The Kinks - Album by Album (song by song)

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

  1. markelis

    markelis Forum Resident

    Location:
    Miami Beach FL
    I love that. They would definitely use the reggafied OftR version of Til the End of the Day as their springboard for a whole knew Kanon of Karribean Kinks Klassics tropikalized!
     
  2. markelis

    markelis Forum Resident

    Location:
    Miami Beach FL
    Oh no, that ran like ten seasons. Very funny, but yes, definitely low brow.

     
  3. markelis

    markelis Forum Resident

    Location:
    Miami Beach FL
    …and further to StefanWq’s point, I now make playlists for my 80 year old pop of old and new rock and country songs. Kinky guy, he has almost mellowed with age.
     
  4. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    The Front Room/See My Friends/Autumn Almanac.

    The Front Room.

    It was back to the drawing board, and I think it was out of frustration
    we wanted to sound as distorted as Chuck Berry's guitar on Memphis
    Tennessee. We played the record so many times on that old radiogram
    and so loud, that some of the speakers were crackling in the radiogram,
    completely distorted. And the valves were rattling in the machine.
    So, in fact, you know, God save the Queen sounded like Chuck Berry.
    Everything sounded really distorted. And Dave and I thought
    "How can we make the green amp sound that distorted?".
    So Dave took one of mums knitting-needles and he stuck it into the
    speakers of the little green amp. The Dave played a chord. Pfft.
    It sounded great, yes! Brilliant. That's the sound.
    Dave rechristened the green amp "the fart box".
    Now as I said the front room was a place where we had celebrations
    usually, singsongs.
    When we very young, when I was 13 years old, our oldest sister came
    back from Canada where she had emigrated after the war and she died
    in tragic circumstances. So at the age of 30 she was burried and we had
    a new experience in the front room: a wake.
    But Dave and I were surprised that these adults, still drinking and singing
    songs. We thought that was odd as they were all dressed in black,
    that it was a sad time.
    It's hard to describe the front room. It had a really magical quality to it,
    really spiritual in a way. I went to a church school, but the closest I felt to
    religion was not when I was singing in the school choir or when I was at
    Sunday school which I always went to. But it was more when I rehearsed
    with Dave in the front room.
    __________________________

    There is so much in this little part of the dialogue.
    We get the emphasis on how this front room was the focal point for pretty much everything that happened in their younger years.
    We have the blocks being laid for the song that would send the lads into the hearts and minds of the music buying population.
    We have the recognition of his older sister who had been an obvious inspiration for many Kinks songs that we know and love.

    It sort of seems like this is the heart of the story of the guys development into the Kinks.

    See My Friends .

    I love this version also. Again we just have Ray and Pete Mathison, and although I have no doubt that this would have worked well with Dave, and possibly even better if Dave had been doing backing vocals too, Mathison proves himself to be a fine ingredient on all these tracks, in my opinion.

    The placement of this song may be coincidental, but it seems like the story of his lost sister ties into this track in quite a poignant way, and my friend across the river leans towards the old meaning of having passed on to the other side, all the more poignant with the "she is gone' section. I don't feel this is accidental or coincidental... Whether the concert, or just the album arrangement, I get the feeling this is a very intentional song placement.

    Then we have the fact that these reminisces of Dave and he as young pups, and the fact that in spite of some of the battles they may have had over the years, the truth is that Dave is probably Ray's best friend, and the talks and songs seem to bear out the fondness Ray actually does have for Dave.

    Musically this may not be too different from the other versions we've heard, but there seems to be a real emotional connect to the song here.
    Ray's vocal delivery, although slightly fragile in a couple of spots, is really beautiful, and the sweetness and tenderness seems like a mark of love and respect for his older sister and his brother.

    Mathison's lead guitar outro is wonderful too.

    Autumn Almanac.

    Again we have this stripped back solo acoustic version, and I can picture Ray writing it this way.

    Also we have another beautiful piece of placement, as this show is almost like looking back at Ray's almanac (a handbook, typically published annually, containing information of general interest or on a sport or pastime.)

    I really like this song, but there seems to be an added poignancy to the solo acoustic versions, and here in this context.



