The Kinks - Album by Album (song by song)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mark winstanley, Apr 4, 2021.

  1. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    the mono version, which according to the Kindakinks.net website is a mono reduction of the stereo mix (a folddown?)

     
  2. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Here is a live version apparently from the Fillmore West in 1969. The recording is obviously a bit rough, and bootleggish, but its a strong performance ... it sort of makes me wish they had done this on One For The Road.

     
  3. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Depending on regional usage, many folks say they are having tea, and they are referring to dinner. I believe the usage is used in England and Australia. I know that's what we always said growing up. It amuses my US wife no end.

    Great to see the guys chillin' and having a customary pint
     
  4. FJFP

    FJFP Host for the 'Mixology' Mix Differences Podcast

    I could be wrong, but I thought the version of Kronikles was the fold, but the mono mix is dedicated. I haven't checked right now though.

    As for the song, another great one. I don't rate it quite as high as yesterday's track, but still a fantastic B-Side to have to Drivin'. The chorus is a drop down, but makes for a nice contrast to the dynamic verses, like an opposite to, again, yesterday's song.

    FWIW, my wife always sings "how far is the Travelodge?" and it's all I can hear now sadly.
     
  5. croquetlawns

    croquetlawns Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    Mindless Child is a great track - this proposed album certainly started with a bang!
     
  6. Fortuleo

    Fortuleo Used to be a Forum Resident

    Another one of the Kronikles tracks that most American fans consider chore Kinks but we European (me French) had to seek out for years before being able to hear it. It was one of the most legendary, maybe the most legendary Dave track, along with This Man He Weeps Tonight, and it was finally made available in the late 80’s in the priceless double compilation “The Kinks Are Well Respected Men” featuring all the singles and EP tracks that never appeared on the albums (37 tracks !), leaving Did You See His Name? as the only officially released rarity out of our reach.
    The song itself is another slice of power pop melodrama, with a passionate (almost too passionate!) Dave vocal and some exciting guitar licks all over it. @Zeki mentioned Golden Smog regarding Hold My Hand, he could’ve mentioned them here too, as it seems those 90’s americana/power pop maestros shared a deep Dave Davies obsession (they did cover Strangers, after all). This song is a fascinating showcase of Dave’s typical weird time signatures. Apart for the sublime galloping intro (if our host allows me to borrow the term), the song is all stop-and-gos, fractured and battered, seemingly unable to find a steady groove, thus emphasizing the frustration and suffering of the singer (and the genius of the drummer). I'd argue it also prevents it from really taking off as the monster hit single it could’ve been (that and the cryptic title), in a pre-70's Blue Oyster Cult way. But that's far from a criticism. We love hits but somehow, we cherish our cult hidden nuggets even more.
     
  7. ARL

    ARL Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    "Mindless Child Of Motherhood" might just be Dave's greatest song. A superb intro with a rhythm guitar that could well have influenced Paul Weller, and from then on it rolls and tumbles along with great momentum. Four distinct sections (verse, post-verse, pre-chorus, chorus?) the third of which is reused for the wonderful circular guitar riff used between the verses and in the outro. Excellent vocal from Dave, and is that Rasa with the backing vocal in the chorus?

    Like I said earlier, when I try to remember how "This Man He Weeps Tonight" goes I usually end up with this one in my head, so on that basis I think it's a bit stronger. However, both tracks are from the top end of Dave's songs, and had there been an album I'd like to have seen these two tracks anchoring down the two sides, either as openers or in the middle of the sides.
     
  8. ajsmith

    ajsmith Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow
    Great observation by Mark on the 'galloping Iron Maiden guitar'.. I've always thought that 'Mindless Child' sounds about 10 years ahead of it's time.. I've previously called it new wavey, but maybe that's not quite on point.. maybe more accurate to say that it's taut dynamics really seem like new wave influenced quality mainstream rock of the late 70s or early 80s..

    That title is so weird (cryptic indeed as @Fortuleo mentioned).. I find the jarring word 'Mindless' really hauntingly strange in this context and yet so evocative of Dave's turmoil.. is the ''child of motherhood' the young parent Suzy or the child Tracey herself? Never been clear on that. Does 'Mindless' refer to the daily responsibilities of motherhood robbing Suzy of her agency, or does it mean that Tracey is unknowable (Mindless = Faceless) to Dave? I find it notable how in his intro to the BBC version of this, Brian Matthew, who would usually introduce The Kinks with jolly upbeat flair, gives his enunciation of the title of this number uncharacteristically serious deference. I mean there's just no way to make the phrase 'Mindless Child Of Motherhood' sound carefree and groovy is there?
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2021
  9. LX200GPS

