Eerste album met voormalig Small Faces-drummer Kenney Jones als opvolger voor de in 1978 overleden Keith Moon. "Without 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. This 1997 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". Zijn bijdrage is trouwens allesbehalve 'quiet': het is bijna metal.
