Happy birthday and happy murder! I wish, but no. An ancient Ensoniq TS-12. Maybe if I have time this weekend, but to be honest I'm not inspired by this song... And @DISKOJOE, weather report from Houston: we had (rare) rain today, which dropped our temps from a daily 100+ to the 90s, so we'll take it!
Dont know if below link will open but it represents @mark winstanley & his fellow Avids influence in having me purchase Kinky vinyl. In this case the Return To Waterloo Soundtrack! RAY DAVIES Return To Waterloo ARISTA LP VG+ SHRINK r | eBay
The link works. A wise choice. In addition to the unique tracks themselves on this album, remember the vinyl gives you a unique mix not on the CD. And it’s cheaper to boot, which may actually be the clinching selling point.
Killing Time Just a quick post, since it’s late, I’m tired, and most anything I could think of to say about this song has already been said, starting with our fearless leader’s great write up. Thematically a song that came to mind, even though they are very different songs, was Townes Van Zandt’s Waiting Around to Die. As for the weather report @DISKOJOE , I’m in Charleston right now, and I thought that temps in the 80’s at night, after it being in the 90’s during the day, wouldn’t be too bad for a walking tour. Little did I know that the “feels like” temp would still be in the 90s at 9PM.
Ha Ha, 18 seconds of pure bliss! I'll take it Thanks to all the birthday wishes Now I'll get back to work!
Ahhh the weather, a very Kinky subject ... Little Rock has been floating between the high nineties, low one hundreds, and high seventies and low eighties at night..... But to some degree that seems moderate in comparison to Perth.... I remember a summer in Perth where it didn't get below 100 over the course of a week or more, and I didn't have air conditioning... There were people going to the beach to sleep and stuff
When You Were A Child. stereo mix, recorded Jun-Jul 1986 at Konk Studios, Hornsey, London We are born to this fantasy Can't believe what they've done to you Hard to see all these years go round Taught to hide all that's true inside What was it like When you were a child? Did you see the world In a different light? When the veil came down Our destiny grew away from us Don't it make you weep Can't you see I believe that we were meant for each other We'll get along somehow If they leave us alone Why don't they let us be ...Just what we want to be Don't it make you weep, can't you see? I can't believe what they've done to you They've got you just where they wanted you When we sleep, dream each other's dreams Casting memories on a sea of hope Remember life as a child could be Bring it back for all of us to see What was it like When you were a child? How did it feel? Did your mother treat you kind? Mend those broken toys? For in your heart there's innocence Waiting to be free, can't you see? When you were a child Written by: Dave Davies Published by: EMI Music Publishing Ltd. Here we have a Dave track, and the title makes me feel like this is going to be a ballad, or a lament, but we punch in with some eighties rock from Captain Dave. Ok, I actually really like this Dave lyric, and I think it piggybacks Ray's Killing Time Really well. Dave opens up with a defining statement about what his song is about... The modifications that life applies to our childhood idealism. We are born into this fantasy.... There is a certain unreality to life. It is this weird thing that nobody, not even the greatest scientists can explain. People have plenty of theories as to how we got here, but nobody has an answer as to why. Philosophers over the ages have pondered ..... killing time .... and they haven't really come up with anything satisfactory... But while some of us have pondered these things, the world has gone on and become something a little insidious, it isn't hard to believe there is some sinister force at play, if and when we really think about it. Can't Believe What They've Done To You ... I'm not really on board with the they, but if I recalibrate the they as being the system that has spread around us, it works for me. Hard To See All These Years Go Round, gives us a picture into Killing Time also... this line is very on point too.... How did I get to nearly 54 years old... somewhere inside there is still this young guy, full of hopes and dreams, full of ideas and ideals, but he's locked into the situation where most of his time is spent at "some factory" of sorts, and my days disappear like an evening sun on the horizon.... The child inside screams for release, yet I have