    LX200GPS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Somewhere Else
    Mindless Child Of Motherhood

    In the summer of 1971 I had saved enough from my after-school job to buy my first two singles - Brown Sugar and Another Day. Loved these records. A few days later a friend came around and we played these on my sister's Dansette. He liked them too. In fact he liked them so much he made me an offer. An offer I didn't refuse. You see he had recently returned from a trip to London and had bought about 30 second-hand singles. He offered me 20 of these for my two recently aquired shiny records. This was fate because in amongst this collection were two singles by The Kinks - Drivin' and Plastic Man. Our household already had Lola and, because I liked that so much I played the two Kinks singles, and their B sides, first.

    Mindless Child of Motherhood is a cracking song and a terrific B side for a single. Full of the trademark rage and anger that Dave songs have become renowned for. It holds a special place for me because it is one of the first Kinks records I ever bought and, together with Drivin', Plastic Man and Lola, it was these records that set me on a 50 year journey of Kinks collecting. Nowadays, whenever I hear those songs I am taken back to that long-gone summer and my friend who gave me those singles. I wonder what became of him. I bet he's fat and married.........
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2021
    The Quiet One, The MEZ, bato and 19 others like this.
  10. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I'm not familiar with Golden Smog, but I could hear some early Blur influence this morning.
     
    Fortuleo likes this.
  11. ajsmith

    ajsmith Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow
    A contemporary cover of 'Mindless Child Of Motherhood' credited here to Turquoise, although this is in fact a solo cut by Turquoise drummer Ewan Stephens produced by Dave and apparently with Dave on lead guitar. Turquoise are a very interesting obscure psychepop band notable for being Muswell Hill neighbours of The Kinks, but a few years younger and clearly in artistic awe of their big time big brothers. Turquoise made two very Kinks like singles in 1968 before splitting by '69.

    In 2006 Rev Ola issued an amazing album length collection of their complete works, including several high quality unreleased tracks, among them this post split solo attempt by the drummer. Dave actually describes this session at length in his 1996 biography Kink. Sadly, Stephens had a somewhat tragic life and died young of drugs related reasons at some point in the 70s. I will post some more representative Turquoise in separate posts as their their stuff is really first rate and will definitely appeal to Kinks Konnoisseurs:

     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2021
  12. ajsmith

    ajsmith Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow
    The track by Turquoise most familiar from Psyche comps is 'Tales Of Flossie Fillett', (originally a 1968 B side) a kinda Autumn Almanac meets VGPS mash up. Brilliantly poignant/triumphant chorus.

     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2021
  13. Steve62

    Steve62 Vinyl hunter

    Location:
    Murrumbateman
    I don’t know what I’m enjoying more: this song, which I’ve liked since I first heard it on Kronikles, or the comments. I laughed out loud at the two I’ve quoted but I’ve enjoyed reading every comment. Sadly I don’t think I’ve anything of my own to add. So please keep up the good work everyone. :righton:
     
  14. ajsmith

    ajsmith Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow
    Produced by John Entwhistle and with Keith Moon moonlighting on cymbal overdubs, (!) this (completely different) song called 'Village Green' from 1967 pre dates the UK release of the Kinks track of the same name, though not it's recording, and seriously makes me wonder if Turquoise got to hear a pre release version of the Kinks track from their famous neighbours:

     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2021
  15. ajsmith

    ajsmith Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow
    Turquoise's second A side 'Woodstock' has also long been a mainstay of psyche comps. Predating the Joni Mitchell song, and about the Oxford (UK) shire town and not the famed festival location, it's a truly bizzare melding of bouncy britpop and nascent hard rock.

     
  16. ajsmith

    ajsmith Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow
    .. and finally, this outtake 'Sister Saxophone' again nails that Kinks style music hall meets wistfulness magic to the letter, albeit going a bit more Steve Marriot does the Artful Dodger in the vocals than Ray would ever contemplate:

     
  17. ajsmith

    ajsmith Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow
    Apologies for the Turquoise splurge btw, I just think they're a truly great band that many Kinks fans would enjoy, and as the Kinks little discussed neighbourhood kid brothers in a sense I reckon they deserve their spot in this long and winding thread. I'll shut up now!
     
  18. Scottsol

    Scottsol Forum Resident

    Location:
    Evanston, IL

    The guitar intro reminds me of Mott the Hoople.
     
