BTW, though the Kinks have so many great songs, and even great albums full of great songs, one of my favorite songs from the "early" period is Till the End of the Day." "Baby, I feel good . . . "
When I met my now husband, Black Adder was one of the things we bonded over. We still quote from it even now. (and how awesome was Flashheart?? Love Rik. My husband and I were enthusiasts of the Young Ones as well).
What's not to love?? If there's someone on here who doesn't think it's a stone cold Klassic, then I'd be SHOCKED.
Bernadette: Probably no surprise that I dig this one, although I will be the first to agree it has no business trying to close the album. Great riffing from Dave, great hollering from Dave, and great pinch hitting from Ray on the one set of lyrics he sings. I think it needs the missing set of lyrics, I find them humorous, so I am down with the b-side version. I'd give it an A if it was not the closing song on the album (it should have been switched with Cliches of the World, there you go, problem solved), but since it is the album closer, fine its a solid B+.
No mam, after you signed on the dotted line at the chapel we take no retrospective action! P.s. Not sure if you are questioning any of your husband's tastes or my intentions, please remember I only attended Hellfire twice!
It's everywhere at this point. One of my doctors asked me today if I had Covid. I replied "Isn't that YOUR job?"
Yes. Essential Everlys. Borderline psychedelic at times as well. I absolutely love their late 60[s stuff
Once A Thief. stereo mix, recorded circa Fall 1982/Spring 1983 at Konk Studios, Hornsey, London So you've decided to set me free I've paid my debt to society Fresh out of jail trying to make a new start On the street with a bitter heart But my past keeps on haunting me There ain't no chance for a man with my history Once a thief Always a suspect Once a liar Never be believed Will they ever forget that I was once a thief? I was out in the cold I was soaked to the skin I needed a home And your heart took me in Then I heard all the lies and I lost my belief You threw away my hope and you called me a thief So you've decided to set me free I'm out of jail but you've still got the key There was a time when I thought you respected me But somehow you always suspected me Once a thief Always a suspect Once a liar Never be believed Will they ever forget that I was once a thief? Instead of offering me charity, You should've tried to put some faith in me Instead of making me a better man, You kept reminding me of what I am Instead of offering me charity, You should've tried to put some faith in me How many years must a criminal pay? Until he's old and his hair turns to gray You smile at me But I know underneath You're thinking Once a thief always a suspect. Once a thief Always a suspect Once a liar Never be believed Will they ever forget that I was once a thief? Written by: Ray Davies Published by: Davray Music Ltd.? I like this one. Dealing with the idea of can somebody really change, to some degree... and of course people can, but it takes a lot of effort and patience until those aware of your past, can accept that you have come to a different place in your mind, heart, life ... We're an understandably suspicious lot, us humans.... and the reason is, we all know our own dark back cabinets, and have little trust of those, never mind somebody else's.... Anyway this seems like it's a guy who has gotten out of prison and is in a relationship, but his crime is constantly held against him. There is no acceptance of repentance (changing of one's mind/heart... literally - to turn away from) .... but then.... It actually looks like it is someone who was in some kind of bad relationship in the way it is written. The jail seems to be a reference to the relationship, and escaping it ... To some degree I think the lyric comes across as slightly confused... because I end up not sure if this person was a thief, or not... and what exactly the context of this theft is. So it ends up being a hybrid of a prisoner set free from Jail, but nobody is willing to trust him, and a man set free from a relationship, and for some reason, infidelity?, she doesn't trust him. It's an unusual one... but I'm sure you guys will have your ideas on that. I reckon Ray could have tightened that up if he wanted to, but obviously he just dropped it by the wayside and moved along. We have a nice moderate tempo rock song, with descending chordal beds via backing vocals. We have some almost CCR type guitar, and the piano has a good presence too. I reckon this has a good feel to it, and it bounces along really well. We get some nice change ups, and we also get some nice Dave? lead.... I would have had no problem with this being on the album. Solid track, with some slightly ambiguous lyrics
"Once A Thief" is a pleasant enough listen. Reading the lyrics as it played this morning, I got the impression that Ray had not put his editor's cap on yet and tightened up some of the lines to make it seem a little less vague. So it falls into the category of outtake for me. The other bonus tracks were actually on the cassette version of this record (I learned that as a result of this thread - if I'd known it at the time, I definitely would have tracked down a copy), so they were "finished" per se. This one gives me the impression that is was not quite finished. But that really is the result of reading the lyrics - listening to it, it sounds good to me.
Excellent video from what appears to be The Wire m’s first season ? The song's ok, yeah. Apart from Bernadette, it's probably the most Dave-heavy tune of the whole sessions. He's on guitar, on backing vocals… yet, paradox! it's probably the least distinctively Kinks of all those tracks, sounding more like some Fogerty-meets-Bruce-meets-eighties FM (the organ riff, what appears to be girls singing at some point ?). I agree that it has "outtake" written all over it, but that's what I like about it. I like my outtakes to be outtakes, floating around, I like them not to really belong anywhere. I mean, Long Distance is of course a hundred times better but it creates the usual "why isn't it on the album" problem. Once a Thief is much more docile, it's fine where it is, perfectly content with its outtake status.
