After the slight step down of Arthur, Lola is fantastic. The songs and the concept works really well for me, and it’s a really consistent listen. I borrowed this from the local library while I was studying in Sweden (they had some great stuff!) and loved it instantly. I think it was the first album I heard after comps.
The fact that there was never a Part 2 is perfectly Ray, isn't it? He has always been a juggler and had a bunch of projects or quasi-projects going at any one time and half (or more) never see the light of day. No Part 2...I would expect nothing less from Ray.
Was there ever any indication as to whether the Kinks (i.e., Ray Davies I suppose) intended there be a Part Two? Not just being playful or humorous with the title?
Per wiki: “Before the release of Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One the band discussed the possibility of it being released as a double album. According to Doug Hinman's book, The Kinks: All Day and All of the Night, a sequel album was planned for release sometime in 1971, but was ultimately scrapped and the band opted to record Muswell Hillbillies instead.”
I have read in several places that Ray did intend a Part 2, but the ending of the Pye Records contract put paid to that. Also I just picked up the Record Collector Kinks special at my local Barnes & Noble tonight, so it's available for at least the Boston area Avids, if not the whole East Coast.
In 2014, Ray told Uncut: “Lola Versus Powerman… was good versus evil, obviously, and in Volume Two, I sketched out how you become your worst nightmare, how the good man goes so far he becomes the evil person he always fought against. But we had to do another tour, we had the RCA deal, and we had other recording projects that we had to work towards, and it got lost, unfortunately." In his book, Hinman says the band may have recorded some backing tracks for Part 2 in early 1971 but they were “certainly” never completed.
I was familiar with "Lola" (classic but now overfamiliar) and "Apeman" (not a favorite) in the 70s from Kinks Kronikles, and then a few years ago heard additional songs when I got Anthology. Frankly, only a couple made much initial impression on me so I didn't listen to that disc much. I listened to the 2020 Lola 2-CD deluxe edition several times in the past week and some of the songs are growing on me. My initial thought was that several of the songs sound much like rock music of the time, and less like their own unique sound. I'll see how I feel about the album after we examine it. Just sharing a pet peeve after seeing the the lyrics in the original cover: As we've gone along, I've bought a deluxe 2-CD version of each album from Face to Face on, and only Arthur includes the lyrics in the booklet. I am disappointed about that.
“Get Back in the Line” is on Kinks Kronikles too! I think “Apeman” is the worst song on Lola Vs. Powerman.
It's one of my favorite tracks! It's actually one of the very first songs I taught myself to play æons ago as a kid out of one of those "learn all these songs with only three chords" books so I'll always have a soft spot or blind eye. How many weeks till it's on the agenda?
And here is a sampling of what other British acts were up to for the Christmas season of 1970, including three ex-Beatles. Quite an eclectic group:
I think it’s a step down from Arthur, but pretty much everything would be. Saying that, I don’t think there’s a dud on there, and some of their best stuff too! Another stupendous album.
That's right, I forgot. It was a song I wanted to like more than I actually did, but I am warming to it.
My Kinks album collection stops at Arthur (shame on me!) so it'll be interesting to plunge into the albums ahead, especially the Lola album. Bring on the track-by-track analysis!
After Tom Robinson's experiences with Ray's label in the 70s, he would probably have a chuckle about that...
The Contenders Due to a technical issue, I'm locked out of my computer. So go ahead guys, I'll have a word about this later. Hush little mammy don't you cry I've got to see what it's like on the world outside Got to get out of this life somehow Got to be free, got to be free now I don't want to be a constructor of highways A sweeper of sidewalks, I've got to do it my way I'm too ill-equipped for a mathematician A shrewd politician, a maker of decisions We're not the greatest when when we're separated But when we're together I think we're going to make it I don't want to be like a fascist dictator A saint or a sinner, I want to be a winner
What a fun, high-energy start to the album! Dave's guitar really shines here, but all of the elements are excellent.
"The Contenders" A great opening to the album. Firstly we have a "preview" of the album closer, introducing the Americana/country feel which we will find elsewhere across the album, and then we launch into a brief energetic rocker. Definitely a heavy rock/blues vibe here, with John Gosling's piano a key element, and Dave ripping out groovy licks. John Dalton and Mick provide the rock solid support. Lyrically, here we have our young, ambitious protagonist scoping out his career options and deciding he doesn't want to be Arthur. Seems very specifically autobiographical with the second verse alluding to the Ray/Dave relationship. It's an excellent track, yet I don't see it as one of the standouts on the album. Unfortunately my copy has a scratch on this track, which causes it to skip with certain styli. I didn't realise there was a skip for quite a while, as all it does is shorten one of Dave's licks, and I thought that was how it was meant to sound. The previous few styli I've had have been able to play through the scratch without a skip, but my current Microline stylus cannot.
The Contenders I don't like any of the first three songs on the album, and I've really tried. They form a solid wall that really hinders me getting into the album. "The Contenders" doesn't use Ray's gift for melody at all, as far as I understand melody. It just splices a familiar sounding country-folk intro with a near-unlistenable rock riff and then the harmonica-heavy blues bar-band lets rip. This just isn't my kind of music. I know for a lot of people the Kinks are a rock band and this album is them getting back on track after too much uncommercial effete pop, but that's the Kinks I really love. Having said that there are some songs I love on this album too, but not for a while.