I have a totally different impression of the song. Since Misfits failed to impress me (most probably because of my non-English-speaking origins), to me the album seemed to kick off with Hay Fever. I don't necessarily expect grand statements in every song I listen to, and the fact that Hay Fever could be seen as belonging to a specific category of "non-serious" or "novelty" songs never really occurred to me (though I may feel different for French songs, I don't know). I only heard a great riff, great playing, great song construction, great vocals. And I even managed to hear the lyrics in a semi-serious way. What the song is saying is, a lot of what we socially are rely on 1) appearances and 2) good health, taken for granted. The slightest of ailments can ruin both our public self and the way we experience life. This can be construed as a very touching song about the frailty of being. Of course I'm half joking, but the reason why I relate to this song is, I remember a Christmas morning when I was feeling sick, either from too much eating (don't judge me, Father @mark winstanley !) or genuine illness or both, and life really felt crappy, and I wrote a thematically very similar song to Hay Fever about stomach ache, and though it was definitely "novelty", I meant every word of it !
Oh, I love that! So if the "hay" is indeed mocking punk's "hey"'s like I think it is and "fever" mocks disco, then it's two hits with one stone, right ? If true, this is brilliant! (also, I said the bridge reminded me of an Al Jardine-led tune and noticed you nailed it with Come Go with Me by the Del-Vikings, which Beach Boy Al coincidentally covered in… 1978!!) OK, I surrender! Hay Fever is an entertaining piece of lightweight comedy pop and I understand how there could be a bit of a let down after a first song that seemed to indicate this would be a substantial record, not an inconsequential one. A bit like the Idiot Dunce following Schooldays two records ago made it plain clear that we were in quirkinky camp territory. Some people go as far as dismissing Schooldays because of that, reducing it to a 50's pastiche, while I hear deep beautiful heartfelt melancholia. The thing is, except for the two big ballads and the Dave song, Misfits is stock full of inconsequential light (and/or stupid) numbers, very much like Everybody’s in Show-biz was, of which the two substantial classic songs were the side closers. It goes without saying that if the 1972 record had started with Sitting in My Hotel, people would've been baffled by Maximum Consumption. I mean, even more baffled than they already were… So I guess the one song to blame here is not Hay Fever but Misfits. There lies the issue with this record. Not a sequencing problem per se but a conceptual one. If you write such a beautiful and deep theme song, then the other tunes aren't expected to be about tax evasion, hair styles, reversed race ramblings, blocked noses or comedic cross dressing. Except if the misfits are the songs themselves, which tends to be my interpretation of the whole thing : the best ones may be out of time, but most these tunes are out of date (rejects from a previous LP), slightly out of touch (in an era defined by disco, punk, new wave and electro), out of bounds and out of line, and therefore logically out of place. As @DISKOJOE said, there's probably no better opener than Misfits in this bunch of songs and probably no better place for it in the sequencing. So be it, then. Frankly, how can one blame such a sublime song for anything anyway? I think you're right, yeah. Message received, Ray. We shall be prepared to go the inconsequential route from now on. Especially with that track 3 coming up…
Hayfever A bit of an ear worm but I can see the Weird Al Yankovic original Komposition Komparison but Ray should have sold this to Huey Lewis who in a few years may have even charted it? However clever it was for Ray to write a whole song about this subject or lampoon punk the efforts don't match the reward which remains slight. Edit: I may have liked it more if some of the more cheesy touches were eliminated and by that I don't mean the general lyrics.
Sunday hay fever (not the song) musings: Hay fever is a huge issue in Japan, the direct result of Forestry Agency post-WWII policy. Forests were cut down in the immediate aftermath of the war to rebuild housing and the Forestry Agency decided on a policy of replanting (from wiki): “Hay fever in Japan (花粉症, kafunshō, "pollen illness")is most commonly caused by pollen from Cryptomeria japonica (known as sugi in Japanese and often translated as "cedar" though it is not a member of the Cedrus genus) and Japanese cypress (known as hinoki), two native Japanese tree species.” —end snip— The idea was that these two trees grew quickly, etc. The problem was, that as Japan recovered from the war and became prosperous, fewer people wanted to work in what’s called the Three K’s (kitsui, kitanai, kiken: hard, dirty, dangerous) jobs. So there’s these plantation forests with trees decades old that are like string beans due to lack of thinning, etc. (For an excellent book, see ‘Dogs and Demons’ by Alex Kerr). Anyway, pollen related. The two tree species are loaded with pollen and, the last I read, have 40% of the country eligible to sing Ray’s little ditty.