to pacify him with weekend liquor to make him be quiet, because there is no visible door. Taught to Hide All That's True Inside ... we spend our lives, or so it seems in a defensive position. We wear masks ... different masks for different people, even those close to us, because we all harbour some deep hurt, and we don't want to let it out, we don't want to expose it.... we have dreams and hopes and thoughts and goals, but there are few we can share them with, so we lock them down in the safety deposit box of our souls, for fear that those around us will tear us to pieces for those same thoughts and feelings, and the facade plays out every day. What was it like When you were a child? Did you see the world In a different light? When the veil came down Our destiny grew away from us Don't it make you weep Can't you see I can't speak for anyone else, but I certainly saw the world differently as a child. The veil certainly came down, and as much as I fought against it for autonomy, I find myself in the same position my father and his father before was in... A drone in a job perpetuating a scenario that makes little sense to me, but it's hard to see how else the game can play out now. I guess to some degree we all see some destiny ahead as children, but I wonder how frequently that plays out? I wonder if some of us just sabotage ourselves... and again "life's what happens to you while your busy making other plans" I Believe We Were Meant For Each Other ... I agree with this totally, and I don't see this as being about a physical relationship, though it could be ... We were made to help each other through, but at some stage the battle became so intense that we got caught wrestling just to stand up ourselves, and the powers that be constantly throw out reasons to divide us all, and like lemmings we take the bait and fall into the same old routines that have played out for centuries before. I can't believe what they've done to you They've got you just where they wanted you I think that sums it up, but it should be What They've done to Us I really like this Dave lyric. Lets face it, not everyone has a great childhood.... in fact most don't. Whether it is strife in the home, problems with the kids around you in some way, or just the devastating thoughts of our own minds, we all have these demons to battle, which is why most fairy tales are based around this idea... There are often hidden truths in fairy tales too easily discounted because we don't see through the layers properly. But there is something that attacks the hearts of children, all of us, and it tries to steal away our innocence, it tries to isolate and manipulate us in directions that we probably wouldn't go if we were left to be..... Biblically we are told to be as children, and it isn't about being silly and goofy, it is about being open and free of the knowitall disease. It is about realising we aren't quite as intelligent as we'd like to think, and there is plenty to learn if we allow ourselves to... To me here, Dave is touching on that somewhat, and he is looking at the things that we lose that as children were so precious, and important.... But we grow older, and in some form or another a certain necessary cynicism creeps in and we find we develop a crust, a shell... a sort of defensive hardness.... but if the shell is too thick, nothing can get in, and we lose as much, if not more than we gain through this hardening. Anyway... I should probably leave all that alone, but I can only see what I see, because I can only have the perspective I see things from. We open with this pumping rock beat, and a nice sliding guitar motif...... Dave gives us this sort of thoughtful vocal delivery, that stays within the realms most people can accept, without moving into his top end. A nice bit of jangly guitar on top, and when the vocals come in, we have them accented by the guitar which works well. I actually like the vocal "whooo whoo..." section too. Dave manages to get a sort of dreamy vocal sound, and I think it is an appealing aspect to his singing, but not used enough. I really like the melodic construct here, and it, for me at least, is in the realm of Dave's better songs. We get some synths that ring out, adding to the dreamlike feel the music presents. I love the acoustic breakdown, as it gives the songs a sort of earthy human tone that is reminiscent of some of Ray's best moments. I'm not sure it is the best choice for a closer, but it is a song I like a lot, and it fits in thematically and musically with the rest of the album for me. I like this one quite a lot.
