remember +-: Too Much on My Mind 7,9/10
Fun, light hearted album. Lots of short catchy songs, I especially enjoyed Session Man, House in the Country, Holiday in Waikiki, and Sunny Afternoon.
Very good as well, I think the dude who sings most of these is my favourite singer/songwriter in the band. It’s got that quintessential Britishness which I think they adopted on This album, and it set them apart from other bands. I do wish some of the songs were longer, as it feels like they come and go too fast, but I guess there’s a lot of them. I don’t think I’ve heard a bad album from them so far, I think this is on par with Arthur, if not a tiny bit worse and the village green one is still my favourite. Favourite songs: party line, Rosy won’t you please come home, dandy, too much on my mind, session man, the house in the country, most exclusive residence for sale, holiday in Waikiki, sunny afternoon, I’m not like everybody else, dead end street, this is where I belong, Mr. Reporter, little woman. Overall around 7/10
I enjoyed this album
Really good classic rock that I have not heard before today. A lot of the songs have great music, lyrics and vocals. Surprised that they don't have more listens on the streaming service. It's pretty mellow and easy to listen to, I found myself nodding along to many songs and replaying a couple so I could vibe one more time. I'm sure I will be listening to this one again.
This was a good album.and reminded me of early Beatles and The Monkees.
as with any Kinks album, this is truly, truly amazing, and I’m genuinely pissed they didn’t reach the same amounts of stardom as their peers (Beatles, Rolling Stones,) when they very much deserve it - 10/10
The generic early rock sound, nothing special.
Sometimes I think that music began in ~1972, but then there's an album like this one. It's consistent, enjoyable, but maybe not enough hard hitters and the quality that speaks of its time. Not the strongest 4, maybe a 3.
Never heard of The Kings before. Saw “1966” and figured: this will be a 3 chords, boring album. Then was surprised that it starts with mersey beat (early Beatles), transitions into harder rock (early Stones?) and the Who territory. I bet the Kinks were highly influential, but through some bad luck not so famous as the rest. Not as groundbreaking as Revolver (same year), but works better as an album (less fillers). Only 4 stars as the recording quality is only meh, and for some strange reason they back loaded the album (last song: Sunny Afternoon - ah yes this one I know and LOVE! But didn't remember it was The Kinks). Could have even left out the first 2 songs, would have been a better album.
I’m finding that a lot of these 60s bands don’t really treat the album format in the way I like to listen to music - they’re more just a collection of songs than a coherent project. These are all fine Kinks sounding songs, but I could honestly just get by which a greatest hits compilation of theirs and be done with it. Sunny afternoon is a banger though.
beatles parempi..
I've learned in the past month I really just don't care for baroque pop, I think it is one of the boringest lamest genres out there. This didn't change my opinion. I've heard several times that the Kinks are this massively underrated phenomenal band. This is my 2nd album by them and I really can't say I enjoyed a single song on either album. Nothing was band, just boring and forgettable. Mid 3.
Some great songs on here, not sure if it needs to be on a list of 1001 albums to hear before I die. It's kind of a continuation of the british invasion sound
Not very memorable. But a very happy album..
i think this has been the most fun The Kinks album that we've listened to so far, but I still don't walk away from this album hoping for more. I enjoyed it, it was fine, and now I'm ready to listen to something else.
Sounds more and more like The Beatles every time we get one of their albums, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Going with a three because it was a fun listen even if not many songs stood out.
I definitely enjoy the Kinks. I like their vibe. I like their sound. I like "Lola". If that song was on this album it would give it an extra star. This was still an enjoyable listen though.
not bad, nice sound
solid
Very much a 1960's album. Really good songwriting. Just a good album
This sounded a lot like the Beatles, but without the affection and nostalgia I feel for the Beatles.
Another album that makes me want a record player in my living room with this just playing. Such a vibe.
The Beatles but... I don't even know. Cool album.
Fun, but definitely not on the same level as their following three albums (which I absolutely love)
Brain fryer
Saying "Mr. Blabla" to everything is a tired gimmick
It’s very good, it’s fun. But a little dull.
