Face to Face

'Face to Face' marks a decisive shift for The Kinks, moving from hard-driving beat music to a nuanced sound drawing on baroque pop and English music hall. Ray Davies’ songwriting became sharply observational and satirical, with character-driven vignettes about social class and contemporary life that have established the album as one of rock’s earliest concept albums. The band’s intricate performances, featuring Nicky Hopkins on keyboards, complement the sophisticated material, which was originally conceived by Davies with sound-effect transitions that were ultimately curtailed by the record label.