    0:00 Storyteller
    2:57 Introduction
    4:08 Victoria
    6:22 My Name (Dialogue)
    7:25 20th Century Man
    11:14 London Song
    14:52 My Big Sister (Dialogue)
    16:57 That Old Black Magic
    19:14 Tired Of Waiting For You
    20:42 Set Me Free (Instrumental)
    21:29 Dad And The Green Amp (Dialogue)
    25:15 Set Me Free
    26:17 The Front Room (Dialogue)
    28:26 See My Friends
    31:04 Autumn Almanac
    32:49 Hunchback (Dialogue)
    34:41 X-Ray
    38:50 Art School (Dialogue)
    41:16 Art School Babe
    44:38 Back In The Front Room
    47:40 Writing The Song (Dialogue)
    48:49 When Big Bill Speaks / The Man Who Knew A Man (Mick Avory's Audition - Dialogue)
    51:58 It's All Right (Managers - Dialogue)
    53:31 It's All Right (Havana Version - The Kinks Name - Dialogue)
    56:16 It's All Right (Up Tempo, On The Road - Dialogue)
    57:17 Julie Finkle (Dialogue)
    58:02 The Ballad Of Julie Finkle
    1:01:52 The Third Single (Dialogue)
    1:06:55 You Really Got Me
    1:09:48 London Song (Studio Version)
     
  5. stewedandkeefed

    stewedandkeefed Came Ashore In The Dead Of The Night

    "The Front Room" "See My Friends" "Autumn Almanac"
    The Front Room monologue is pretty dramatic. You have the exploration of distortion that would lead to the Kinks sound but you also get this poignant description of the front room - normally associated with celebration- used for the wake following the tragic death of Ray's sister. This gives the monologue an emotional depth that would rival a great Kinks song. As words give way to the guitar and this incredible performance of "See My Friends", the transition from the somber description of the wake into the sense of longing present in the song that follows packs quite a wallop for me. "Autumn Almanac" brings the mood towards something more whimsical but I find its inclusion a little odd after being recorded by the Kinks for the To The Bone project.
     
  6. Fortuleo

    Fortuleo Used to be a Forum Resident

    Autumn Almanac always surprises me, all those little parts, it’s really the most illuminating little pop puzzle I’ve heard, even in this shorter (and less enthusiastic than usual) version. Did Ray really just stop the song like that, or is it an after the fact edit?
    Yes, so much for the oft’ discussed homosexual interpretation of its lyrics, don’t you think? Played after the story of the older sister’s death, the family wake and the spiritual power of playing distorted with Dave, it gives little (front?) room to doubt. To be fair, I bet if Ray had told a story about losing a girlfriend and seeking comfort in the arms of other men, the song would’ve worked too. Context is indeed everything in the Ray Davies world!
     
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2022
  7. Rockford & Roll

    Rockford & Roll Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midway, KY
    Great stuff here. Takes me back to my Dad hollering at me about my car sounding like a "circus wagon" coming around the corner to our street. I was cranking AC/DC in my '73 Camaro. Would have been 16 or 17. Years later after my Dad had retired and mellowed a bit, I used to make him mix CDs ( Buck Owens, Hank Williams, John Prine, Jimmy Buffett, Ricky Skaggs, Dwight Yoakum, NRBQ and The Beatles - never got him into AC/DC). We got in a habit of going out for wings and beer and having some good talks. Such wonderful memories and I thank you for reminding me of those.

    I seem to recall that Rockpile played at Toad's Place. I heard a radio broadcast of a show from I guess around 1980. Maybe a King Biscuit show?
     
  8. donstemple

    donstemple Member of the Club

    Location:
    Maplewood, NJ
    The Front Room (Dialog) / See My Friends / Autumn Almanac

    Such a well-delivered story. Very touching, and the See My Friends starting in the background reinforces that theory about the meaning of the song... about crossing the river.. Ray makes it crystal clear here. A very heartfelt vocal, and a touching acoustic version. And then into Autumn Almanac, I think that is wonderfully sequenced too, and I think I now see that song with a bit of different meaning too. The first verse about the caterpillar... I hear that as Ray's and Dave's growth through this period. The next line about the autumn leaves... I hear that as the changing seasons, and things dying and becoming darker, with the loss of their older sister. Perhaps he could have sung End of the Season here as well (he would have had to skip the "island in Greece" bridge though). But what does Ray do with this grief? He sweeps them in his sack. Yes, it will always be there with him, but the family must go on because life goes on. Friday evenings, when the people get together... in the Davies household that would be in the front room. The front room goes on.
     
  9. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    The Front Room/See My Friends
    Autumn Almanac.

    The front room was so obviously a major formative locale of Ray & Dave's development & orientation both musical and otherwise.
    I always noted Ray said the minimum he could of his sister's demise and his reaction to it.
    It's my understanding that this affected Ray very acutely and deeply which may well have been a big catalyst in turning further alongside a lot of professional counselling/psychological sessions?

    "She has gone and now there's no one left!"

    I think Mark nailed it by stating SMF was very deliberately placed and poignantly sung and played, a highlight here for sure.
    A moving performance from Ray where emotion triumphs over technique and the spiralling guitar cascade outro is a wonderful touch.

    Again we Avids have another AA meeting which for any Kinks fan should always be welcome, Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!
     