Another Kinks album! It's a kind of an album of observational songs. It's not bad, but really of its time.
Gear: Dunu SA6 Artwork: 🦋🧔🦋 Production (Original Mono & Stereo Mix): 🔊🔇👎/🔊🔊🆗 Music: 🕵️♂️🌞🧘♂️ Rating: 🐛🐛(🐛)/5
Not really that kinky.
More wacky 60s music. It’s not good is it
Sunny afternoon is a good hit. the rest feels a bit simple and forgettable. Dandy was comically bad
Just regular sixties stuff
I had these guys are heavier and punkier in my head. I liked Rainy Day in June, rest was fine but agree that Dandy was complete crap.
I think my boyfriend who likes Ska music would enjoy this one, it was not ground breaking for me but goo background music
Low rent Beatles.
Top 3: Rosy Won't You Please Come Home; Dandy; Rainy Day in June Banger after banger, what a fun album. Very short songs but very enjoyable, don't know how I haven't found them sooner.
I didn't really get much from this record. I like some of the early Kinks, it's a little more of a folk bent, and I like some of the later Kinks, it's a little more rock and roll. This is decidedly mid.
Sounds like many other 60s albums; very few exceed the Beatles for me. Not sure it's held up over time, it was just ok for me. 2*
Just groovy enough without suffering from being overtly psychedelic.
oh, well - one great track, really: Sunny Afternoon. The rest is a a mixed bag. They've done better after, and they are no comparison to the Beatles.
A bit bland for a kinks album
Solo por Sunny afternoon merecen estar en esta selección. No son Beatles no son Rolling pero son fundamentales en los 60.
Great background Beatles-esque music. Pretty good active listening, though the albums is same-y.
Solid
Social maladjustment and class warfare, all with a beat you can dance to! Well, you can’t really dance to it - not even to “Come Dancing” years later - but you can bang pots and pans and throw dishes and tell the rich wankers to shove it up their arse!
Interesting baroque take on rock’n’roll packed with the sort of English eccentricity you’d get later from Pulp and Blur. Forgettable songs, but still fun times three.
That's not my taste in music - But ok
Too much on my mind is up there for me
A couple of really high peaks but quite a lot of nothingness
Good album.
Interesting that this album is included, first it's early in their catalog, second it only has one hit with "Sunny Afternoon", and the minor "Dandy". It was good if you enjoy The Kinks. Nothing stood out as cutting edge or enduring with only 1 radio track you still hear today, very modest listener counts for a 60 yr old album, and it sounds dated. Favorite, "Rainy Day In June". This one gets in for song writing, maybe? It's worthy of 3 stars but wouldn't make my T1001 list by any stretch.
Kind of insulting to get an extremely British band on the fourth of July. Oh well, at least the album’s not bad. Best song: Sunny Afternoon
Love The Kinks!
A very dated, yet endearing listen. The Kinks continuously strike me as a stereotypical British band. If you think of British pop, it’s them. Just listen to Holiday in Waikiki or rainy day in June.
Listened to this on a rainy day in July. Shitty weather but decidedly not shitty music.
Always been a fan of The Kinks. They sometimes get lost in the shuffle of the other rock bands from Britain. But this was pretty enjoyable. Maybe a little too much harpsichord. 4/5
Decent Beatlecore album! Quite enjoyable for the 60s!
I enjoyed this album—it’s a bit on the long side, but it holds enough variety to stay engaging. Had a few standout tracks I’d happily keep in regular rotation. Overall it gave me a playful and welcome escape from the reality of modern life.
For this era and genre I'm more an Animals kinda fella. What can I say? I just like it a little more raw and a little darker. The Kinks stuff is all very cheerful and hence a lot of the songs usually end up sounding kinda juvenile and silly to me. Jaunty, even. I probably need to lighten up. Sorry, Ray. I'm sure when this record dropped it was an exciting time and I am willing to bet cash money that The Kinks were a riot to see live in their heyday. Today, a few of these tracks seem like good options to include on a mixtape for a friend for when they drive around in the summertime in their Chevy Impala. Standouts include "Party Line"; a fun and kinda goofy throwaway novelty track at best, but still worthwhile. The more psychedelic tracks on this album tend to be stronger. "Rainy Day In June" is solid, aside from the overwrought sound effects. "Fancy" is great, though it does end too soon. It would have benefitted from vamping it out for like 8 minutes for full-on psychedelic effect. And of course "Sunny Afternoon" has that inherent staying power that the more popular hits The Kinks wrote are totally known for. Totally inoffensive and listenable, but aside from "Sunny Afternoon" not particularly memorable either.