Once A Thief Never heard this before. This track has the enviable position of being heard first on a crowded train heading into Barcelona. My first impression: it sounds like the opening track of Preservation Act III: Flash's Revenge. Feels a bit like "Money Talks" - one of those tracks that's just a bit too "trad rock" for me - something The Kinks were rarely guilty of. Maybe more thoughts later.
I think this might be the first Kinks song (not counting Dave solo stuff) that we've covered on this long crazy adventure that I couldn't remember even one iota of the tune of, despite having owned a copy on CD for 22 years. Have to say that on revisiting it, I don't see this as a massive oversight on the part of my powers of recall: that is some generic 80s rockin'. If you asked a bar bar to jam out a royalty free library music tune to soundtrack a montage scene in a 1984 B movie of some newly released convicts hitting the gym to get back into shape, they would probably arrive at something that sounds like this. Lyric is more interesting though. Agree with Mark that this has to be a relationship metaphor on some level (though you can still take it at face value): but taken as being about the uphill climb to earn trust again after infidelity, it ties in thematically with Ray's later (and superior) solo song 'Creatures Of Little Faith'. Am I right in thinking that this was released briefly in 1983 on an early tracklisting for SOC on some sort of pre release promo version? Again, calling @Michael Streett to sort me out here.
Once a Thief Not to be confused with the film starring the lovely Alain Delon. The first time I popped the State of Confusion remaster I went straight to the bonus tracks. ‘Once a Thief’ comes on all swagger; I thought I inadvertently hit the radio button as Judas Priest’s ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’’ was playing. We quickly change course though, and are komfortably in Kinksland. It’s a darn good track to be left in the can, and with some finishing touches, could have been great. Dave really shines here, by sheer will. If you watch the markets on CNBC, you’ll hear them mention ‘disruptors’. CNBC may have coined it, or at least appropriated it in a clever way. They use it to describe CEO’s and companies like Elon Musk or Impossible Foods. Anyway, Dave Davies is a disruptor, a music disruptor. Ray can only hope to contain him, and once Dave lays it down, he ain’t doing it again. He’s a force of nature, and on this one, he leaves his mark. We also get a taste of the feedback we’ll hear more of on the following lp. Pretty good for an outtake.
"Once a Thief": I have to agree w/Avid Ajsmith on this one, a competent, but somehow forgettable rock song w/interesting lyrics. Maybe a take or two away from release. When it comes to the bonus tracks on this album, in baseball terms, it's 1 for 3 for me, a .250 average, which is OK in baseball and Kinks bonus tracks.
Once a Thief This is totally new to me and a pleasant surprise. The song has that chugga lugga bass riff which I think makes it sound more generic than it is. But Ray's vocals and the playing are more spirited than a basic outtake. Dave in particular sounds fully invested in this one - no doubt relishing his opportunity to rock out. The lyrics are pretty good too, so I'm giving this high marks.
Good performance of an OK song. Agree with Avid @Fortuleo that it sounds as the prototype outtake (though contrary to him I don't like this, I prefer my outtakes to be lost gems that I hurry to graft onto the closest album with my trembling hands bloody with some of the record's vital organs while I'm letting out unvoluntary squeaks of pleasure). I wonder if the same Avid had the same reminiscence as I had listening to the first seconds of the track - in relation to a song released 2 years later, by a very unhip French band?
Once A Thief: one for one for me as I thoroughly enjoyed this one with headphones on, coffee at hand, and cat in my lap. I don’t think it sounds demo-y at all as it’s well executed and polished. The backing vocals, both by Dave and the female group is terrific. There’s the briefest of all bridges that is very nice and then, at the very end, Dave plays a familiar sounding riff for a couple of moments (typically, no, I can’t place it). Verdict: a good one.
Once a Thief: I am purposefully not looking at what my fellow Avids have said thus far, I don't want my own thoughts to be influenced. Sounds like Ray was not loyal to this fine lady who took him in? Its got that katchy kinks khorus we all expect from Ray (sorry, no-one has gone "k" crazy in a while, I thought I 'd throw a few in to keep us all in a Kinks frame of mind), but is a bit of a klunky one (ok, i'll stop now) even as it manages to make me sing along. The lyrics are not up to Ray's typical standard in my opinion, after a good 20+ airings (a few including reading the lyrics along with it) I find it still a bit inscrutable, is he a true thief or a thief of hearts? Unclear. ...but no fear, Dave steps up with some slashing solo work right before the two minute mark and again during the outdo (...and I love the feedback ending) and the band rocks merrily along. I like it even though I have to say its a bit pedestrian. It will make my playlist but I am pretty sure it will drift towards the bottom (and consequently be heard less often). OaT is my least favorite of the three bonus tracks, but I still like it. I am guessing these bonus cuts will trigger a discussion regarding revising the album to remove and replace each fellow Avid's least favorite tracks from the album proper with some of these cutting room floor models. I can see MAYBE replacing the two weakest songs on SoC with the other two bonus tracks not yet addressed, but this one ehhh, I'd wouldn't mess up SoC as it is to put this on there. I guess my least favorite track is Labor of Love and I don't reallysee Once a Thief as much better. History shows when the candidates are neck in neck, the sitting candidate usually wins, so for now SoC remains as is. Edit: I have now read others comments. Sounds like many of us early birds see the song in a similar light.
What a great comment.The thrill of "discovering" a lost song by a favorite artist is bettered only by that song turning out to be excellent. I can't describe the sensation any better than @The late man does above.
