Face to Face
LikeAnother Side of Bob Dylanand the Beatles'Rubber Soul,Face to Facemarks the beginning of the Kinks' classic period. From here on, Kinks records would become more than collections of songs, they'd become coherent frames whose material added up to a complete perspective. This record arguably presents the birth of the "concept album." And in the subcategory of records vying for first concept album (pre-Tommy, of course), such asS.F. Sorrowby the Pretty Things,Face to Faceis easily the most rewarding. All of Ray Davies's themes are represented: materialism among the English upper class ("House in the Country," "Most Exclusive Residence for Sale"), depression ("Too Much on My Mind"), and nostalgia ("I'll Remember"). But these themes always lead Davies to penetrating, timeless songs of resignation, and so it is here ("Sunny Afternoon"). This is mandatory listening for any fan of popular music from the '60s.--Gene Booth