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Face Dances

by The Who

Released: March 16, 1981

Rock

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Chart Success.

The Album

Moon was replaced by Kenney Jones, and the album includes a poster of the band members' portraits by 16 British painters, who were commissioned by Peter Blake, best known for co-designing the cover for the Beatles' album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". "Face Dances" is the ninth studio album by English rock band The Who. Some of the songs explore mature themes of aging and relationship challenges, and they showcase the band's evolution in style.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

Released in March 1981 on Warner Bros

Released in March 1981 on Warner Bros.

in the United States and Polydor in the…

in the United States and Polydor in the United Kingdom, it was the band's first album following the death of their original drummer Keith Moon.

The two main singles from Face Dances were…

The two main singles from Face Dances were "You Better You Bet" and "Another Tricky Day", both of which achieved considerable success.

However, over the years, the album has been…

However, over the years, the album has been seen in a more positive light and is appreciated for its mature lyrical themes and the energized performances of the band members.

It is a part of The Who's later…

It is a part of The Who's later work, representing an older generation of rock and roll, but still maintaining much of the energy and rawness that the band is known for.

Watch and listen

Explore the Album

The Who - Face Dances

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Then

Reception

"You Better You Bet" became a top 20 hit in multiple countries and was the last single by the band that reached the top 20 in the U.S. Face Dances was met with mixed reviews, with most of the criticism regarding the transition in the band's sound with the lineup change. The album peaked at #2 on the UK Albums Chart and #4 on the US Billboard 200.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"Face Dances" is the ninth studio album by English rock band The Who. Released in March 1981 on Warner Bros. in the United States and Polydor in the United Kingdom, it was the band's first album following the death of their original drummer Keith Moon. Moon was replaced by Kenney Jones, and the album includes a poster of the band members' portraits by 16 British painters, who were commissioned by Peter Blake, best known for co-designing the cover for the Beatles' album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".

The album peaked at #2 on the UK Albums Chart and #4 on the US Billboard 200. The two main singles from Face Dances were "You Better You Bet" and "Another Tricky Day", both of which achieved considerable success. "You Better You Bet" became a top 20 hit in multiple countries and was the last single by the band that reached the top 20 in the U.S.

Face Dances was met with mixed reviews, with most of the criticism regarding the transition in the band's sound with the lineup change. However, over the years, the album has been seen in a more positive light and is appreciated for its mature lyrical themes and the energized performances of the band members.

Some of the songs explore mature themes of aging and relationship challenges, and they showcase the band's evolution in style. It is a part of The Who's later work, representing an older generation of rock and roll, but still maintaining much of the energy and rawness that the band is known for.