Think Visual: I have ended up liking this album. I find it listenable straight through, with a few songs that look and smell almost like Kinks Klassics in Factory, L&F, a couple that come close, like How Are You and Killing Time, and the balance goo0d enough quality that I would not call them filler or skip them. Sure, I am in the minority in liking R&R Cities, and I'll acknowledge that it could have been easily replaced with almost anything Ray could write in his sleep (or a leftover from State of Confusion) and no-one would have complained (or even noticed). ....and sure, most seem to dislike Natural Gift but I have an open heart and a love for INXS (which I seem to be largely alone in hearing in this song but that's ok, I am sure those many years of Maiden at top volume as a teenager [and lets be honest, as an adult] have certainly detrimentally affected my hearing, so maybe I am missing a few frequencies in there), but I like even that song well enough even if its not very special. I thought this album was pretty easy to like. I do miss the harder rock sounds on this album. My last era playlist covered Sleepwalker through State of Confusion, so most of the hard rocking Arista era resides on that playlist. This era will run from Word of Mouth through UK Jive, so the rock is a bit dialed back thus far, but this era's playlist will also have about a dozen alternate versions dating from the Sleepwalker through State of Confusion era (I like to sprinkle the alternate versions in the preceding or following era playlist so I don't hear the same song twice per playlist), so in this case the Superman demo minus the synths and the extended versions of GTPWTW and Destroyer will reside in this current playlist) plus some of the harder rock sounds from Word of Mouth too, so I won't be wanting for some Dave guitar heroics. That said (re missing the hard rock), I like that Dave and Ray seem to be moving back towards a sound that encompasses a mix of their older and newer styles. I like the variety the Kink's have to offer, if their whole catalogue was Arista style, I would rate them as a much lesser band even though I love that era. I fear in retrospect this may be the final album from our heroes that we can say is solid all the way through, but since I have not really begun to dig into UK Jive, I am just basing the concern on what others have been saying. My mind is open and ready, I am just busy digesting Fragile Dave's next opus (sounds quite likable) and 80 Days (which sounds super strong to start but seems to tail off midway through [but I need a few more spins of the mp3s to really say for sure]). Anyway, this gets high marks from me, even if its showing that more even and across the board consistent sound that "developed bands" seem to evolve into over time. When a band matures and hones their sound and song craft to such an extent that they don't usually have a duff track but also don't really have the stand-out tracks either, it is just generally good work, I get a bit bored. I want my bands to keep growing and expanding and evolving their sound. When the peaks and valleys go, it means they don't seem to be trying new things or pushing the envelope anymore. This album hits me a bit that way. A few new ideas and sounds creep in here and there, but mostly they are playing it safe. I always have trouble seeing Ray being happy with safe and consistent. I think he generally likes to challenge and piss off his listeners. Maybe it was the writers block, and to get back into songwriter mode, he dipped back in to the well of general styles, but the result is nothing that really challenged my listening either. What's that saying, good is the enemy of great? In sum, I like it, I enjoyed it, the songs will all make the playlist (yes, even R&R Cities - but no doubt at the tail end so it won't get aired much probably), but it I feel the lack of attempted growth. I am still totally on board but get out of your comfort zone Ray, before its too late!
That's a fantastic story. It took me a while to realise you were talking about THE Steve Jones of Sex Pistols fame. And your Robert Crumb reference at the end had me laughing out loud. It doesn't take a lot of imagination.
Two great stories this AM between you and Avid Fortuleo, Avid Pyrrhicvictory. By the time I saw the Kinks on this tour at Great Woods several weeks later, Steve Jones was no longer the opener. Instead, it was a band called Todd Hobin and the Heat, of which I have no memory of and had to refer to Doug Hinman’s book. I do remember that Steve Jones was to open and got replaced. Also, was the Tunnel the same place where Belushi and Aykroyd had their private club for after SNL partying?
