Without
Keith Moon,
the Who may have lacked the restless firepower that distinguished their earlier albums, but
Face Dances had some of
Pete Townshend's best, most incisive compositions since
Quadrophenia. "Don't Let Go the Coat" was one of his better odes to Meher Baba, "You Better You Bet" was a driving rocker, as was the rueful "Cache Cache," while "How Can You Do It Alone" was a solid ballad. While
Townshend's songs were graceful and introspective,
Roger Daltrey delivered them without any subtlety, rendering their power impotent. [The 1997 compact disc reissue adds five tracks to the original nine-song lineup, including three tracks that didn't make the album's final cut (
Townshend's "I Like Nightmares," "It's in You," and "Somebody Saved Me") and two live tracks, a rough jam of "How Can You Do It Alone" and
John Entwistle's "The Quiet One," from 1979 and 1982, respectively.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Cub Koda