I highly doubt the lyrics have anything to do with kinky sex. The ju ju reference is voodoo/magic related.
Mystic Woman New vocals over a 1973 backing. Wonder if the lyrics are 1973 or recent? As has been mentioned I get that feel of Harrison's 'Wah Wah'. My least favourite of the tracks from this album that we've looked at so far. Seems I'm in a minority!
"Mystic Woman" I'm not sure about this one. I think he should have left off the new vocals, but then it would be an instrumental that I wouldn't really care about. It feels like he added more than just new vocals so it sounds just as much like a new song as it does a 70s demo. The groove isn't bad, and I do like the addition of the slide guitar. It gives it an early ZZ Top vibe. I can hear a young Billy Gibbons tearing into this track. Maybe Dave should have just handed this one off? After several listens this morning it has improved. I can get into it, but it's not something I will often return to.
"Mystic Woman" It has a reasonable groove, but I can't really hear a song in there. This one doesn't appeal to me as much as the earlier, more meandering songs have.
Major tip of the cap to Mr Nesmith. I was only a little tiny one when the Monkees came into my orbit. They STUCK. I knew I loved them when I was 4 or 5. Then when I was a pre-pubescent in the mid-70s as their show was in syndication. All us girls would gush about them in line as we waited to get an awful school lunch. And when I was 20 or so and they made a big comeback in the mid-80s (minus Mike) on MTV. They were a part of my upbringing. Made me know what a GOOD song sounded like...with personalities and talent to match. I was more of a Davy/Micky kinda gal, but I knew Mike brought something important to the mix. I was always aware of the Kinks in my periphery as a youngster...but the Monkees were in MY FACE during those times. Listen to the band...indeed.
Sad to read Mike Nesmith has passed away. I like the Monkees, but Mike really came into his own with his National Band albums, and many that came afterwards. An excellent artist, and I didn't realise how good until I bought the First National Band albums, quickly followed by the Second National Band Albums...
Mystic Woman Starts out trancelike and spectral before settling on a rhythm, it has a neat riff and it's cool short slide licks remind me of white southern blues rock. I like the theme, lyrics are ok and vocal a bit better than what we have heard so far. Somehow i am reminded of Hendrix as not only can I hear him fooling with the riff but the echo like opening has me thinking of the opening of one of his takes of Bleeding Heart in that it is trying to paint a sound/mood picture palette (as for example is also John Mayall on Fly Tomorrow) and I could see him embracing a theme of Juju and African spells plus finally he has a track entitled Scorpio Woman! I would have liked to see Dave experiment further with African percussion and drum beats to create a choppy and dense syncopated sound that allows the other instruments to lay out and be a little sparse at times to create space and make the riff even more compelling!
The Journey. stereo mix (3:13), recorded 1973 at Konk Studios, North London Drums – Neil McBain Effects – Simon Davies (10) Electric Guitar, Electric Bass – Phil Palmer Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Dave Davies This is another interesting one … the really interesting thing to me here, is that this quite nice instrumental, sort of reminds me of Rod Stewart around the time of Atlantic Crossing. That in itself is kind of strange to me, and has me wondering if I am just hearing that because of the Faces stylings and Rod Stewart type vocals we’ve heard so far. We open with a nice acoustic guitar, playing a sort folk melody via the chords. The bass joins in giving the guitar a little support, and then we gradually build and build. I like the way the layers come in, and thicken out the sound. It is quite a simple melody, but it is somewhat soothing and has a nice feeling to it. We get a string arrangement come in, and I assume they are parts of the effects that Dave’s son, Simon, added when he put this together. I like this, and it works as a nice breathing space in the album context, and I think it would do that no matter whereabouts you put it really, it’s just the nature of the sound of this.