Sunday miscellanea… Yesterday, She & Him released Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson. See this thread on the topic. If you didn’t know, She & Him is Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. They do some original songs and covers in a laid back, almost loungy bossa nova (?) duet style. Anyway, their new release has covers of Brian Wilson tunes. I listened yesterday, and I like most of their interpretations of the songs. One, in particular, really struck me and made me think of a Kinks song. Here’s Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder): When I listened to this, I thought of Nothing Lasts Forever. Back then, I wrote this: …and now I feel validated! So that got me thinking… What tracks would I want to hear on Nothing Lasts Forever: A She & Him Tribute to Ray Davies? Here’s what I came up with: 1. Nothing Lasts Forever 2. The Way Love Used To Be 3. No Return 4. I Go To Sleep 5. Days 6. So Long 7. Too Much On My Mind 8. Holiday 9. Stormy Sky 10. Till Death Us Do Part 11. Sitting By the Riverside 12. Picture Book 13. A Long Way From Home 14. Waterloo Sunset 39 minutes. Here’s the playlist I just created on my Spotify. Thoughts?
Digging the She & Him playlist. Really digging it. I would end it with Nothing Lasts Forever, perhaps start with Where Have All the Good Times Gone (little concept here). Would perhaps swap I Go to Sleep for Tell Me Now So I'll Know (Matt and Zooey are that precious) and would try not to include Waterloo Sunset (no God Only Knows or Good Vibrations on the Brian set). I'd try to add a couple of livelier less lounge tunes (Victoria, Mr Pleasant, Sweet Lady Genevieve and Moving Pictures would be contenders ?). But that's just for the sake of konversation. (by the way, we used to be a "She & Them" group, I miss our @Wondergirl) Ha, what are the odds… There was a little epilogue to my story I didn't share last night. A couple of hours later, on my way in to the (late) midnight screening of Trainspotting, I bumped into Noel Gallagher and made him sign my Pillow Book ticket on the flip side. And then, on my way out, I bumped into Damon Albarn, folded the ticket in half (see picture) and made him sign it as well, right then in 1996, just a few months after the stupid "number one" battle, at the height of their rivalry, with nasty things being said between them in the tabloids on a weekly basis. Peter, Laurie and Lou on one side, Noel and Damon on the other… That was the end of my autograph hunter career. I figured I could never beat that anyway. The irony of my story's that I was not coming for him, I wasn't even coming for "them", I'd only seen Peter Gabriel and didn't want any other autograph than his! So in a way, Lou brought it upon himself. If he hadn't said anything, I wouldn't've even noticed his presence. But his blindfolded "bye" is so funny… You've got to love him for that. Coincidence, I bumped into Lou twice after that. Once on a Sunday morning in a New York coffee place, he was having a late breakfast with a party of 8-10 friends, sitting in the middle with a Sphinx attitude. It was May 2002, we'd traveled with my then girlfriend (now wife) to attend the 'Back to the US' McCartney tour at the Madison Square Garden (and ended up seeing Wilco twice in NYC and ex-Wilco Jay Bennett in Hoboken in the week of the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot's release – that's for you, @Zeki, please be well my friend). The last time was about ten years later in Paris, 2011 or 2012 not too long before he passed, in a photo shop (before they all closed down, because nobody develops film anymore). I entered the shop and there he was, the sole customer, giving a hard time to the 20 y.o clerk, pointing whatever he wanted to buy with his fingers, not uttering a word (probably frustrated that he could not explain in french), being so rude that the girl kept glancing at me like "can you believe this guy ?". When he left she sighed in relief and said "well, some people are like that, what are you going to do". I asked if she knew who he was. She didn't. I said "that was Lou Reed (blank face). You know, the Velvet Underground guy ? (more blank face)". I said "I suppose you didn't ask for his autograph, then?" She had no clue what the hell I was talking about.
What a great coda to your story, Avid Fortuleo. That has to be a very unique ticket. As for Lou in the china, erm, photo shop, it wasn’t his first time in Paris. I’m surprised that he didn’t learn some French phrases, whatever. We all miss Avid Wondergirl, but’s she’s probably enjoying herself in England right now. She’ll be back. How’s your trip going so far? Still out in the Wild West?
Apparently the last three studio albums are in that situation.... I can only assume that it is because the record company thinks they won't sell?
I’d love to know as well. Even more mysterious to me is that the other MCA album UK Jive isn’t even available on Spotify. I don’t know anything about the economics of the music business, but I can understand not investing in the expense of another run of cds if you don’t think the demand is there, but I would guess that it can’t be expensive to put an album on the streaming services. It would almost make sense if the record company wanted to build up anticipation for an upcoming physical release, but somehow I don’t believe that is the reason.
