Lost/Forgotten Album #376

[Jon]

Album #18 in the series is the debut from Face Dancer, "This World".

Released in 1979 it did reach #35 on the Billboard chart, but there's quite the possibility that you've never heard a song from them. But then again, maybe you have. Don't recall hearing anything from them on the radio, but maybe I did.

This is one of those albums where you go in with zero expectations but then your ears start sending signals to your brain that there's some really cool stuff here. Then your brain starts listening and you might ask yourself how you ever missed this and why they didn't make much of an impact on the brains of other people.

Man, I really did this. They did release another album, but from what I understand they went the pop route and they were done until many years later when another album and then a live album came out. You can listen to samples from their last album, "Brave New Faces", on Amazon and it's not too bad.

Okay, time for review from allmusic.com:

Originally released to widespread indifference in 1979, Face Dancer's eclectic debut album, This World, effectively fell into a gaping stylistic chasm. Part hard rock, part pomp rock, part glam rock, and part power pop, its songs simply spanned too wide a sonic gamut to connect with any given audience within the band's reach, and seemingly left Face Dancer's label perplexed as to how they should go about promoting such a band as well. Should they have chased the glitter rock audience with handclapping, foot-stomping chants like "Red Shoes" and "Time Bomb," which betray the Kim Fowley connection that helped get them signed to Capitol in the first pace? Should they have angled for the more discerning crowds just discovering the genius of Cheap Trick at the time with infectious power pop confections like "Can't Stand Still," "If I Could Kiss You," and the Big Star-like "Heart at Home"? Should they have targeted the blue-collar rockers at the corner bar with Spartan hard rockers like "The Sphinx" and "Hard to Please"? Or, finally, should they have gone for broke behind the Queen-sized pomp and circumstance achieved by power ballads "Cry Baby" and "When You Said" or the aptly named "Change," which teases with Beatlesque psych whimsy before undergoing a lupine transformation into a heavy rock carnivore? In the end, both band and label could do none of the above (or at least very little of it), and so Face Dancer's commercial doom was sealed almost before the vinyl grooves on this first effort had cooled and shipped out of the factory, heading straight into cutout bins across North America.

The red track is hard since there's so many cool songs!

This World

1. Red Shoes
2. Can't Stand Still
3. Change
4. If I Could Kiss You
5. Sphinx
6. Cry Baby
7. Heart's At Home
8. Hard To Please
9. Time Bomb
10. When You Said

Availability: New or used for around $15.

[Yngve J. Chapleen]

No. Never heard of them and Yes, it's strange that I haven't. This is prime stuff. Great production and arrangements. If I'm to guess the reason why this album went without notice, it would be the singer. While he isn't bad, he can't carry the obvious Queesesque songs, such as When You Said, being the best example of his shortcomings. Other reason would be the cheep looking cover. The music is more complex than this computer generated feeling I'm getting from the cover.

Nevertheless, this is the best "I never heard" album you posted. 10/10 and a sure addition to my want list. Hard to pick a favorite, so I wont. Each song has something interesting in it. Nice post, Jon.

[RJhog (Admin)]

I immediately thought of Cheap Trick when the first track started playing.  Then I read the review and see CT mentioned. I'll say the review is pretty spot on.  Short, power pop inspired songs.  I like it.  Many good tracks here.  

Some a bit rougher in the guitar production than others, like the cherry track, but I like those too.  The lead guitar work is pretty killer.

I notice that the review mentions Big Star when referencing the song Heart's At Home.  Maybe I should check Big Star out. I've never heard any of their work, but I totally dig this song so I must make a mental note immediately.

I might have to name Sphinx or Heart's At Home as the cherry track, if that weren't against Jon's decree, but seriously, I agree with Yngve here, terrific 10/10 post!