That's true. That's why I put them last on the list. The Stones probably came early enough before incurring the wrath of the MU and had more savvy management in ALO to avoid any problems unlike the Kinks
Since we're on Sunday, I'd like to add something to my first experience of Misfits - I don't mean the song, nor the album, but - the English word. I very clearly remember the circumstances in which I learnt about this word, though I could not pinpoint the precise year. In one of my high school English textbooks, there was a lesson that gravitated around The Misfits - the John Huston Movie. I think we covered it during class too, but I didn't watch the movie until years after - and loved it. The textbook said the title was difficult to translate, and that the French translation was finally settled as "Les Désaxés", which litterally means something like "the off-centered", or the "unbalanced", or even the "unhinged". Those who are out of their axis. Nowadays, I would have gone for "les inadaptés" (those that don't fit, that don't adapt), but maybe the word was not that common as a substantive applied to people at the time. I'd like to watch the movie again, all I remember now is a heavy, gloomy, fascinating post-western atmosphere, with Montgomery Clift's "new" face and Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable's incredible last performances. I read Eli Wallach was there too, one more reason for a re-watch. I don't know if Ray had the film in mind when he chose the album title. Could it be seen as a comedy version of it, with a wider scope of characters, 17 years later?
The Kinks, a Rock Band, at Palladium With Two Brand-New Members The Kinks were at their most glorious at the Palladium Friday evening, offering a performance as charged with revitalized energy as it was rich with memories. The set was far from seamless, but technical perfection was very much beside the point: what mattered was the ferocity with which the group attacked the various challenges at hand. Two members of the five-man band, Jim Rodford, bassist, and Gordon Edwards, pianist, are brand new. The three other members, Ray and Dave Davies and the drummer Mick Avory, have a lot to live up to, as veterans of the most durable and quixotic of all rock bands. The Kink's career has been long and spotty, but that's what makes their triumphs so gratifying. This was one of those triumphs. Ray Davies, who sings, writes and wriggles through almost all of the band's material, strode onto the stage dressed very much as he might have in the mid-sixties, looking dapper in a dark suit and bow tie as the band played "You Really Got Me," one of it's oldest hits. It might have been Johnny Carson striding out to the "Tonight Show" theme, so long has Mr. Davies been linked with the song. He didn't dwell on it, though: instead, he made it a springboard to the present, launching into a version of "Life on the Road" from last year's "Sleepwalker" LP. There have been times when the group needed to rely on old, faithful numbers to get through a concert, songs like "Lola" and "Sunny Afternoon" and "Celluloid Heroes," all of which they performed on Friday. This time the old songs were thrilling and the new ones even more so. Most of the evening's high points came from the groups wonderful current album, one of their very best, called "Misfits." What made the new numbers work especially well was the care and vigor with which they were juxtaposed with previous ones. When Mr. Davies sang "Waterloo Sunset," arguably his greatest song, he swiftly followed it with "Misfits," which managed to sound not only like an extension of the previous piece but also a heartbreakingly lovely improvement upon it. The surge of new strength and the sheer hopefulness of the moment were positively magical. The Kinks, particularly Mr. Davies, present themselves as permanent outsiders rather than rock royalty. This generates the kind of intimacy and sympathy that makes Kink's fans a particularly devoted and attentive audience. The crowd was accordingly affectionate in its reception in its reception of two songs by Dave Davies, who figures as a kind of underdog among underdogs, and of Ray's quiet, passionate rendition of "Get Back in the Line," a beautiful song that he seldom performs. One thing Mr. Davies always runs through is "Alcohol," a blowsy music hall number that remains a crowd pleaser even though the group has long since exhausted its campy possibilities. This time, though, he did it relatively quickly, with a streamlined stylishness that distinguished the entire show. The group's apparent pruning of some of the wearier staples of its repertory was just one more sign of new promise. Mr. Davies was fiercely animated in blasting out some of the brand new numbers, making songs like "Hay Fever" and especially "Permanent Waves" sound even better than they do on record. As the evening progressed, he grew ever more electrifying where he should have been exhausted, and after a couple of encores he remained on stage, shaking audience members hands, beaming. He had another show to do that same evening, but he looked as though that couldn't possibly tire him. He looked as though he could go on forever. Janet Maslin The New York Times, June 4, 1978 https://www.kindakinks.net/misc/articles/palladium.html
Though I appreciate, as always, your well thought out post, I do think there are a handful of songs on Misfits that could have followed the song Misfits(Ex. In a Foreign Land, Live Life). No need to overthink this. Hay Fever is a perfect side 2 song. Simple as
Not really, they were filthy that co manager Eric Easton booked them on the Hollywood Palace variety show and eventually realised he didn't have the right US contacts or knowledge and he lost his position the following year.
Re: the sequencing debate. I never considered—nor have a problem—with the sequencing on Misfits, other than a preference for Live Life as the third track rather than Black Messiah. And that’s only because the vinyl edition is so ingrained in me that I’m still having to make the adjustment to the CD reissue version. Why the change? Was it discussed earlier in the thread? I wonder which should be considered the proper canonical version? Well…either way, it all works for me, especially having Misfits as the lead off. I agree with Fortuleo’s take above. As for Hay Fever, as long as its neither the opener or closer, I don’t think it matters where it falls. In general, I accept the sequencing as presented on all Kinks albums. Other than the very earliest releases there is a deliberation behind them. As a listener one gets used to it to the point where it’s hard to imagine a rearrangement without changing the entire tenor of the disc. The only Kinks albums off the top of my head with sequencing that I think could be improved are Kink Kontroversy and Word of Mouth. Both are a bit off balance, IMO, by having too many of the weaker cuts in a row.
At one time that was my favorite song in the world, and Hermits were my favorite band. I was seven years old. I still have a sentimental fondness for those guys.
The Misfits Tour. In 1978 the Kinks set about touring the Misfits album. the tour started at the Roundhouse in London on May 19th. For the tour the band had recruited ex-Argent bass player Jim Rodford and ex-Pretty Things keyboard player Gordon Edwards. Aside from playing the piano on the song Low Budget, from the next album, this would be Edwards only involvement in the Kinks. Rodford however, stayed with the band through til their final album. According to setlist.fm this was the setlist for the Roundhouse show Opening Life on the Road Lola Waterloo Sunset You Really Got Me Permanent Waves Misfits Hay Fever Celluloid Heroes Sunny Afternoon A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy A Well Respected Man / Death of a Clown Dedicated Follower Of Fashion Slum Kids Alcohol All Day And All Of The Night Live Life From the Roundhouse the band went to the US, and played their first gig over there in Connecticut at The Palace Theater. They played 37 shows in the US which wound up with a show at the DR Pepper Music Festival, staged at the Wollman Skating Rink in New York Sleepwalker Life on the Road Mr. Big Man Permanent Waves Hay Fever Lola Misfits Celluloid Heroes Sunny Afternoon Trust Your Heart You Really Got Me Slum Kids Alcohol Rock and Roll Fantasy All Day and All The Night encores Live Life Twist and Shout Juke Box Music From there they went to Belgium, played the Hammersmith in London and then headed to Denmark, which started a European leg of the tour which went through Sweden, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, The Netherlands and France, eighteen shows in all. The French show, at Theatre Mogador, Paris You Really Got Me Sleepwalker Life on the Road Lola Misfits A Well Respected Man Death of a Clown Sunny Afternoon Dedicated Follower of Fashion Hay Fever Celluloid Heroes Trust Your Heart You Really Got Me SlumKids Alcohol Rock and Roll Fantasy All Day And All Of The Night encores Live Life Little Queenie Twist And Shout The tour concluded with four more shows in England.... The January 1979 sets across the UK included material from the yet to be released Low Budget album, which only came out in July - US, September - UK. January 23 1979 the Odeon in Edinburgh, Scotland Opening Sleepwalker Hay Fever Sunny Afternoon Misfits Low Budget Muswell Hillbilly David Watts The Hard Way Celluloid Heroes A Gallon of Gas Trust Your Heart Full Moon Juke Box Music Slum Kids Lola Life on the Road Skin and Bone Till the End of the Day All Day and All of the Night (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman These UK shows continued until mid February, when the band ended up back in the US until early in March, when I presume they headed to the studios to record Low Budget, or mix it, until they flew back to the US to start the Low Budget tour in July.... Here is the setlist for the State University Of New York, Geneseo, March 10 1979 Opening Sleepwalker Life on the Road Where Have All the Good Times Gone Geneseo Way (Improvisation) Hay Fever Lola Celluloid Heroes Low Budget (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman Trust Your Heart You Really Got Me / Batman Slum Kids A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy All Day and All of the Night The Hard Way Ducks on the Wall Victoria Twist and Shout I wish I could find more information about the tour, and how it was received, but that seems to be about it really. Kinks June 25, 1978 Universal Amphitheatre Los Angeles, CA Recorded by Mike "the MIC" Millard with AKG 451E + CK1 » Nakamichi 550, from 2nd generation cassette 00:00:00 You Really Got Me Intro 00:02:25 Life On The Road 00:08:35 Sleepwalker 00:12:48 Mr. Big Man 00:20:20 Waterloo Sunset 00:24:45 Misfits 00:30:28 Permanent Waves 00:34:58 Hay Fever 00:40:39 Lola 00:45:48 Celluloid Heroes 00:51:09 Well Respected Man 00:52:48 Death Of A Clown 00:53:52 Sunny Afternoon 00:58:57 Trust Your Heart 01:03:04 You Really Got Me 01:06:04 Slum Kids 01:12:42 Demon Alcohol 01:19:17 Rock and Roll Fantasy 01:24:20 All Day And All Of The Night 01:28:08 Love Life 01:36:14 Juke Box Music
The KinKs at the Mogador Theater in Paris in 1978.... ENJOY Track Listing You Really Got Me Sleepwalker Life on the Road Lola Misfits A Well Respected Man Death of a Clown Sunny Afternoon Dedicated Follower of Fashion Hay Fever Celluloid Heroes Trust Your Heart You Really Got Me Slum Kids Alcohol A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy All Day and All of the Night Live Life Little Queenie Band Introduction Twist and Shout
It must be a March thing. setlist fm shows that The Kinks last two times was March, 1979 (out of 9 total). Ray Davies (again, per setlist fm) shows that he played it twice, both times in 2010 and both times in March.
Ha ha. This does make the song very clever and more entertaining. Only Ray would decide to get on the fever train with a song about “Hay Fever”! There must be an article somewhere with Ray confessing that this song was mocking disco. I like the song even more now. Great observation! “How can I dance when I can hardly breathe.”
I don't hear this as much as it being aimed at "Disco Fever". I would like to believe that Ray would have loved The Ramones. I know Dave is a fan and has posted compliments to them on his Twitter page. I just found this great photo of two of my favorites together at CBGB's in the late 70s. Joey Ramone and Ray Davies!
Avid Palisantrancho, you'll be happy to know that according to a story in Rock Scene Magazine around early 1978, both bands did meet up in London in December 1977 and saw each other's shows, the Ramones seeing the Kinks' Christmas show & the Kinks seeing the Ramones' New Year's Eve Show that were recorded for It's Alive. Here's a website for all the issues of Rock Scene Magazine (it's all on 1 big PDF that's searchable): RockScenester.com Also, it seems that my friend Jimmy saw the very last US show at Wollman Rink, NYC. He also mentioned Charlie as an opening act for part of the tour.