Ray discussed this album at length, along with Muswell, on Radio 4's Mastertapes, back in 2012 at Maida Vale studio, with me in attendance! I haven't heard this since my question to him got axed from the broadcast (sadly), but he goes into what Pt 2 could have been, as well as a lot of other wonderful looks into that time. Make sure to check out parts 1 & 2: BBC Radio 4 - Mastertapes, Series 1, Ray Davies (the A-Side)
The Got to Be Free intro is just fantastic. Tasteful, delicate, stonesian in the best Beggars to Exile kind of way. You've got to love Dave's voice and banjo, and how it sets the stage for his preponderant place on the record, as @ARL noted yesterday. Then the song starts proper, and I can see both the pros and cons aspects of it. As a Ray Davies tune, it's nothing exceptional. As an opener, it's fine, because it does just that : opening the door for the album to come. But what I like best about it is how it purposely introduces the new band's sound. Heavier, fuller, riffier, Dave-ier, with those wonderful low boogie John Gosling parts, designed for the stage and the burgeoning seventies. The lyrics tell us about that middle-class guys who may not be "the greatest" alone but when "together", that's a whole different story : the story of rock'n roll bands and rock'n roll bonds. That's what I like about it : this song is about the rock'n roll collective dream, and it sounds exactly like it.
The copy I have, which I think is a 1970 UK Pye original, (one of only 2 Pye original LPs I have, the other being ‘Kinda’) also skips during ‘The Contenders’. I heard from @Man at C&A on this forum that this may have been a fault across the board with one pressing of this LP although I’m not too sure on the details.
The Contenders: I took a look at the ‘ol trusty playlist again to help jog my memory as to whether I initially embraced this song or not. And the answer is I didn’t...but then did after repeated listenings. The intro, though, absolutely loved from the start. Rawness and harmony is always appealing to my ears and so I was smitten while at the same time bewildered by the familiar “hush little baby, don’t you cry.” And then...bam! Nazareth?! This was a completely different Kinks, a Kinks that had embraced their inner blues-rock. Or discovered it somewhere on the outer fringe. In short, I love the song now and the only way I know I didn’t plop it onto my playlist from the get-go is the order in which it is placed.
In hindsight it wasn't anything noteworthy, but I asked about the Archway Tavern on the cover of Muswell Hillbillies, and why it wasn't a pub actually in Muswell Hill. The questions were emailed in beforehand and chosen by the programme to be included, and then they gave us a slightly reformatted question on a piece of card (which I still have) to ask. "I have read the pub on the cover of Muswell Hillbillies was not actually in Muswell Hill. Was there a reason for this, or were there simply no decent pubs in the area?" I believe the response came: "The Archway Tavern was actually slap bang between Muswell Hill and the studio where we recorded the album, so it made perfect sense to shoot the cover there". I also want to add that all other Mastertapes sessions allowed photographs and videos (see the Zombie session I also attended, along with fellow fan Paul Weller who sat next to me). Ray declined this, and turned up in Nike trainers, jogging bottoms, and a fuzzy cardigan.
As for the Contenders, there's two parts I want to dig into. 1) The intro is a perfect start to the album, and the fact it seems like it's spliced differently on the 8-track has me fascinated. I'd love to hear that going into Strangers! It makes Got To be Free very satisfying, though I actually prefer the performance of the intro to the performance of the start of GTBF. 2) The main track kicks the doors in in a smashing way, and texturally, is everything I love about this album. I agree as a song, it's nothing to write home about, but musically it sets up the album perfectly, and for that I'm definitely a fan. The alternate backing track rehearsal is a joy to hear as well, and helps emphasise that which I love about the track. The start of Dave's great guitar tone on this album, which peaks on the raw Rats later on.
