The Kinks - Album by Album (song by song)

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

  1. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    ‘Property’: The writing on this thread has always been stellar but maybe it’s been ratcheted up even more today.

    I put this song on my shortlist as it is extremely well-crafted. The lyrics are brilliant and something that is easily relatable (whether via personal experience, observed from close-up or afar, or just there-but-for-the grace…).

    The music is sophisticated and urbane. And it’s because of the latter that it doesn’t make the playlist. But I recognize it as a very good song.

    One nitpick: I don’t like the song title. That single word doesn’t provide any hint as to the melody of the song.
     
  2. Brian x

    Brian x the beautiful ones are not yet born

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    The most elegant way of saying "two-headed transplant sux."

    As my 6 year old likes to say, great minds think alike.
     
  3. Fortuleo

    Fortuleo Used to be a Forum Resident

    I'd say your avatar looks a lot like a two-headed transplant!! (lest we forget Jagger called them the "four-headed monster" when the other two were present)

    Incidentally, it's made me think that Labour of Love is probably one of the oblique Dave related lyrics on the album… « But cut off one of the heads and you'll soon find out /
    That the other just couldn't survive. »
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2022
  4. Brian x

    Brian x the beautiful ones are not yet born

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Property

    Just ease me unsuspecting into the groove, lull me with lyrics that sure yeah are sad but we've heard the basics before... bags packed... not sure where I'm going... hard not to cry...

    Then there's this stealthy musical transition, and as noted above a subtle shift in RD's voice... no it isn't arena rock ballad or even 80s synth ballad... a voice as close to what I imagine to be *real RD* as we ever hear...

    The first time I played this, all of three days ago, I thought the mechanical synth-talk was kind of embarrassing, silly '80s studio trickery, but actually it's a perfect thematic fit: The "property" that was once infused with sentimental associations has been depersonalized, drained...

    Getting back to the idea that a thing, an object, is only as real and meaningful as the reality and meaning we give it. A little bobble-head from a day at the beach can evoke a whole kaleidoscope of emotions... or nothing at all. What was once a tangible, living testament to love becomes a hunk of plastic on a shelf, gathering dust.

    This is one song I'm kind of glad I didn't hear until now, because I hadn't been through this then, that weird and horrifying transformation of cherished objects into meaningless junk.

    It shoots me right back to a moment when I returned home from work and an ex, just back from overseas, was still at the house (we'd timed it so we wouldn't have to cross paths), weeping as she went through the silverware drawer... remember this fork?... man I cleared out fast, got a hotel room for the night, I couldn't stand to watch her handling these objects that were bleeding resonance... transforming back into meaningless things...

    I get the feeling that one of the reasons RD didn't sing this one live was that it just cuts a little too deep, a little too close to the bone. Switch things up musically and you could have a Joni Mitchell song like The Last Time I Saw Richard (And he bought her a dishwasher and a coffee percolator...).

    Just devastating.
     
  5. donstemple

    donstemple Member of the Club

    Location:
    Maplewood, NJ
    Property

    This is a grower, for sure. I love the mood of it, the pop-synth, but the drumming at the beginning is just a little heavy handed for my tastes. Ray's lyrics are top-notch and real and relatable. I am fortunate to not be in this situation, and I hope I never will be.

    "It's hard to move along, but it's harder just to stay here."
    Simple but very powerful all the same.

    And to piggyback on a key line so many of you have highlighted:

    This really stood out to be me too. This is, in essence, the culmination of:

    "Fathers take pictures of the mothers, and the sisters take pictures of brothers, just to show that they love one another."
    "People take pictures of each other, just to prove that they really existed"

    "...don't show me no more, please."

    That, along with, "Started off with nothing, started off just you and me, now that it's all over you can keep the property" into that last verse. Again, just wow. What do you think we built? We built a love, gathered all these things, these gifts, these souvenirs on display, these pictures. Now the love has gone, and it's just those physical items remaining. Did those items really make a difference? What did they really mean? They are just crap. And really, they always were. Useless souvenirs collecting dust. But yet they still exist. Unlike us and our love. Just brutal.