Think Visual. I look at this album as being somewhat like Misfits for me, it is an excellent album that is hindered slightly by a couple of songs that don't work for me.... I was probably a little hard on Natural Gift, but I just don't really like it, and I was amusing myself I suppose... It is listenable, but it just doesn't appeal to me. I think I have come to appreciate the title track a little more, but it isn't quite there for me..... The rest of the album, I really like... Factory was interesting because I didn't really expect it to be seen the way many saw it... Personally I reckon it's a great track and a great opener, but the context I look at it with helps that a lot, because it is a view I line up with, from the context I see it at least. Lost and Found follows it up beautifully and I like the feel of it and I think it works well. Repetition may be an old theme for Ray, and probably a pet peeve for him, but I think the song works well, and the music gets it home, even if the theme is too "Predictable". I reckon Welcome To Sleazy Town is an excellent track, great feel and lyrics and right up my alley. We have only just done the opening track on the thread in real time, so some of these thoughts may perhaps be inaccurate, but for example, I get the impression from initial feedback that Video Shop isn't going to be too popular, but I like it. It's lightweight, but I think the end of side one is a good spot for a lightweight song on this album, and it reflects the earlier band's lighthearted moments that loosen things up a bit. Rock and Roll Cities is another that has had plenty of attention, being the lead single, and perhaps it shouldn't have been, but again, I think it is a good lighthearted, somewhat humourous track that doesn't take itself too seriously.... and it is Dave in what seems to be his natural environment. How Are You? Is quite beautiful, and another solid track. Think Visual and Natural Gift don't do that much for me, particularly the latter, but! ... We close out with, for me, two excellent tracks in Killing TIme and When You Were A Child, and When You Were A Child seems to capture the heart and focus that I have so long wanted from Dave. forget about space ships aliens and having sex with extra terrestrials, it is a heartfelt song that reaches me, and I enjoy it. So Think Visual, again, isn't the death of the Kinks, for me at least. It is somewhat more soft .... perhaps non-abrasive is a better way to look at it, while still retaining Kinkiness, thoughtful themes, enjoyable melodies and good music... It probably isn't going to knock out the Arista Years for me personally, but it can happily sit alongside them Obviously rough as guts, but something like this I guess 5 star albums Arthur Muswell Hillbillies Village Green Preservation Society One For The Road Something Else Low Budget Lola vs Powerman Give The People What They Want Face To Face 4.5 star albums Word Of Mouth/Return To Waterloo amalgamated Sleepwalker/State Of Confusion Misfits Kontroversy 4 star albums Preservation Act 2 Preservations Act 1 Word Of Mouth Think Visual Return to Waterloo Everybody's In Showbiz Soap Opera Kinda Kinks Schoolboys In Disgrace 3.5 star albums Percy The Kinks Kelvin Hall I'm no good at this stuff... essentially all it means from my perspective is some kind of rough order of favourites, but mainly, to me at least, not one bad album yet
"When You Were A Child" - listening to this now, it does not sound like the Kinks to me. This is a Dave song that does not have much crunchy guitar riffing in it and, in fact, I find Dave's vocal quite affecting (which I do not usually). The song has a nice driving rhythm, a good sense of melody to it and a decent set of lyrics. And, yes, this is a really good Dave vocal.
'When You Were A Child' sounds like Limahl and a rag tag bunch of 80s tweens riding atop a giant animatronic beast bursting out of the top of a castle into the night sky, while Transformers and He-Man toys dance on an infinite geometric plane below. Can we get The Duffer Brothers on the line? I think I've got Stranger Things Season 5's 'Running Up That Hill' and The Kinks latest 21st century sleeper hit ready to go for you! Comparing this to 'Natural Gift' makes me arrive at the conclusion that Dave does pure 80s a lot better than Ray.