  19. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    This Man He Weeps Tonight

    Another idiosyncratic and quirky song from Dave but this one really works!
    Killer chorus, emotive delivery, great guitar hooks & lyrics.
    I have always really enjoyed this song, so much so that whenever it finished I would say to myself that next time I would listen more closely to catch the lyric however.............
    Next time (and every time until now) struggle early with Dave's ennounciation and pitch and get swept away by how cool the track is and joyously ride on with it until it's conclusion!
    I guess I wanted to know the lyric but not enough that it might spoil the careening momentum I enjoyed.
    Confused?
    I may well be!
     
  20. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    The first thing I thought of was a clue offered during a game of Password. I still remember this from fifty years ago, sitting around a table and having to figure out “cow’s mother’s son.”

    In this song, of course, there’s the lyric about baring a bastard child so it certainly doesn’t parallel my lighthearted Password example other than being a head scratcher.
     
    palisantrancho, Smiler, ARL and 2 others like this.
  21. malco49

    malco49 Forum Resident

    i do believe the new orleans attack took a lot of wind out of his sails.
     
  22. Steve62

    Steve62 Vinyl hunter

    Location:
    Murrumbateman
    I'd never heard this song before and agree that it's a fine sixties obscurity. Disappointingly it isn't on either Nuggets II or Acid Drops, Spacedust and Flying Saucers (Mojo magazine's brilliantly named box set): that's 181 sixties psych and garage songs in total but no Turquoise :mad:. There's one Kinks song - See My Friends on the Mojo compilation.

    P.S. I've read Dave's recollection of the sessions and am amazed they finished any songs given the quantities of drugs and booze they were putting away!
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2021
  23. Fischman

    Fischman RockMonster, ClassicalMaster, and JazzMeister

    Location:
    New Mexico
    Mindless Child Of Motherhood
    Momentum and heart to spare. Very strong track.
     
  24. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    One of the great Dave songs & a highlight of The Kink Kronikles, "Mindless Child of Motherhood", as Avid Winstanley has pointed out, is yet another example of how his situation w/Sue provided him with an almost limitless, if too narrow, inspiration to write. I think that the phrase "Mindless Child of Motherhood" itself may mean that he thought that Sue believed what her mother told her about him, that he didn't really love her & wouldn't do anything for her.
     
  25. donstemple

    donstemple Member of the Club

    Location:
    Maplewood, NJ
    Mindless Child Of Motherhood

    Along with yesterday's song, this will often enter my "Top 5" Kinks songs at any given time. First heard it as a bonus track when I purchased Arthur on CD back in 2007 I think. It contained a "Castle Edition Only" Mono and Stereo mixes. Not sure what "Castle Edition Only" means. But I was glad I was able to listen to the song TWICE by just playing the whole CD. I think I prefer the mono mix, myself. Anyway, I knew it wasn't on the album proper, but it quickly became one of my favorite songs on the whole CD. The sheer emotion, the driving/galloping intro, the 4 distinct sections build up so incredibly well. You think you are at the chorus, but no, then it goes to the "I was your friend" section, and then it kinda drops back into the chorus proper with perhaps a little less intensity than the pre-chorus.

    As others have noted, Dave's vocals here are just top notch. I can understand a whole album of nothing but Dave vocals may be a bit much, but on "This Man He Weeps Tonight" and "Mindless Child of Motherhood", he has REALLY found his voice (and I think he gets even better on the album AFTER Arthur).

    I love the way he finishes lines: "...to be just where you arhhh." "But you are so very farrhh.", and the way he rises a bit on the last bit of "Motherhood"

    The harmonies are amazing. I am not actually sure if that is Ray or Dave doubled on the "How long must I travel on"... I think it is Ray doing harmony with Dave? The sound of their two voices harmonizing are so unique in Rock.

    Lyrically, the "I know it's not fair to bare a bastard son" line is a bit jarring if you hearing this song for the first time. It is a line that you just don't really expect to hear in rock/pop music.

    I think this line explains who exactly is the mindless child: "I see your mind, just an empty space."

    The young mother is the mindless child, as she is occupied with the child and is missing other aspects of life. The singer seems to be going through heaven and earth to be with her, but she doesn't know. In a way, I think this could be like a sister-song to "Rosemary Rose". It's a similar theme to "hoping that someone will be wanting to know,
    of Rosemary Rose"

    My only question about this song is what is the thing that's good? "You have lost the thing that's good." That's repeated, but the last time Dave adds "...to me" at the end. What is the thing that's good? I assume the love they could have shared? Or the child itself?

    Anyway, this is one of those songs that I can listen on loop/repeat and just got tired of it. The bass part is amazing (still Pete at this point, right?). Mick's drumming. The tone/sound of Dave's guitar chords and little licks. The piano highlights. Yes, all of it.
     

Share This Page

molar-endocrine