  10. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    You had an open license at 16?
    Edit: Hmmm we may need to open a Rockford (or Chevy) file?
     
  11. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    “Front Room”/“See My Friends”/“Autumn Almanac”: The first two shows the love that Ray has for his sister Rene whose early death profoundly affected him and his family traditions. I know that the living room in my house is mainly used for family get togethers and was used for Christmas before my father passed away. As the other Avids have pointed out, “See My Friends” takes a new meaning in this context. The stripped down version shows what a great song it is shorn of its “Indian drone” of the original version. I also enjoyed the version of “Autumn Almanac”, which is particularly apt around here since I and my family have filled up plenty of sacks and barrels of leaves and plants.
     
  12. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    So, Avid Rockford & Roll, did you make any “Rockford turns” in that bitchin’ Camaro of yours? Nice story about your father. Can’t go wrong w/Buck and Hank!

    I think everybody played at Toad’s Place. I think the Kinks played there in 1993 just before or after I saw them in Boston.
     
  13. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    In your case, it would be a Holden file :laugh:

    We are talking about Kentucky. I think it’s a bit more laid back down there.
     
  14. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    I’m surprised that no one has mentioned this song as being appropriate for Avid Markelis’ situation:

     
  15. markelis

    markelis Forum Resident

    Location:
    Miami Beach FL
    See My Friends: I like this version of See My Friends quite a bit. As I mentioned, I’m not a big fan of the droning the original version. That said, this version, with the mainly acoustic guitar upfront works a lot better for me.

    Autumn Almanac: another nice acoustic version to have a really cool song. Again, this will likely make the playlist of life tracks.

    I have three different life playlists being created, whether it’s different versions of the same song that are so different and good. I need to be able to hear them all (but I don’t wanna repeat the same song on the playlist), or just so many different songs, that I like the way they play them live, I’m ending up with three different 2 1/2 hour playlists set up in a way that they might replicate a really good live show that I would like to hear. When I get done, I will post them (although I may not recall where some of the live versions are drawn from. When I imported them into my iTunes library, I renamed them all as though they were from an imaginary album called “One More from the Road”. That was sloppy of me, I like to keep my iTunes library organized and cataloged, but the origins of some of the songs may be lost as I don’t think I will take the time to go back and try to rediscover from where some of the songs originated. Silly me.
     
  16. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    Should read Ray turning further inward but for fans spellchecker selecting "alongside!"
     
  17. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    Well I once had a Holden Barina and then a Holden Nova, neither near as impressive as a Camaro!
     
  18. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    Can't see it sorry?
     
    markelis and mark winstanley like this.
  19. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    “I’m On An Island”
     
  20. ARL

    ARL Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    I was listening to today's segment earlier at work, in headphones, but got disturbed in the middle of it, and didn't get much chance to go back to it. But it's as I've come to expect - another episode of the Davies brothers origin story, and then a couple of beautifully stripped down versions of Klassics.

    "See My Friends" seems to gain an extra dimension from being taken slower, Ray can luxuriate in each line and pull every ounce of emotion out of it. Of course the juxtaposition with the end of the story makes it seem even more poignant.

    "Autumn Almanac" is again taken at a slightly slower pace, so that we can enjoy the ride even more. A somewhat strange place to end the song, but I assume it's that way to segue into the next monologue.

    If you were in any doubt about the greatness of these two songs, then surely hearing them played like this would settle it?
     
  21. Brian x

    Brian x the beautiful ones are not yet born

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Love the story, love the songs. See My Friends feels fresh & vital & deeply personal, what a great way to revisit an old tune. AA is a masterpiece in any context, but the stripped-down solo version bracketed by stories from the old days gives it a kind of sweet melancholy campfire vibe that adds something new. What a brilliant way to revisit old tunes, no wonder it caught on (though I've yet to hear a VHS storyteller come close to this).
     
  22. StefanWq

    StefanWq Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallentuna, Sweden
    The Front Room / See My Friends / Autumn Almanac

    I like the anecdotes that take place in The Front Room and the vivid memories of the brothers making music together in the 50s. It's very sad that they lost their sister at such a young age. I recall that Ray spoke about that at a later solo gig I attended and "See My Friends" resonate even deeper when knowing how that huge family loss influenced the song. The acoustic version truly shimmers.
    It's also great to hear an unplugged rendition of "Autumn Almanac" even though the narrative itself of the Storyteller shows doesn't really go further than "You Really Got Me" and its success.
     
  23. Rockford & Roll

    Rockford & Roll Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midway, KY
    What’s an open license?
     
  24. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Our Australian friend is probably wondering if you got your driver's license when you were 16 to drive without any restrictions.
     
  25. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    After seeing piccys of both cars, you are speaking the truth. They both look like they would be Holden up the traffic! :laugh:
     

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