Sounds like the Beatles, but not as good. Nothing particularly pulls me in.
2+ Stars (6/15)
I really like the Kinks but this isn't their best for sure. They definitely made better records later in their career. Still great music and great lyrics. 7,5/10 fav songs : Too Much on my mind & Holiday in Waikiki
Not bad but nothing incredible. And their later albums with good songs aren't on this list. What's up with that?
It started off fun and interesting. I realized I was half listening towards the end though. The Kinks are pleasant enough and the songs are nice and brief.
Quite the story! Has the rawness of sound from it's era, but otherwise enjoyable.
Ok...nothing special.
One of these stars is purely for how much Sunny Afternoon still bangs (even if this particular afternoon is *far* too sunny), the rest of the album just mostly made me want to shove everyone involved in a locker, sorry
Didn’t mind this when it got a bit more prog/psychedelic, but mostly it seemed an album made completely of novelty songs.
É um bom disco! Roseselsa Quietsea II.
Awesome to hear how clearly influential they were to the 60s
Easy to listen to but nothing really jumped out here. Was hoping for a little more.
The only song I knew from this album was “Sunny Afternoon” and it was definitely my favourite. I heard some similarities with other artists from that time, especially the Beatles. I think it was too long for me and I’d have enjoyed it more if they culled a few of the mid tracks to make a more cohesive experience overall.
Prefiro os albuns seguintes, mas aqui já se observa alguns lampejos do que viria a seguir, em faixas como "Too Much On My Mind", "Rainy Day in June" e "Sunny Afternoon". Um disco que mostra a transição do rock'n'roll para o Rock que vinha acontedendo com muitas bandas nesta época.
Fantastic and retro
# Playlist Track - Sunny Afternoon # Notes - Uninspired, at best. - Album is too long and too littered with ill-developed ideas. I only had access to the Spotify version with a bunch of extra tracks, but all of them feel unnecessary and half baked.
The Kinks were one of the most important and influential British Invasion groups who made consistently great albums in the second half of the 60s. Face to Face is no exception from it, it's a really great collection of songs with one big hit, Sunny Afternoon (though overall The Village Green...or Arthur are better albums).. Ray Davies is a very good songwriter who deserves a lot of credit for these great albums.
In terms of their contemporaries,the Kinks live almost perfectly at the midpoint between the lightheartedness of the Beatles and the down and dirtiness of the Stones.
The fullness of the sound impresses, as does their ability to write about everything under the sun in an age of love songs. “Dandy” and “Sunny Afternoon” stand out, but the rest are worth a listen. 3.5
For 1966, I bet this was both super and duper. For 2025, it's fine, but I don't love it.
Ujevn plate, neppe deres beste. Men noe bra.
I usually love the kinks but this album was just ok nothing really special about it.
Maybe not their best but probably the one I return to the most. Even the fillers are fun. Ray really stepped up his songwriting game on this one.
I always enjoy The Kinks, but I rarely listen to them. It's good to have an opportunity here.
I'm in love with Face To Face, the music, the lyrics, the cover art... it's all there! A truly landmark album for the Kinks, featuring, for the first time, more mature and less "optimistic" compositions than usual. It's also recognized as one of the first concept albums in rock history, which is no small feat. Also, two of my favorite songs ever are found here : Too Much On My Mind and Sunny Afternoon.
It’s decent, but nothing really stands apart from other britrock albums of the time.
Does every album from this time just sound like the beatles? Or did the beatles sound like everyone else.
