The Kinks - Album by Album (song by song)

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

  1. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    How long did it take to dig & fix that break? You must have spent all day, if not two, doing all that. Do you still have that farm?
     
  2. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I've been driving, essentially, an oil tanker around the yard at speed all morning in figure eight patterns to fulfill the need of my goofy boss... never driven a big truck before in my life.... good fun :)... glad I didn't roll it lol
     
    All Down The Line, DISKOJOE and Zeki like this.
  3. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    It didn’t take that long to dig. The cold may have added a bit of an incentive. :D I turned the water off first, of course, because it was gushing out (I heard it when I went out to load the firebox of my outdoor wood furnace in the still-dark early hours of the morning. Heatmor, that’s another two or three tales!). Then when it became light I could see where I thought the break was. The farm had a well, of course, so the well supplied the house and then had another water line out to the barn, 80 yards away. Anyway, once the contractor tapped into my inner can-do spirit, I just started digging. Maybe three hours or so? I can’t remember. Then saw that the break was at the “L” where the waterline changed direction. I had to take the part off, head straight down in the hole!, and go into town to buy $5 worth of parts. Headfirst in the hole again, thrown the dirt back on (and I think I put something else on top, too. Can’t recall. Just because the replaced dirt always sinks). I had it fixed in one day.
    No, I don’t have the farm. A treasure.
     
  4. palisantrancho

    palisantrancho Forum Resident

    “Uncle Son”

    Nearly every song on this album is an ear worm that I can’t shake. However, I can still have trouble remembering this song. I always thought this album slowly trailed off for me, but that’s only because I think these last few songs take longer to sink in. I have a feeling after today that even old “Uncle Son” will be in my head for a permanent stay.

    I was prepared to write this song off and say I missed the New Orleans flavor and playful tunes that were more apparent on side A. This morning I have changed my tune, and it’s hitting me as a very beautiful song. I love the lyrics and especially the melody when he sings “Bless you Uncle Son, they won’t forget you when the revolution comes”. The addition of the organ is a sweet touch and yet again gives it a Faces feel that could be great with either a Rod or a Ronnie lead vocal. What was once a tune that got lost in the shuffle, is now a strong contender for my favorite song on side two.
     
  5. CheshireCat

    CheshireCat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cheshire
    Uncle Son

    A step down from the previous track, but for me we have a lovely story of a man who, no matter who was in charge of the country, was just too small a cog to be noticed. Like most of us. Always let down by the politicians we put our vote towards.

    Liberals dream of equal rights,
    Conservatives live in a world gone by,
    Socialists preach of a promised land,
    But old Uncle Son was an ordinary man.


    Promises, promises, all we get are promises... Viva La Revolution! (when it comes)
     
  6. LX200GPS

    LX200GPS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Somewhere Else
    I had to look that up. This is a great forum. Very educational.
     
    mark winstanley and DISKOJOE like this.
  7. Vangro

    Vangro Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I've just had a thought that it's kind of reminiscent of "The Red Flag".
     
  8. donstemple

    donstemple Member of the Club

    Location:
    Maplewood, NJ
    Uncle Son

    I think I'm in the same boat as several of you, where this song has always been sorta lost among the incredible songs before and after it. A bit buried as the penultimate track. There is this lovely gospel sound to that organ combined with the country sound of the guitars. It's a nice surrounding sound. And the brothers singing together is just always a treat. Of all the "country/western" sounding tracks, this does seem the most authentic and could imagine several old cowboys singing this style of song. I never knew about the nod to the "Be It Ever So Humble There’s No Place Like Home" melody as described by @mark winstanley.

    Unionists tell you when to strike -- makes me think of Get Back In Line from Lola
    Generals tell you when to fight
    -- makes me think of Yes Sir, No Sir from Arthur

    And this line summing up that last verse stands out and is just incredibly sad commentary on the state of the world:

    They'll feed you when you're born,
    And use you all your life.

    Musically, since I've known this album, I have always compared this song to Hold on, Dear Brother by the Beach Boys off So Tough (1972). A real heartfelt foray into country/western, a bit plodding, but doing it well and appropriately for the subject matter at hand.
     