Oct 1963 - Nov 1966 - Apr 1967 - Feb 1970 Nov 1970 - Jun 1976 Feb 1977 - Dec 1983 Starstruck promo video/ Days video/ Sunny Afternoon TOTP Oh Tokyo live in 1982 - lyrics Album flow chart Live In Frankfurt in 1984 Nov 1984 Word Of Mouth Do It Again - video - live 84 - live 87 - SNL - interview Word Of Mouth - SNL - live 84 Good Day - live 84 - 12" Living On A Thin Line - live 84 - Dave 2001 - Sopranos Sold Me Out Massive Reductions Guilty - live 89 Too Hot - single Missing Persons Summer's Gone - Full length Going Solo - original album edit The Dave songs up to this point Kompilations part 4 - 1984 The Arista Years Kompilations Part 5 - 1985 extras - 69, 73, 77 Supersonic Rocketship alt mix Celluloid Heroes mono Moving Pictures alt mix Interview Magazines - 2 - 3 - 4 Jul 1985 Return To Waterloo - documentary - Fan Soundtrack - Movie Intro Return To Waterloo - alternate - info - promo video Ladder Of Success - the late mix Going Solo Missing Persons Sold Me Out - original lp mix Lonely Hearts - album version The Good Times Are Gone/Not Far Away Expectations Return To Waterloo/Voices In The Dark - alt mix The Great Lost Kinks Movie -Village Voice 1985 April 1986 Absolute Beginners/Quiet Life June 1986 Come Dancing With The Kinks Kompilations pt 6 - 1986 Ray promoting Think Visual Musician Magazine Interview record EC Rocker Magazine Ray 86 Interview People Magazine Ray guest VJ Nov 1986 Think Visual Working At The Factory Lost And Found - video - live 87 Repetition Welcome to Sleazy Town - live 89 - Ray Interview with Sue Video Shop Rock And Roll Cities - Video - MTV How Are You? - video - tv 86 - video Think Visual - live - live 87 Natural Gift Killing Time When You Were A Child Kinks live TOTP 1994 2001 Dave Davies Fragile Violet Dreams Dave Creeping Jean live 2004 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) Shadows (73) Web Of Time (75) Mr Moon (75) - Why Islands (78) Give You All My Love (78) Within Each Day (78) Same Old Blues (78) This Precious Time (78) Rob Kopp has made his 1999 Kinks discography 'Down All The days Till 1992' US Chart Stats The Music Industry Machine Mick Avory Pete Quaife - interview - Kast Off Kinks - I Could See It In Your Eyes - Dead End Street Rasa Didzpetris Davies John Dalton John Gosling Jim Rodford Ian Gibbons Andy Pyle Gordon Edwards Clive Davis Bob Henrit
Yea, you kind of get the impression that if he were more focused more frequently the eighties pop/rock star thing wasn't beyond Dave
"When You Were A Child" A great song from Dave to finish. Neither of his tracks sound anything like the rest of the album, but it doesn't seem to matter. This one has a feel of Midge-era Ultravox to me, something like "Sleepwalk". It's somewhat more musically sophisticated than "Rock & Roll Cities", but still relatively conventional compared to his solo albums - it certainly seems as though he differentiated between material intended for Kinks albums and that intended for his solo albums. No vocal histrionics on this one, just a heartfelt, tender delivery well within his comfort zone. It develops and builds very nicely into the big middle section, but the cherry on the top - for the song and the album - is when it drops down to just the vocal and acoustic for the final chorus - a wonderful moment. A song that deserves to be better known. Think Visual It's good to see that there has been something of a re-evaluation of this album during our discussion. We've shown that it's nothing to be afraid of, it's certainly no disaster or abomination, and in fact it's just a really good Kinks album to me. The way I see it: The Pye albums are great, but sometimes the quality of the recording or production gets in the way and things get a bit too rough. The RCA albums are great, but sometimes the concepts get in the way and things get a bit too pastiche-y. The Arista albums are great, but sometimes the arena excesses get in the way and things get a bit too shouty. Think Visual isn't too much of anything. It has all the right ingredients for a Kinks album in the right proportions. Whether or not you like the oven they've been cooked in is a matter of opinion, but (how far can I stretch this metaphor?) I find the meal that ends up on my plate very tasty and nourishing. It's an easy album to listen to and enjoy, and it's no mystery as to why it's the one I reach for most often.
When You Were A Child A wonderful emotive Dave song; the melodic melancholy I’ve always been attracted to, even as a youngster, seems baked into this song. Melodic melancholy, a term I’ve just coined. I could hear Stevie Nicks singing this one. She was placing similar sounding songs in the charts in the mid-eighties, and Dave’s song sounds radio-ready. I wish they released this song of his as a single; the lyrics could have been sharpened but (I shudder to admit) that never stopped a pop offering before. I quizzed my sister, who is in town for a visit, on her thoughts. She tells me I once included it on a mix cd for her, and yes, she likes the song. So it must have a Moodies quality to it somewhere. We’ll be dining at a Polish restaurant tomorrow. @DISKOJOE, what would you suggest? And if the 98F forecast is right, should I jump into the East River?
When You Were A Child I can see the veil both ways as when the protective veil of childhood is lifted we are confronted with firstly adolescent and then ultimately adult reality. Did our destiny grow away from us, did we really have any true idea what it would be? Plenty of references to "they" which is potentially as much you and me as society and anyone in it. Yes it's great if we retain some childlike wonder and innocence of the heart but growing up and maturing should eliminate some naievity and unquestioning trust as we don't survive without some street smarts. Nice how Dave sings to another of not losing childhood dreams and beliefs though and sometimes he even at times has me thinking he is back in his own childhood talking to another child! When Dave asks what was it like to be a child and if mum treated you right and mended your broken toys iam back in 1966 with Mr Reporter! A pleasant song and hook with some nicely conceived lyrics by Dave. Not sure either if it's a closer but it belongs on a Kinks album and perhaps it's position was a nice tip of the cap from Ray?
A great pop- rock song. For the second album in a row Dave delivers one of the highlights. I’ve enjoyed Think Visual quite a bit: here’s hoping for a CD reissue.
‘When You Were A Child’: This is the pick of the Dave songs, well put together, nice flow. I rank ‘Think Visual’ (the album) at the bottom of the Kinks catalogue. Nothing sticks, nothing stands out, and this is the first album that won’t be represented on my playlist. i’ve finally succumbed to covid so am laying a bit low.
Final thoughts on Think Visual - I guess I had this on a cassette taped from vinyl when it came out before I picked it up on CD. I remember doing cards back in the day where I kept notes on albums and rated them. Think Visual was the first Kinks record I rated and I gave it 3 1/2 stars (out of 5) then and I would probably give it the same now. It is a solid record with some good songs but side two of the original vinyl has a bit of a lull on it. Of course, listening to these Kinks songs now, I notice the Eighties feel to a lot of it and this was something that I had never really perceived about the Kinks - the extent to which they absorbed the current sounds. But what I find with the Kinks Eighties work is that it absorbs those influences more subtly and the feel does not dominate and, therefore, there is no Eighties fiasco which is how I feel about Bob Dylan's Empire Burlesque, Lou Reed's Mistrial and Neil Young's Landing On Water. In fact, the last song, "When You Were A Child", struck me as a great example of an Eighties-influenced production that really works. There are no big stand out songs on this album for me but I suppose I am partial to "Welcome To Sleazy Town" because the lone time I saw the Kinks (Easton PA 1993-08-04), they played it and Dave's guitar on it is probably still seared into my brain.
When You Were a Child: I didn't make much of the song in real time, but now I can hear the ready-made 80s production, and Dave working surprisingly well in that format. For me, it's always miraculous when he writes a coherent song. Pyrrhicvictory notes the 80s iteration of Moody Blues, and that's pretty much it, although their keynote 80s tracks ("Gemini Dream," "Your Wildest Dreams," "The Voice" ...) really registered and resonate (particularly "Gemini Dream" which seems synonymous with "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" in terms of capturing a certain creative/capitalistic streak in the 80s). Think Visual album: Ray had to be noticing they were routinely playing smaller venues, and he was starting to feel like Cinderella as midnight approaches. When did this start happening exactly? Early 80s, they had no problem selling out Madison Square Garden. This tour, they played the Beacon Theater. (Sidenote: I'd much rather see any band perform at the Beacon! A, better sound and sight lines; B, venue indicative of a band with a following, but not too big to invite tagalong non-fans who are irritants at every large-event concert.) I saw them on the previous tour at State College, PA, which, granted, might have been a convenient stop between Philly and Pittsburgh. But it also suggested another slightly lower trajectory than the arena and large shed circuit. I think Ray really loved being a rock star on that level. He finally got his due as a front man, and he took to it like a duck to water. All those years being the eccentric, slightly off-center, sometimes cult band leader. And now he's touring the largest venues in America and having a blast acting in heavy-rotation videos on MTV. This was the fulfillment of the promise he must have felt in 1964, when the world came to him in what had to be stunning and life-altering ways. He did a lot of his best creative work shortly thereafter, but must have felt flummoxed that the world didn't keep seeing him on that level. It didn't end with Think Visual. Or ever really end after that. But it started moving lower, and anyone on that side of the rollercoaster surely senses this and must feel that fear. As with many 60s artists lucky enough to survive into the 80s, you can feel that sense of confusion. How much do we acquiesce to current production trends? Do we go retro? Do we try something completely different? We're adults now. In our early 40s (or thereabouts). What's going on with our hair? I feel weird flirting with a 25-year-old ... I have friends with kids nearly this old. How do I balance all this with being the vibrant, always-up, rocking front man who seems eternally young? Well, you do, and you don't. To judge by the 80s, you make a lot of snap judgments to try to fit in with the times (most of which don't age well), you keep doing what you know how to do ("How Are You"), and you try to deliver an album that reaches your ongoing fan base while still sounding current and moving with the times. It had to be a hard balancing act, and much of Think Visual doesn't resonate as a result. For me, the songs that do tend to have that quality one immediately knows is and can only be a Ray Davies/Kinks song. And I would guess Ray might have hedged on some of that material, thinking, "Oh, this is the same old stuff, surely they want something more daring." No - that was exactly what we wanted! When I classify a song as 80s Kinks, I'm not doing so as a qualitative analysis - that the 70s were better, and the 60s were absolutely it. It more so designated where the band was at the time, what their image was, who their fans were. To me, the best of the 80s Kinks songs are right up there with the 60s and 70s. That was Ray, moving forward in time, while still maintaining his ideal, tapping into that higher self and presenting it in near flawless quality. It doesn't happen on every song. It didn't happen on every song in 1966, or 1976. I could feel myself detaching from The Kinks on this album, and I didn't like it. Little did I know how this would work throughout later life, that once a band got to you like that, they were always going to be in, no matter how far you strayed away from them, you'd always come back at some point and recognize who they were in terms of your own identity. Think Visual provided a bit of a shock, that I could feel this disenchanted with a new Kinks album, but they'd surely go on without me (although I kept faithfully [robotically?] buying product ... I somehow wasn't really there anymore). So, while Dave whooped it up, traveling through those anxiously awaiting Rock 'n' Roll Cities ... all I could think was, the venues in those cities are about to get smaller!
So Ray insisted that Dave should get the lead single and the album closer? It would mean that kid brother was right, then, to refuse to take part in the Return to Waterloo project: in return, he started to get a lot more space and recognition than ever before. At least, that’s one way to look at it. The other’s to acknowledge the fact that his songs just got better. And better. And better. And that Ray knew Dave did "eighties" better than him, as @ajsmith nicely said (oh, and I definitely hear Limahl too). This song's perfect. It’s well crafted, straightforward, well sung, well produced, both of its time and timeless, and it’s hard to figure it’s the same Dave Davies that’s made us scratch our heads so many times before. In the late Kinks career, we get three AAA Dave tunes, the Soprano one, the B-side EP one (Look Through Any Doorway, so good it’s lead sung by big brother Ray) and this LP closer. But is it a closer proper or, once again, an "encore" relegated to a bonus track position ? Ever the pop auteur, Ray’s already done his own Life Goes On/Clichés of the World-type wrap song with Killing Time so perhaps he gives Dave the Bernadette spot. Except on Something Else and Lola, Dave’s compositions tend to stick out in a weird way. He’s no George H., not even John E., his songs don’t blend in, they don’t complement his brother’s in harmony, they almost always become a sequencing problem. But regardless of this, the tune's fantastic, relentless, irresistible, ultra-melodic, hook after hook after hook, with some Blondie ("woo-ooo-ooo-ooo"), Cure, Ultravox and particularly some of the early Tears for Fears (the immense primal scream therapy inspired The Hurting LP) blend of eighties production and acoustic driven mid-tempop. Just listen to the last few bars, the acoustic guitar strum shines like the Mississippi Delta or something. Fantastic song. Unusual, different, surprising, not much Kinks-like at all but in every sense of the word: exceptional.
When You Were a Child Definitely in the upper tier of Dave songs post 1970. That “ohh oh ohh” hook is very catchy and memorable. The acoustic bit near the end is fantastic. Dave’s vocals are great, and you can really hear his voice, as opposed to high register screams. The theme of the song makes me think of God’s Children. Dave seems to agree with Ray, and is saying we should go back to the way the good Lord made us. Before society and mankind warps us and changes the innocent child minds we had. Before they were molded to hide what was really inside, and our chance to really be our true selves was taken away by society’s rules and expectations. This doesn’t sound like an album closer to me, but it is a very solid song and should have been a single instead of Rock ‘n Roll Cities for sure. Think Visual Definitely the cleanest album they released (up to this point in their discography). Less loose, less raunchy, more smooth/clean 80s recording, production, and synths. Some of the lyrics aren’t Ray’s best, but there are some really great lines and humor and humanity in several of these songs. And there is still a pretty overarching theme to several of these songs, and after listening one time to the 80 Days demos this week, it’s obvious Ray still had thematic concepts in his veins. It had to be difficult to decide just how much of those elements to put onto a Kinks album in 1986, while trying to push product for the factory. In the end, there are several songs here that I now love and have added to my playlists. I would certainly listen to this album again, but probably not as much as the RCA and Arista albums, so I would say that means I rank it slightly below those. As for UK Jive, that appears to only be on YouTube and not any streaming services. That does make it harder to listen to often, but will try to let those songs soak in a bit over the next week.
I was listening to American Top 40 With Casey Kasem for the week of July 16, 1977 this morning and at #33 or so was a song called "Way Down", which Casey described as the 104th Top 100 single by "42 year old Elvis Presley." This was several weeks before he died. It was weird to hear about Elvis as if he was still alive. Now he lays in Graceland and poor Casey lays in exile in Norway. Going away from the once and always Kings of Rock and Roll and Radio, we come to the final song of Think Visual, "When You Were a Child", a very good Dave song w/nice thoughtful lyrics which, to me is hampered by the production, which I always felt since I first heard it back in 1986. I wish that this song was recorded back in 1969 w/Nicky Hopkins on harpsichord instead of having the 80s synths. Otherwise, it's another favorite from the album. As for Think Visual, I feel that it's a solid album w/many good songs w/a few that are forgettable but not really horrible, w/the exception of "Rock and Roll Cities", but I'm warming up to it. However, as a first album for a new label, it was more of a damp squib commercially. There wasn't really anything to grab the public, no real standouts. The cover artwork really didn't do the album any favors. The other Avids have pointed out how difficult it must have been for the Kinks to remain relevant in the 80s music scene, visually as well as musically. Avid Pyrrhicvictory I think that considering the heat and the fact that you don't do meat, I think that you should order a big plate of pierogies, either potato or cabbage, w/hot butter sauce and a cold glass of milk, w/a salad on the side. As for going in the East River, well if it was after the 1986 World Series, I would tell you to do so. However, w/the coming of age, wisdom and maturity, as well as the fact that the Sox have since won 4 Championships , I would advise against it. Do kids still open up fire hydrants in the summer?
Out of left field, when I hear East River (not that it’s that often), I always think of the band Silverhead and their song ‘Johnny.’ verse 3 Gino had blown it and Johnny, He owed a lot of bread. And he remembered what the boys had told him and, Johnny fled. They found him in the east river With a bullet in his eye. And Johnny was free At the age of 25.