Wait, baroque pop can be good?
nice to listen to
It's fair to say that Ray Davies wrote some of the best songs that came out of the 1960's. Lola, Waterloo Sunset, You really Got Me, Sunny Afternoon - ok so Lola was 1970. On Face To Face it's like he's writing songs based on just stuff that happened to him the other day. He heard a strangers' voice on a phone call. Ah Party Line. One of his session musicians pissed him off. Session Man. A girl he saw at a disco. Little Miss Queen Of Darkness. Holiday In Waikiki. Did he?? Lucky bastard I can't decide whether it's genius or just filler. I've only had time to listen to this album once so I'm going to go away and listen to it again before final judgement. In the meantime it gets a 3.
I got so bored, that at some point I opened Instagram and caused the album to stop playing. When I finally realized the album wasn’t playing, I had no desire to even pick it back up where it left off. It wasn’t that the album is bad, it’s just uninteresting as hell.
I really like British pop music and I know that the Kinks have had a big influence on British bands after them. But I personally have a problem with the Kinks and I can't even really justify it.
All of these Kinks albums are starting to blend together. I can't tell whether their music is inventive or just generic. I quite enjoyed 'Sunny Afternoon' a lot, and there were definitely a few decent songs, but I can only listen to so much British Invasion music before it all starts to sound the same.
This album was fun to listen to and is that type of timeless music that makes you feel good. I can only imagine how it made people feel when it first came out in the 60’s! I will definitely be listening to this one again on a sunnier day with some leaves in a pipe.
Sunny Afternoon is a really great song from an album that reminded me a lot of the Beatles. But, I didn't much care for their swing; something about the lyrics just didn't do it for me.
Summer vibes, sunny afternoon is a classic. We'd not listened to this album before but it was a pleasant surprise.
Not bad, but far from my favorite Kinks record. I can see why it’s historically important, and I though some of the songs were quite good, but overall just felt underwhelming.
Bruur van de beatles best funky
Vivacious, provocative, energetic. Good dirty fun
Nice cover, very colourful and 'flower power'. Thing I find with this era is that I never know what band is playing, as a lot of music from that time all sounds same-ish. Most of the tracks were fairly mundane, but not in a bad way. It was only when 'sunny afternoon' started playing that I recognised the single track that I had heard before. 'Dandy' seemed ok as well. I followed some of the lyrics and a lot was about wealth.
3.4 1x bonus track edition (58m)
Fun and 70's kooky
Some vintage 60's Brit Rock. The Kinks are kind of quirky. I think if I were a teenager or twenty something back in the 60's I would've been into the Kinks. But I'm not 20 anymore and this definitely is not the 60's.
This is a very pleasant listen. Fun, trippy, light. It’s masterful whimsy. They seem to be all over the place. It is definitely of its time, as it feels like the wild, Wild West of what a song can be.
I’ve been all over the place with the Kinks and this one felt pretty average. It was fine but did not feel very inspired or creative to me.
Every Kinks album on this list is super.
I don’t like the Beatles
fav song: I'll remember Not sure if I'll return to it but it's a good album!!
3.3 Fairly good. I've had a lot of 60s this week - traffic, the byrds, beach boys. This probably the best of the lot. So much like the Beatles, but not so much that it's a carbon copy. Still think 60s is overrepresented on here, but can't argue too much against this inclusion.
Again, fine, but I don’t like this sound that much and can’t believe I’ve already gotten three Kinks albums. The keys on “You’re Looking Fine” get this from two to three stars.
Not something I particularly enjoyed.
Love big of ray davis
Parecidos com the beatles
Decent album. These guys wee making music for a VERY long time.
6.25/10. It's alright. Most of thee sound the same but that's not all a bad thing. Immediate neuron activation when Sunny Afternoon played cuz of Wes Anderson.
Some great tracks here. Not a lot to say outside of happy to have listened to a full kinks album now.
Fantastic album enjoyed the sound energy, tone shifts, environmental mood effects and just being a very 60's sound with slight improvements in certain areas.