I love the semi-bluegrass opening. It sets a great opening tone. The descending arpeggio on the banjo is excellent. I agree with @Fortuleo that it has a sort of Stones feel about it, and I'm going to think that a few times on this album. The "hush little mammy don't you cry" leaves me wondering if he is addressing his mother or his wife, but the next line makes me believe it's his mother. It is almost like Ray and Dave telling their parents that they are leaving the nest to join a rock and roll band. The whole gotta be free somehow insinuates that they see this as being how they achieve that. When that beautifully accented riff comes in, with such an excellent dynamic change up, I'm right on board. This is some high class blues rock, and the way the drums and piano accent the riff is perfect. We get slashing chords, lead licks, harmonica, and Thunderbirds are go. I understand how folks that prefer the mid to late sixties stuff may be perturbed, but I love both sides of the street that the band walk. We get Ray stating that he doesn't want to be all these regular things, and as someone said, then we get Ray stating pretty clearly that he and Dave can do this rock and roll thing if they work together. I find this track very musically engaging. I love the pentatonic sort of vocal lines in the rock section. This song is almost like an autobiographical look into the minds of Ray and Dave when they set out into the world of rock music as young pups. Lyrically concise and direct, musically excellent. A really solid way to open the album.
My brain automatically assumed this was ‘baby’ (as in the original) instead of ‘mammy.’ But you are right!
The Contenders This song is a scene-setter, as @Fortuleo explains. And I've highlighted something above that really stands out for me: this is a new Kinks sound. The songs on this album are very different to the style of song they recorded in the sixties, even as recently as Arthur. On this album they've picked up some American country-roots elements, more guitar-oriented rock befitting the times and they bring on board a full-time keyboardist to fill out the sound. So I feel more comfortable comparing their albums and songs from Lola onwards to each other rather than to their sixties output. Anyway, I love the new Kinks sound and think the Contenders is an exciting way to introduce the album.
I have many releases of this album. But I always come back to the Reprise first issue with the all white and blue cover. The Contenders is the track I compare to all the other cd releases. The piano and the bottom end stands out more to me on the Reprise LP. Aleman is another track that stands out more. But I will wait until we get there.
I don't know if this has been pointed out yet as I haven't yet read all of today's posts but I see the little piece before The Contenders has been labelled as the Introduction. All my current cd's of this album omit this. I do have the original vinyl up in the loft but cannot remember if that also has an Introduction. EDIT: Maybe only Reprise did this?
"The Contenders" unlike the opening of the previous album, starts slowly & folkie then goes straight ahead w/some bluesy licks that sound more accomplished than their last attempts 6 years previously. As Avid ARL has stated, the lyrics contemplate various career opportunities, both good & bad, before settling on being rock stars. A good opener for the album, although not as great as "Victoria".
The Contenders Another great album opener. Album openers don't need to be musically complex, or overly melodic. "Village Green Preservation Society" is pretty repetitive and I don't think would have worked "as is" if they placed it somewhere else on the album. But where it was -- perfect. And it had A LOT of lyrics. "The Contenders" isn't as repetitive, and has less lyrics, but works just as well as an opener. The Introduction is great. As @FJFP mentions: ...I agree, the gentler acoustic intro (including the soft count-in "1, 2, 3...") brings us in so beautifully. It feels like we are bringing into a home acoustic demo of the two brothers, singing about leaving their home to "be free" as rock & roll artists. I just love the sound of Ray and Dave's voices blending (or perhaps not blending?). I can't say that enough. I do think it's interesting how in this intro, they are talking to their mum, and THAT is the life they need to get out of. They gotta get out of that house and be free. We'll get there, but on the closing song, they repeat these lines, but they are talking to someone different, and at that point, the life they are leaving to be free is completely different kind of life. But the unifying thread is they felt like they were controlled, and they want to break those chains. I'll disagree with a few others who have said this is the introduction of the country-folk tinged sound. I think we have seen with "Act Nice and Gentle", and especially with a few of Dave's tracks in 1968/69 ("Lincoln County", "Hold My Hand", "Are You Ready"), Ray and especially Dave have had this interest in the country-ish tinge. They've added that banjo sound here, and used it to great effect. I do wonder if Dave talked Ray into embracing the country-folk rock sound more as they got into 1970. As for the song proper, this is definitely a heavier, fuller rock/blues sound. But it isn't the first time Ray has used the harmonica! We saw that on the first album or two, the occasional harmonica and their attempt at the blues via covers. I think now they have the musical chops and songwriting experience to do a great job with it. John Gosling's blues piano is fantastic, and I think what makes it Stones-ish is how again I think it reminds me of the stuff former (unofficial) Kink Nicky Hopkins was doing with the Stones in the early 70s. It really fills the atmosphere of the sound. Dave's riff is cutting and sharp. This heavier guitar sound Dave brings elsewhere in the song is great. Mick's accents in the riff, and buildup to the groove is fantastic. It's not Shangri-La, but an album opener doesn't need to be. To me, it perfectly foreshadows what will come in the rest of this great album. Riffs, vocal blends, acoustic/banjo, piano, and power chords too.
I'm not sure why it's the case, but someone did mention the "introduction". I've never a seen a copy that had anything but "The Contenders" as the opener. It is possible it was a Reprise thing. We'll need someone with more expertise than I to fill us in on that one.
I pointed this out yesterday: Although I am not sure of the history/decision making process about that. I have also occasionally seen it online as "Introduction/The Contenders" EDIT: If you Google the album, it will show as "Introduction/The Contenders". Again, not sure where the source of this is. Wikipedia notes: Some CD editions separate the first 40 seconds of "The Contenders" as its own track titled "Introduction"
That's a strange answer to your question and good job I wasn't in attendance because it's not correct. No way is the Archway Tavern half way between Willesden (where the album was recorded) and Muswell Hill. I heard a different reason as to why the pub adorns the cover but maybe we should leave it until we discuss that record. My back garden backed on to the Maida Vale studios back in the early 1970's. Couldn't afford to live there now.
Kinks – Lola Versus Powerman And The Moneygoround - Part One (1970, Vinyl) Discogs concurs. Yes! That's why I NEVER buy a vinyl copy of an important record without checking the SHF opinions. I read the warning in time and picked up a later UK 1983 Pye pressing which was described as the best way to go. And it's pretty great! Another thing I forgot to mention this morning : after the intro and then the big opening guitar riffs, when the band kicks in with piano and all, it seems they're a bit too fast – which gives the song a sense of urgency and enthusiasm I really enjoy. It's a song with no less than three intros: the slow Got to Be Free prologue, the big opening riff, and then the slightly fast boogie piano/harmonica part, before Ray finally starts to sing.
All good, mate! (to borrow a term from @mark winstanley). I do wonder why they did that though, and some differ than others.
Yes. Every time Ronnie Lane has gotten a mention (search on thread) and I’m sure we’ll have said there’s a country-ish tinge. And Lane’s received several mentions to date.
One thing I remember back when I first played the record was that intro was very quiet so I cranked up the volume a bit and then BAM! Before I could jump out of the chair and wrestle with the volume knob, I heard my mother shouting "Turn that down".
Kinks Part One One, two, three.....One of the first two proper Kinks albums I bought and one of the first two proper albums I bought by any artist. Purchased with Arthur back in 1972. That was a good day. Cannot believe it was almost 50 years ago. I was living in Sutherland Ave, Maida Vale, back then but used Warwick Ave underground station to take me into Oxford Circus - a stones throw from that massive HMV on the corner of Bond Street where I spent a lot of my spare time and a fair amount of cash over the years. I still have the vinyl but the cassette tape I bought a few years later has long since bitten the dust. I also have the 1998 Castle, the 2014 Sanctuary and the 2020 double cd. I had previously heard only two of the tracks before purchase - Lola, our household owned that single, and Apeman which I had heard on radio. I saw an interview many years ago with Greenville Collins who spoke very highly of Ray's writing abilities but wasn't too impressed with this albums subject matter. No surprise there. It seems to have taken a few years for Ray to get all this disenchantment about the industry out of his system - he returned to it a couple of years later on the Showbiz album (and the much later Working At The Factory) - and whatever the rights and wrongs of artists signing up to unfair contracts, if one thing is guaranteed to cheese off fans it's the constant whingeing about how hard done by the artist is. I rarely buy any Van Morrison anymore for this reason. However, Ray is not in the same league as VM when it comes to the 'Big Time Operators' and this is one of my favourite Kinks albums. Face To Face, Something Else, Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur and now this. What a terrific run of albums. The next one isn't so bad either! Golden Hour doesn't do them justice. It was more of a Golden Era.