  9. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Then we're back in the Who catalog - "meet the new boss, same as the old boss" lol
     
  10. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I'm certainly not saying that's a fact at all... it's just what I hear :righton:
     
    DISKOJOE and donstemple like this.
  11. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I suppose it's Ray's style and content, but there are so many threads of thought through these albums.

    Tomorrow I see more :)
     
  12. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    I’ve taken a cursory peek at Preservation (after thoroughly absorbing our next album on the docket) and think I’ll close my first Kinks playlist at the conclusion of Show Biz. I’m listening now on shuffle and it’s brilliant. What an amazing catalog of music. It’s projected (subject to change) to be an 88 track list (4 hours 39 minutes). That oughta tide me over!
     
  13. croquetlawns

    croquetlawns Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    It's both I guess, but mostly the music. I've never been able to get into much Americana or C&W, but I'm generally not bothered if someone like David Gilmour plays some slide guitar. Someone like Neil Young has never done it for me, although that's partly his voice as well. I'm more a pop and rock guy, with decent servings of jazz and, especially in the last year or so, classical.
     
  14. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Cheers mate.
     
    DISKOJOE and croquetlawns like this.
  15. LX200GPS

    LX200GPS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Somewhere Else
    Thanks for posting this.

    During lockdown I travelled to work (Waterloo) by car. It was uncanny just how many Kinks signposts I passed along the way. Through Palmers Green crossing the North Circular, up Colney Hatch Lane, past the first ever Wetherspoons pub where I used to drink in the 1980's. Continuing up the hill to Muswell Hill Broadway. Then down Fortis Green Road past the two pubs where Ray and Dave hung out. Down to East Finchley onto the Great North Road leading me through Highgate, past the Woodman where Dave used to drink, and then down the Archway Road to the Tavern. I hadn't seen it for a few years and was shocked at how clean and welcoming it now looked. After that it was past Tufnell Park to Kings Cross where the Davies family had relocated from. Then onto Waterloo. That shabby part of London that Ray had written his masterpiece about.

    So lots of Kinks memories to keep me company on the journey. On the way home I would avoid the Archway roundabout and head for Highgate Village. Not many pubs I haven't been in around there. Tell me, is the Cock pub still in Holloway Road? Used to be a strippers pub back then. Also visited the Gresham Ballroom on a few occasions and the Old Crown - the nurses from the Whittington Hospital used to frequent that pub. Not forgetting the Winchester Hall Tavern. That other Irish ballroom (The Forum) across the way in Kentish Town became the Town and Country Club where I saw the Kinks twice. And another couple of times at the Rainbow. Happy days.

    I think the pub you referred to in your post is the Flask.
     
  16. Vangro

    Vangro Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Holloway Road is not great for pubs in my experience. It's gone through a few incarnations but the Cock Tavern appears to be back though.
     
    DISKOJOE and mark winstanley like this.
  17. Vangro

    Vangro Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I'm reminded of another Kinks anecdote. A friend of mine, who is quite a striking, cool, rock and roll looking kind of guy, was walking through Fortis Green when Ray Davies stopped him in the street and said, "Hey, what are you doing here, man?" And my friend, obviously aware that it was Ray Davies, said, "Er, have we met before?" And Ray Davies was like, "No no, I was just wondering what you were doing round here." And they had a bit of a chat, Ray had just popped out to buy some fags - sorry, Harry Rags - and then went on their respective ways. I've been to Fortis Green a couple of times and I suppose it is quite genteel, so I assume Ray was just surprised to see an interesting looking person! North London is definitely Kinks country!
     
  18. Vangro

    Vangro Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Actually I've just realized, very confusingly, that there was the Famous Cock Tavern and the Cock Tavern both on Holloway Road. The Famous Cock has never gone away and the Cock has been called Nambucca for years.
     
  19. Toad of the Short Forest

    Toad of the Short Forest Forum Resident

    Location:
    90220 Compton
    Real behind again...

    Skin and Bone

    One of my favorites on the album. Kinda glammy and country sounding... another example of the Kink's great ability to fuse uncommon genres together smoothly. Probably the most fun track on the album too. The lyrics are funny and creative. The performance is top notch too; listening with headphones really brings out the two guitar parts perfectly, and Dave's backing vocals are sublime. I like the whole "bones dem bones dem skin and bones" part too, reminds me of that Prisoner episode where they sing that song in the courtroom!

