Face To Face - Face To Face

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of the self-titled debut album from Face To Face. Hailing from Boston, the band was made up of Laurie Sargent (vocals), Stuart Kimball (guitar, vocals and keyboards), Angelo Petraglia (guitar and keyboards), John Ryder (bass), and Billy Beard (drums). The band appeared in the film Streets of Fire as well. Face To Face spent two weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 139.


Side one opens with "Out of My Hands", the B-side to the first single. This up-tempo rocker about a situation out of one's control has an extended instrumental opening and a strong beat.

Sargent and Kimball share the vocal duties on "All Because of You", which tells of a relationship that is falling apart.

The ballad "Face in Front of Mine" is about trying to forget the person who broke your heart.

"Pictures of You" explores the theme of losing someone you were very close to.

"Over the Edge" is a bouncy dance track about being pushed to the limit.

Side two starts with "Under the Gun", the album's second single. The video for this dance tune about life in the fast lane has a grim and gritty urban setting. This one got some club play back in 1984.

"10-9-8" was the first single from the album; it hit number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 7 on the US Billboard Dance chart. I absolutely loved this song back in my clubbing days of the mid-80's; it has a great energy to it. But then I lost it into the sands of time until a few years ago when I saw the music video online. I instantly bought and downloaded the album. This song is a five-star tune on my iTunes, and I use part of the countdown for a special ring-tone on my cell phone to identify incoming calls from my wife.

The mid-tempo "Don't Talk Like That" is a song about twenty-one year old woman who is attracted to a fifteen year old young man.

As the band reminds us, a search for "Heaven on Earth" can be a challenging one.

"Wreckless Heart" closes the original vinyl release. It starts out like a ballad but then picks up steam as it progresses.

The CD and digital versions of this album feature extended remix versions of both singles, perfect for a dance fanatic like me.