Oct 1963 - Nov 1966 Apr 1967 - Feb 1970 1965 Never Say Yes 1966 Trouble In Madrid Nov 1970 Lola Vs Powerman And The Moneygoround The Contenders Strangers - live 1970 - Dave live Denmark Street Get Back In Line Lola - TOTP - video - alt version Top Of The Pops - video Moneygoround - mono This Time Tomorrow - 2020 mix A Long Way From Home - live 70's - Ray live Rats Apeman - video - alt stereo - alt mono - ToTP - Calypso - live 94 Powerman - mono - 2020 mix - live 70's Got To Be Free Anytime The Good Life 1971 Golden Hour Of The Kinks Feb 1971 Percy (movie) - trailer Mar 1971 Percy (soundtrack) God's Children Lola The Way Love Used To Be - Ray live Completely Running Round Town Moments - Ray live Animals In The Zoo Just Friends Whip Lady Dreams Helga Willesden Green God's Children Outro The Follower Ray On Wonderworld 1971 You Really Got Me - Mini Monster EP Nov 1971 Muswell Hillbillies 20th Century Man - single - Alt Instr - Ray live Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues - live 73 - John Peel Holiday - live 73 Skin And Bone - live 70's - Ray live Alcohol - live 75 - cartoon Complicated Life Here Come The People In Grey - live 72 Have A Cuppa Tea - alt version - live 72 Holloway Jail Oklahoma USA - Ray Live Uncle Son - Alternate Muswell Hillbilly Lavender Lane Mountain Woman Kentucky Moon Nobody's Fool - Cold Turkey(Kinks?) Queenie Dec 1971 Muswell Hillbilly EP 1972 Muswell Hillbilly single (Jap) Mar 1972 Kink Kronikles Aug 1972 Everybody's In Showbiz Here Comes Yet Another Day - live 74 - live 75 Maximum Consumption Unreal Reality Hot Potatoes Sitting In My Hotel - 76 remix Motorway You Don't Know My Name Supersonic Rocket Ship - fan vid - BBC live - band video - live Look A Little On The Sunny Side Celluloid Heroes - live 82 Top Of The Pops Brainwashed - Alt Mr Wonderful Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues - Alt Holiday Muswell Hillbilly - Alt Alcohol - Alt Banana Boat Song Skin And Bone Baby Face Lola Til The End Of The Day You're Lookin' Fine Get Back In Line Have A Cuppa Tea Sunny Afternoon Complicated Life She's Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina Long Tall Shorty History Sophisticated Lady January 1973 The Great Lost Kinks Album Ray's near death experience/suicide? The Kinks Live AT The BBC 1973 Preservation Live World Radio History Starmaker Tv Play Ray On Wonderworld 2005 Thanksgiving Day Ray live on Conan Obrien Oct 2018 Dave Davies - Decade - interview If You Are Leaving (71) Cradle To The Grace (73) Midnight Sun (73) Mystic Woman (73) The Journey (73)
As Dave's stuff here is drawing less interest, and also as it is the weekend, and today's instrumental is quite short, lets roll the last of Dave's 1973 tracks. Shadows. stereo mix (3:38), recorded 1973 at Konk Studios, North London Written by: Dave Davies Published by: Dave Davies Drums – Neil McBain Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Dave Davies Electric Guitar, Electric Bass – Phil Palmer Strings, Arranged By – John Gosling (2) This is a really interesting instrumental, that has a building intensity, that works really well for it. We get some nice acoustic guitars, that sound like they could could have come from Led Zep III, and then we move into a sort of country/rock feel with more straight playing. I like the melodic structure, and I think that it works together nicely. It is interesting to see that John Gosling arranged the strings, which makes me think that this is pretty much how it was done back in 73. We also get some nice lead from Dave that adds some nice little flavours through our sonic journey. I guess this track could have had vocals, but I think it is quite entertaining as an instrumental anyway.
Just for reference purposes, next week will look like this. Monday Golden Hour Of The Kinks Vol 2 (for reference) Time Song Tuesday One Of The Survivors/Scrapheap City single - I'll take a fleeting look at One Of The Survivors, but the interesting thing here is the Scrapheap City b-side, and it will be the song of the day to some degree. Scrapheap City has Ray on vocals and is a very different version. Thanks to @Michael Streett for the heads up Wednesday Preservation Act 1 and so on.....
Hi Mark, sorry for nitpick reminder, but would you be able to replace the first listing for Wonderworld with a link to my post on the 1971 Hit Scene interview? The Kinks - Album by Album (song by song)
"The Journey" Sounds for all the world like it's going to launch into "You Wear It Well" - the early Rod influence is still very strong here. Builds into a fuller-sounding instrumental, although after one listen I'm not sure how well it would hold my attention. It felt longer than three and a bit minutes on that listen. "Shadows" Some nice acoustic chords on this, but it sounds like an instrumental in search of a song to put on top of it. You can pretty much imagine the kind of thing that Dave would be singing over it. This one actually felt quite short on one listen although it's actually longer than the previous track. Both tracks would probably function well as background music, but are lacking a bit to be standalone attention-grabbing pieces.