Protypen för all britpop. Jag har alltid gillat the Kinks, men face to face var bättre än förväntat
At this point The Kinks still occasionally sound like a Beatles knock-off though less and less so as their British pastoral quality and their taste for observational quirkiness begins to find expression. The period fascination with harpsichords gets expressed, as does the 12-string thing. Rainy Day In June is a decent attempt at something darker though Ray Davies’ songwriting is not well suited to grandeur. Sunny Afternoon is a highly memorable song but not enough to redeem an otherwise rather lightweight album. Fun fact: What is a party line? If you’re too young to know what a party line is, you’ve missed either a great irritation or a treat for people watchers and nosy neighbours everywhere . A shared landline such that you could find a conversation already in progress whenever you lifted the receiver, it could go either way. For a songwriter who focussed on people watching vignettes is a perfect gift.
It's good, but it's not close to their Arthur album.
bit samey, but good kinks
Mrh
Very good I enjoy
Had a few that I didn’t like, but overall it was a fun album. Ray Davies is a great songwriter, and the lyrics were definitely the highlight for me here.
Ok
Inoffensive.
Good
This was a fun album! I'm not sure if it's a classic, but I really enjoyed listening to it today. It put a spring in my step on the way to work! The bonus tracks made the album drag a little, but that's not the KINKS' fault!
Our 2nd of 4 Kinks album on the list, and still not kinky enough for me.
The Kinks are always enjoyable.
Overall: 7/10 Kind of a hit or miss album, but I enjoyed more than I disliked! I like the artpop feel and the vocals quite a bit. It's definitely trying to be as artsy as possible and that's okay. The one thing I don't really like is the overuse of the harpsichord. It got a little irritating after a while. Fav Song: Sunny Afternoon Least Fav Song: House in the Country
Yes! I like this! I was a huge Blur fan as a teenager and totally see how much albums like Parklife and Modern Life Is Rubbish pull from this record. It goes back and forth from aggressively British kitsch to truly timeless rock. Great songwriting. It's just straight up real good.
Ooh I generally like kinks songs so let's see. Fear there could be some lame shit on the albums but I'm excited to learn. No lame shit here!! I love their sound honestly. I don't know if as an album it's doing any more for me than just like having This Is The Kinks on shuffle but that didn't exist in 1966 so that's moot. I'll say that I swapped equalisers a few songs in and realised I'd been screwing it over with the bass boost. There's too much twinkly keys going on to be drowning it out with the bottom end. Party Line, Too Much on My Mind, House in the Country, Little Miss Queen of Darkness are my immediate standouts. Sunny Afternoon too obviously. What a song. Didn't care for Fancy... i think I'm establishing through this project that i don't like psychedelica. The elves and gnomes line on rainy day in June was more of a jumpscare than the thunder effect. Nah fairs i listened twice. Couple of wobbles but I think that's more on the track order than the tracks themselves. Ray Davies has one of my favourite singing voices going. Sorry for being British.
i'm a big kinks fan but although i think this is a good album, i don't think it's a great one. it's nearly there and they would get to that level with their next large handful of albums, but this one has always been a bit below the other "classic" kinks albums. that's not to say that there aren't songs i love on here - particularly 'sunny afternoon' but also i really like 'rainy day in june,' 'dandy,' and 'rosie won't you please come home' - but the album cuts here don't get to the highest level. it's not a bad album! i just know it gets better than this.
I really didn’t like it. It was like The Rolling Stones but somehow worse
obviosuly some great tunes but they only worked to bring it up to a 3
Basic Kinks. They've got better albums. Sunny Afternoon is an all-timer though.
Classic 2 star. 1 great song
Starting to tire of the 60s
What a lovely album. Guess I’m a foppish British gentleman now
Still kicking myself for not snagging this record when it came in used while I was working at a record store. I wasn’t hip to it, I don’t know what I was thinking. Maybe I thought it was one of those post-Muswell Hillbillies records. Who knows. This doesn’t have any of the big radio hits, or any of the songs you’ve heard in a Wes Anderson movie (so far), so enjoy! A hidden gem! The Kinks were just cranking out the great songs at breakneck speed in the 60s, and this is the sound of them hitting their stride. The only reason I wouldn’t rate this a 5 is that there’s no 4.5, and Something Else and Village Green are coming around the bend at some point.
An interesting album with a pop undertone. The age comes through clearly but not in a bad way. Not exactly music that I like to listen to but it was fun listening to.
It’s interesting that critics view this as the first concept album with its observations in English culture, social classes, and the music industry. I find it to be an upbeat album with great musicianship. The songs are short but the lyrics have a sense of satire on certain songs. Favorites include “Dandy” and “Session Man”.
Enjoyed the album, but still have that same criticism. Fade outs before the songs feel finished. Would love to hear the full takes of many of these songs.
Recently I have been listening to the music that changed the trajectory of the charts. In a time when the top spots were reserved for Bobby Vinton and Pat Boone, in 1964 along came The Beatles and changes everything. Along with this brought in the British Invasion. So by the time we get to 1966 (when the music is about to make yet another shift in the 60s) I feel albums like this sound just like another British band trying to get that hit Beatle sound. There are some good tracks, but I feel we need to hear some of that more raw Kinks when they first burst on the scene.
Not a bad album, but it is from a transitional period for the Kinks. They did much better work before and after this one.
Not my favorite Kinks album, but no complaints. They just kept getting better after this.
Fun, but bothing that amazing. Might listen to it again.
ok
I beg of you... enough with the 60s UK rock bands... I feel like I'm being haunted by The Beatles
cute - rainy day in june is very nice
Really nice album. I had assumed some of their hits on the radio to be beatle songs and never explored them before. Cool discovery and looking forward to their other albums
beatles lite
Still not a fan of this lot but I think their better albums are around the corner - we'll see...
Mullakin tuli Beatles tästä mieleen. Aikansa tuote. Ihan kivoja pätkiä ja autoa ajaessa taustamusiikkina meni hyvin, vinyylisoittimen lautaselle tämä tuskin päätyy.
Mielenkiintoinen levy kyseiseltä vuosikymmeneltä. Tykkään.
No tää pitää laittaa aikansa konstekstiin ja ollu sillon kovaa kamaa. Muutama hauska ränttätänttä vieläkin
Aikautensa kuuloista britti poppirokkia. Beatleswiboja. Löytyy tältä bändiltä vähän rouheampaa soundiakin myöhemmiltä vuosilta, josta pidän enemmän.
Ihan menevää rantarokkia mutta ei päätynyt soittolistoille.
Like the Beatles but more calm
Lovely example of the early brit pop rock scene. These lads proved every bit as good as the Beatles, perhaps better as musicians. Brilliant!
Some nice ones, but not enough to enjoy the album in its entirety.
a collection of pop songs that don’t do much for me .. there’s just enough here for me to avoid a 1 but not much more
It’s fine but the other three albums of theirs on the list clear it in every way, why is this here
Wow, totally off my radar, but genuinely very good. They simultaneously remind me both of the Beatles and Rolling Stones, although not as polished as either of them.
Didn't blow me away, wasn't bad either
Serious Beatles vibe that you don't really hear in their later stuff. But you can definitely hear their unique sound developing too, which is pretty cool. Overall not gonna make the rotation though.
This one had me Face to Face with the Little Miss Queen of Darkness while on Holiday in Waikiki on a Rainy Day in June.
Not exactly my cup of tea but feels pretty cool and experimental for the time it came out.
Straight mid
I only learned of party lines a few years ago. I was excited for the Kinks. But ultimately disappointed there was no Lola or Apeman on this album.
I feel like this is just before they really started being a band that I love, but the seeds are there
It's okay. I don't love it, but its not bad.
Pleasant enough, but I think once I'm done with this list of albums I likely won't be listening to british invasion music for the rest of my life.
Parmi la pléthore de groupe pop rock au accent psychédélique, The Kinks se démarque du lot avec des albums bien construits et des tounes plutôt catchy. Seul bémol: c’est mixé comme le cul, tout est au premier plan, ya vraiment aucune profondeur, guys! Comment voulez-vous battre les Beatles avec ça! Vous serez jamais au top chart les mecs!
It feels like a watered down white album, but I love the harpsichord sounds!
Great sound. Not too much stands out
Really nice album. One of the cases I'd prefer a 10 star rating scale to have a better differentiation in contrast to other albums. 8/10
I got a big fat momma
It was good.
Some songs are Beatley, some are Stonesy. Overall, the album is more of a curiosity than something I’d choose to listen to again. I’d give it a 3.5 if I could.
Like any other Kinks album. Sounds fine but there is a ceiling for my level of enjoyment. Low 4.
5/10 - it was just boring and all the sounds sounded the same and a product of the time
I tend to like 60s pop, Kinks are just more boring Beatles, Sunny Afternoon slaps, good album
Don't remember a single thing about this, at least it wasn't grating.
Simpel gezegd heeft dit album best veel liedjes (14) waarvan er misschien 2 à 3 enigszins indruk maken. De rest van de tracks zijn prima te luisteren (ondanks dat het wel wat oud klinkt), maar het is toch wat vergeetbaar allemaal. Tussen de 3 en de 4 in. Ik hou het vandaag op 3 sterren.
I confess to having had to mature a lot before I could hear and appreciate Ray Davies' genius. Take even a song like Too Much On My Mind--voice and guitar quietly open, layers adding, then eventually the quiet outro. I never heard it before and love it. Great muzishean. Compare the Kinks Waikiki to what the Beach Boys of the time would have done. Exclusive.
Just Dandy! Perfect for a Sunny Afternoon!
Classic 60s British Rock. I have this album on vinyl but don't play it often enough.
For reasons that would take longer to explain than you care to hear about, I've criminally underestimated The Kinks. That's sad for me, but the upside is I get rewarded when I hear an album and realize how freaking good they were as songwriters, players — the whole shebang. So, this is great, wish I could have been a little more engaged as I listened, but I'll come back again.
Oh my god I love The Kinks so much. I think Ray Davies is my favorite songwriter. He certainly my favorite lyricist. I love his empathy and his knack for telling stories about little people. And when he cracks jokes, he always punches up and it's all in good fun. This is the beginning of their peak era, though if I could, I'd give it a 4.5 just because the production is a little weak. It works well enough on the more raucous tracks, but not on the more subtle ones. (Imagine if the Kinks had a George Martin helping them out.) Still, this one is packed to the gills with brilliant songwriting and arrangements. And the energy is great. God save The Kinks!
OMG why so many Kinks albums? Yes, I hear differences in Face to Face compared to the other albums, but I don't think it's enough to warrant yet another entry. The Kinks had that art/baroque pop sound locked in. Their lyrics hit harder, especially in "Sunny Afternoon", and I liked what they did. Fact is that I was dreading the album, and it was the typical sound I expected from them.
The fourth Kinks album on this project now (so far), and I am just hoping we are DONE with them at this point. This album really didn't do anything for me and I really don't even have any comments. Oops.
This is another Kinks album that I really liked. Party Line starts it off with what I would term to be a "Beatle-esque" sound and the album gets even better from there. I knew quite a few songs on the deluxe edition: Party Line Dandy Sunny Afternoon I'm Not Like Anybody Else Dead End Street Mr. Pleasant This is the second straight Kinks album I have quite enjoyed and I have come to believe their albums should be considered as important as the albums from other 60's British bands who shall not be named but could shit popcorn out their ass and it would get five stars.
Solid jangle album. Lazy Sunny Afternoon is a GOAT. Decent otherwise. High 2s.
Kinks concept album or vanity project, not there best
A comfortable 4/5 for the album for me. Sunny Afternoon is a 10
As much as I would argue every Kinks album should be on this list, I have to say this one has always been among my least favorites. But it’s loaded in charm and a sense of positivity and whimsy that is missing from virtually every album post-2000.
It's not hard to go the distance when you finally get involved Face to Face.
Listening to this album was such a delight! 🥹 The lyrics were simple, melody and rhythm charming! It felt like I’d been whisked away to a quaint little town — some songs had me hopping from one cozy party to another, while others had me strolling down a cobblestone street on a rainy afternoon! The best song was Sunny Afternoon (but I have to admit that I have heard that song before 🙃 ) Album rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Very dated