    Others have said it and I agree, yesterday's song and today's are not a band selling out to be an arena rock formulaic band. This is still an artist who can evoke such emotion, vivid and relatable imagery through lyrics, and the appropriate music to match. The vocal melody of the verses just is repeated over and over... Predictable.
     
  6. Brian x

    Brian x the beautiful ones are not yet born

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    One head wants to write a pop masterpiece/while the other just wants to sleep
     
  7. palisantrancho

    palisantrancho Forum Resident

    "Property"

    Excellent reading this morning, but I am a bit surprised at the warm reception this song is receiving. I'm not really feeling it. This is another song that after a half dozen listens never makes much of an impression. I guess I prefer it to some of the loud and shouty rock songs. It's nice to hear Ray sing in a gentle croon and I don't mind the "Mr. Roboto" vocal effects. The drums are distracting and so basic that they take away from the song. Mick sounds bored out of his skull. Maybe this song doesn't make sense to me until I listen to it another half dozen times? It has grown on me a bit more after a few more listens this morning. It actually sounds like a song that I think Chrissie could have done with The Pretenders.
    I'll take the warble of "Moments"! One of my all time favorite Kinks songs. I am not hearing anything nearly as powerful in this little 80s ditty.
    Yes! I do think it's great! I downloaded it when it was first discussed here. I pretty much stopped buying CDs except for special types of box sets or compilations. I love the sets that Cherry Red Records puts out. I have run out of space to keep collecting CDs and vinyl! I rarely play my CDs after I load them onto my iTunes and my iPod. I have hundreds of them still on display. If I keep collecting them I have nowhere to put them!
     
  8. Michael Streett

    Michael Streett Senior Member

    Location:
    Florence, SC
    Great thoughts and insight on the song of the today. I can't add much more to that other than I'll say the music itself, not changing and seemingly uninspired, is doing just that. I think it evokes the lyrics perfectly creating a melancholic and defeated atmosphere. No key changes, no highs or lows, just moving along with inertia.

    As I mentioned yesterday, nothing high school about this stuff. I wonder if younger folks who bought this album in real time had the same reaction as some of us here in that we were too young to understand much of this album lyrically and that resulted in them not buying the next album Word Of Mouth as we know sales trailed off in a big way. There's other reasons of course, such as Dave pulling out of the crucial fall tour, etc. Anyway, something to think about and discuss at another point maybe.

    This is a good time to get some Dave perspective from his autobiography Kink about this album. Rather than photo and post the actual pages from the autobiography, I'll just paraphrase a few things here.

    He says prior to recording , Ray invited him to his house to go over arrangements and sort out some songs. Dave says he helped arrange these songs specifically: Don't Forget To Dance, Bernadette, Cliches Of The World (Dave particularly likes this track), and Property (he thinks it's about Ray's divorce from Yvonne).
    Dave discussed with their manager at the time, Elliot Abbott, about receiving proper credit as something other than a performer this time as he (Dave) had been burned so many times in the past by Ray. Abbott said he would talk to Arista about it.
    Of course, when the liners were finished there was no mention of Dave's extra contributions as co-writer, co-arranger, co-producer. Dave went ape**** over the phone and Abbott told him he couldn't believe it either as he had dictated the credits to the label directly. But by then it was too late, the wheels for pressing and printing had already been set in motion and there was nothing that could be done. Dave says he later found out that Ray had called the label's offices the night before the deadline and had the credits changed. And Dave's quote here: "What a f****** a***ole. He'd done it again".
     
  9. Smiler

    Smiler Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston TX
    “Property” - This is a fine set of lyrics that I can relate to, and I don’t have much to add to what others have well expressed about them. I have had a hard time getting over the 80s production. Listening today, I am more sympathetic – maybe Ray’s sensitive vocal overrides my resistance to the arrangement - but I do wish they had revisited this for To the Bone. 3/5
     
  10. Paul Mazz

    Paul Mazz Senior Member

    Property

    Another song I never heard before this thread. This one peaked my interest on first listen and has grown on me more over a few listens. Such a sad song. I think the music suits the lyrics. Fortunately I don't have direct experience of this type, but I sure can relate. My only breakups were in my teens and twenties before I got married - so while sad - no property, but I got to witness the marriage of my best friend break up, closeup and in real time. Came as a real shock, right after they just bought their dream house. I also saw two contrasting situations with coworkers. One ended up staying together after spending at least 50K on attorneys, the other was so disgusted that he told his lawyer he didn't want to fight over any of the "property, " and told him just file the paperwork. I think it cost him $1,500.00. He seems the happier of the two.
     
  11. donstemple

    donstemple Member of the Club

    Location:
    Maplewood, NJ
    Property (Live)

    I found this on YouTube. The description says it was recorded live at Liverpool Royal Court, UK (April 7, 1984). Anyone know if that is accurate? Sounds like Dave got some time to solo during this one live.

     
  12. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    While I'm thinking about it.
    Are there any other extra tracks for State Of Confusion, besides

    Once A Thief
    Noise
    Long Distance
    ?

    Cheers
     
  13. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Nope, those are all the extra tracks

    By the way, I saw you had a bit of a kerfuffle w/someone on another thread. It reminded me of this :laugh::



    All the more reason to appreciate this thread.
     
  14. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Lol
    I was waiting for the roo to kick someone.

    Yea that thread was a pain.
    I don't mind people disagreeing with me about something, but deliberately taking me out of context and trying to make something of it, just makes me want to start throwing punches to be honest.
    Che sera sera, I still have a long way to go before I'm fully house trained :)
     
  15. Michael Streett

    Michael Streett Senior Member

    Location:
    Florence, SC
    As @DISKOJOE says, no other “tracks”.

    But we have alternate mixes - boy do we have alternate mixes :).
     
  16. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Cheers mate
     
  17. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Would you like to be our alternate mix-master?
     
  18. Michael Streett

    Michael Streett Senior Member

    Location:
    Florence, SC
    It’s a role I would relish if that wasn’t obvious already :). Official releases only though.
    I’ve already prepared my notes and videos for the rest of this album.
     
  19. Wondergirl

    Wondergirl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    Come Dancing

    I wasn't looking forward to examining this one. It was ubiquitous back in 1983. It was on MTV constantly and I may have had overload on it. However, after a re-listen, I find it absolutely charming. What other songs sounded like this in 83? None, I would venture. Reminiscing about past times. There is definitely a warmth here as I guess Ray was going for. So I don't know if it became a hit because it could appeal to old and young? And as always, Ray puts together some nice vignettes. Ray is a consummate story teller in 3 or 4 minutes.

    The demo that Mark posted sounds like Madness...between the beat and the organ sound.

    I think it's a wonderful song, but it doesn't steal my heart like about 50 other Kinks songs do. It's close but doesn't quite hit the mark. Maybe someday I'll feel differently, especially as they start tearing down places I used to go. OK, they're already doing that. Ooops.

    It's a fantastic tribute of a bygone era. :love:

    ____
    I just found out I have COVID so feeling a little under the weather. Will slowly pick away at this week's offerings. Been feeling pretty tired and brain isn't working as well as I would like.
     
  20. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Take the floor as you wish sir....
    Obviously, I'm just going to roll forward with side two, so just slot them in as you see suits mate
     
  21. Wondergirl

    Wondergirl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    I've pondered and been asked a few times what the ultimate 80s song was for me...and I normally say Come On Eileen. It doesn't mean it's my favorite song from that decade, but I just feel like it is a good representation of what I love about 80s music.
     
  22. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    It's a drag... I didn't feel too sick really, but the brain function wasn't optimal.

    Get well soon mate
     
  23. Wondergirl

    Wondergirl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    this is something I noticed only in the past few weeks...there's a blonde young lady sitting at the table at 15-20 seconds into the video. I wouldn't bet the farm (because they knocked that down to put up a car park, darn it!), but I believe that's one of Ray's daughters.
     
  24. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Sorry to hear. Get better & rest up
     
  25. Wondergirl

    Wondergirl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    thanks @mark winstanley and @DISKOJOE. I'm not feeling poorly, but just not functioning at a high level. Picked up COVID from my daughter's graduation. Apparently it was a parting gift. :realmad:
     

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