Agreed with @ARL about Shadows. You can almost hear the kind of melody Dave could've/would've written on top of this, like he must've done many many times, laying down instrumental structures first, and thinking of a song later in the process. It may be the most Kinks sounding of all those 1973 Dave pieces, it has that agreeable country rock Show-biz flavor. Disagreed with @ARL about The Journey, though. I think it's a superb track. Lots and lots of tiny little changes and subtleties everywhere, unexpected chord variations, superb arrangement and, for once, one straight circular melodic idea that resolves itself and turns on itself with none of Dave's usual cubistic way of assembling different ideas, moods and beats that sometimes don't fit together so well. It's one of the most self-contained pieces I ever heard from him. But more importantly, this is really a guitar fest, with so many parts intertwined. It goes everywhere on the headphones in a most beautiful way. I get the Rod thing once again (and without Dave screaming in our ears this time!), especially during the acoustic intro. But then it turns kind of progish, reminding me of some Elton John/Davey Johnstone early 70's guitar/synths arrangements, with twin guitars and a lot of amp and pedal effects, that almost create an orchestral guitar picture. The big mellotron sound that comes in half-way through (is it a mellotron ?) may also be responsible for that impression, as are the backing voices. The whole thing ends up being quite a majestic layered production, a big kaleidoscopic fireworks sound where the different parts combine and merge together, creating a wonderful aural effect. Glad you decided to finish this Dave exploration this week-end, @mark winstanley, I was about to suggest it ! Really looking forward to be back in the Kinks's fold on Monday.
Oct 1963 - Nov 1966 Apr 1967 - Feb 1970 1965 Never Say Yes 1966 Trouble In Madrid Nov 1970 Lola Vs Powerman And The Moneygoround The Contenders Strangers - live 1970 - Dave live Denmark Street Get Back In Line Lola - TOTP - video - alt version Top Of The Pops - video Moneygoround - mono This Time Tomorrow - 2020 mix A Long Way From Home - live 70's - Ray live Rats Apeman - video - alt stereo - alt mono - ToTP - Calypso - live 94 Powerman - mono - 2020 mix - live 70's Got To Be Free Anytime The Good Life 1971 Golden Hour Of The Kinks Feb 1971 Percy (movie) - trailer Mar 1971 Percy (soundtrack) God's Children Lola The Way Love Used To Be - Ray live Completely Running Round Town Moments - Ray live Animals In The Zoo Just Friends Whip Lady Dreams Helga Willesden Green God's Children Outro The Follower Ray On Wonderworld 1971 You Really Got Me - Mini Monster EP Nov 1971 Muswell Hillbillies 20th Century Man - single - Alt Instr - Ray live Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues - live 73 - John Peel Holiday - live 73 Skin And Bone - live 70's - Ray live Alcohol - live 75 - cartoon Complicated Life Here Come The People In Grey - live 72 Have A Cuppa Tea - alt version - live 72 Holloway Jail Oklahoma USA - Ray Live Uncle Son - Alternate Muswell Hillbilly Lavender Lane Mountain Woman Kentucky Moon Nobody's Fool - Cold Turkey(Kinks?) Queenie Ray interview 1971 Dec 1971 Muswell Hillbilly EP 1972 Muswell Hillbilly single (Jap) Mar 1972 Kink Kronikles Aug 1972 Everybody's In Showbiz Here Comes Yet Another Day - live 74 - live 75 Maximum Consumption Unreal Reality Hot Potatoes Sitting In My Hotel - 76 remix Motorway You Don't Know My Name Supersonic Rocket Ship - fan vid - BBC live - band video - live Look A Little On The Sunny Side Celluloid Heroes - live 82 Top Of The Pops Brainwashed - Alt Mr Wonderful Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues - Alt Holiday Muswell Hillbilly - Alt Alcohol - Alt Banana Boat Song Skin And Bone Baby Face Lola Til The End Of The Day You're Lookin' Fine Get Back In Line Have A Cuppa Tea Sunny Afternoon Complicated Life She's Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina Long Tall Shorty History Sophisticated Lady January 1973 The Great Lost Kinks Album Ray's near death experience/suicide? The Kinks Live AT The BBC 1973 Preservation Live World Radio History Starmaker Tv Play Ray On Wonderworld 2005 Thanksgiving Day Ray live on Conan Obrien Oct 2018 Dave Davies - Decade - interview If You Are Leaving (71) Cradle To The Grace (73) Midnight Sun (73) Mystic Woman (73) The Journey (73) Does that work @ajsmith ?
Ahhh I missed that. Sorry. I wasn't sure why you wanted it deleted lol I didn't realise I'd forgotten to delete it when I moved it.
These Dave instrumental tracks are nice but they're not going to change your life or anything. "The Journey" sounds like one to wave your lighters along to. "Shadows" drives along nicely powered by excellent acoustic guitars.
Three hours to go till "Lola vs. Powerman" on Radio 4, a.k.a. 90 minutes of Ray bellyaching about the music business with some songs thrown in.
The Journey A nice instrumental that doesn't change the world. As our leader says, it's a nice breathing space on the album. Shadows Another instrumental, and has been mentioned already, it moves along nicely. I like both of these instrumentals, and am glad Dave didn't decide to add lyrics and vocals when this was being put together. They work nicely on the album. Nice guitar work on both.