    Alcohol

    Another great track. Come to think, side A is nearly perfect, though I think side B drags a bit. Great lyrics, and love the appropriately drunken cabaret feel of the track. Seems almost to anticipate the sort of thing Tom Waits and others would do about 10-15 years later, although somehow less sinister. Ray's vocals always sounded a bit odd on this one, like he was singing with his back turned to the mic or something? The accordion is cool too.

    Complicated Life

    I don't find myself listening to it much, but as I listen to it now I don't mind it. The chorus is nice enough, but these sort of slower songs always kind of bugged me... not that I have anything against slow music, but the loose Americana singalongs never resonated with me. Reminds me of the Band a bit, who (hot take, I know) I don't really care for.

    Here Come the People in Grey

    Another one I don't play too often, but I like it a lot more than Complicated Life. Sounds like the Faces or the Stones (particularly the crunchy guitar playing). Dave's vocals were perfect for these types of songs, even if he was just on backup duty.

    Have a Cuppa Tea


    Another one of my favorites. As I've mentioned in posts for previous albums/songs, I love music hall and the Kinks' interpretation of the genre, so naturally the most music hall-sounding song on the album is one of my favorites. I've heard this album be described as a fusion of music hall and country, but I think this is really the only track that qualifies the former. That would be cool though if there were more like this on there, because it works perfectly.

    A while ago I was listening to a music hall compilation released by Bear Family records called "Following Grandfather's Footsteps - A Night at London Music Halls" and one song on there in particular reminded me of this song... "How Do You Do" by Pat Rafferty. The piano line and descending vocal melody in the chorus in particular. I've never heard of Pat Rafferty before hearing that song, and considering how thorough and obscure some of Bear Family's selections can be, it's likely that Ray hadn't either. Unfortunately the song isn't available online (as far as I know), but I have the .mp3 hosted here for the next month.

    Holloway Jail

    Great song. Usually not a fan of soulful-sounding backup singers on non-soul songs, but it works great here. Nice piano work too.

    Oklahoma U.S.A.

    Probably my least favorite on the album... and hopefully without sounding too harsh, probably one of my least favorite songs of theirs. Maybe in the prog and post-psych dominated climate of 1971 it would have sounded refreshing, but in 2021 I find it indistinguishable and boring. The accordion is the best part.

    Uncle Son

    Another one I don't care for. Kind of like Here Come the People Part 2. The organ is nice though, and I think John Gosling really saves a lot of these weaker tracks. The melody is good too, I think if it were arranged differently I would like it, but as I mentioned earlier this sort of languorous Americana does nothing for me.
     
  20. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I suddenly I feel like we're back on Percy lol
     
  21. LX200GPS

    LX200GPS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Somewhere Else
    A quote from Ray's Storyteller album (and performance) "How's your cock, cock"
     
  22. The late man

    The late man Forum Resident

    Location:
    France
    That's strange, I love that Beach Boys song, and now that you mention it, I can see a connection, but I still don't like Uncle son. One thing is, I don't like instruments playing the melody in unisson with the singer.
     
  23. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Ray was quoting Larry Page on that one.
     
  24. Steve62

    Steve62 Vinyl hunter

    Location:
    Murrumbateman
    Thanks. You’ve articulated something I sensed.

    Definitely. I don’t know whether that’s testimony to Ray’s wisdom or humanity’s stupidity.

    Beautifully said!

    Indeed. This would be at home on a Faces album - sung by Ronnie Lane.

    The people negative or ambivalent about this song have mentioned it’s musical style but no-one has mentioned the lyrics except in general terms. That surprises me, because Ray is effectively dismissing all our main sources of authority - from political parties to unions and the church - as uncaring. It’s not exactly Dear God, but the lyrics must have rubbed some people the wrong way.
     
  25. idleracer

    idleracer Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    :kilroy: The show only lasted for one season and 16 episodes (1970-1971) but there are a couple of episodes that everybody of a certain age remembers, most notably this one. This is actually a very well crafted song that could've been a hit had it been released as a single. I like the fact that it's in two different keys:



    The Cool Cavalier / I Gotta Get Through
     
    mark winstanley and DISKOJOE like this.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine