THE cover of the new album from The Who, which is called Face Dances on the Polydor label, is probably priceless, writes Chris Kirkham.

The four band members have commissioned a host of leading contemporary artists to paint portraits of them in styles ranging from the straight through the abstract to the bizarre.

Even David Hockney agreed to participate.

On the back of the sleeve, tubes of cosmetics are neatly arranged, each bearing a track title. All in all, an expensive, original and thoroughly aesthetic cover.

What else? Oh yes, there's an album contained inside the sleeve and a couple of listens makes one aware that all the hype surrounding the cover is merely an elaborate ploy to prevent one ever getting found to actually playing the record.

For the truth is, it's pretty dire. Once upon a time The Who meant something to British rock — but not any more.

Oh yes, some of the songs are OK. The current single, You Better You Bet is quite decent. Don't Let Go The Coat is a nice singalong ditty which Brotherhood Of Man would be proud to perform, and Daily Records is a gentle acoustic middle-of-the-roader.

But The Who didn't exactly make their name by churning out this kind of simplistic claptrap. Production, performance, cover all get ten out of ten. Content — three out of ten. Should do better.