Celebrity sighting Sunday. I can’t compete with @pyrrhicvictory or @Fortuleo in the rock star interaction department, but my favorite celebrity sighting occurred when my wife and I were in the Museum of Modern Art gift shop. I was standing a couple of feet behind a short woman wearing a hat, browsing through books on a display table, when all of a sudden, just from looking at her back, I knew it was Yoko Ono. I never thought of myself as someone who would be star struck, but I got shivers down my spine standing so close that I could just reach out and touch her. I didn’t think it would be right to intrude, and neither did anyone else in the store, so we never spoke to her. John had always said that one of the things that he loved about NYC, was that he could go about his business, for the most part, without anyone bothering him. Of course it was his undoing in the end, and I was a little surprised that Yoko had no entourage or body guard after what she went through just someone who appeared to be a friend browsing through the books with her.
I don't have much in the way of celebrity spotting.... I saw the Angels at a gas station one time, and left them be, and most here wouldn't know who they are lol I got the autographs of the guys from Dire Straits on the Brothers In Arms tour, at the back of the Perth Entertainment Centre, and they were all very nice and polite.... but it was also not while they were doing personal things I guess. I got Eric Clapton's autograph in a similar situation. I kind of grew out of the autograph thing not long after... the more I thought about it, the more odd it seemed to be
Thanks. Hopefully, the worst was yesterday. After an up/down temperature it spiked to 103F in the evening and I couldn’t take my dog out. Fortunately, my wife’s covid is less severe so she filled in. (She’s never run a fever.) Temperature is normal today (all day long so far) but have a helluva sore throat. Big problem here in a small town because I keep getting waylaid by people wanting to talk. I just came back from walking my dog now and feel terrible because I saw a lady with her husky (Marcie), waving frantically at us and I turned the other direction. I can’t talk (and was forced to do so twice this a.m., from the opposite side of the street ) and so there ya have it. I’ll have to go by her house and apologize profusely if I live to tell the tale.
Yea, when I had it, I just had mild(ish) cold and flu symptoms, but yea, my throat was really sore... that was the worst part of it for me. I just didn't go anywhere... which was really hard as I am normally the one that has to get everything done ....
Meant to post this during the Lost and Found discussion. A jocular Ray Davies submits to questions backstage in Germany, 1987. And sings a bit of Lost and Found on acoustic guitar. No, couldn’t be, Belushi was long gone before Tunnel opened. A lovely sentiment expressed this morning by @DISKOJOE, and one I fully endorse. This thread is by far the realest unreal reality I’ve yet to encounter, and the only club I’d join that would have me. ***** There is, always, a fly in the ointment. It has not gone unnoticed that this same @DISKOJOE, genial Uber-mensch that he is notwithstanding, exhibited poor taste in his chest puffing over recent Red Sox accomplishments. Though my dad, who lived to see two of those championships, gave me the business after each. Such is human nature, I suppose.
Just yanking your chain, man, yanking your chain . I kid because I like. Aren’t you going to that Polish restaurant tonight? Tell me how it was and what you had.
Being Sunday and with a good portion of the folks here being on the other side of the world and in the opposite time zone, I figure perhaps it might be a good time to throw in what is apparently the only compile from 1987 but in looking for the relevant things there I found this one also..... The Kinks Hit Singles Release info: Produced by: Shel Talmy, Ray Davies Release date: 28 Sep, 1987 Record label & catalog #: PRT PYL 4001 Country: UK Format: 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM Release type: Compilation Tracks: Side 1 1. You Really Got Me mono mix (2:13), recorded mid-Jul 1964 at IBC Studios, London 2. All Day And All Of The Night mono mix (2:20), recorded 24 Sep, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 3. Tired Of Waiting For You mono mix (2:30), recorded 17, 18, 24, 25 Aug 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London, with additional guitar overdub at IBC Studios, London in 29 Dec 1964 4. Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy mono mix (2:14), recorded 22 Dec, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 5. Set Me Free mono mix (2:10), recorded 14 Apr, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 1), London 6. See My Friends mono mix (2:44), recorded 3 May, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 1), London 7. Till The End Of The Day mono mix (2:18), recorded 25-30 Oct, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 8. Dedicated Follower Of Fashion mono mix (2:59), recorded 7 Feb, 1966 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 9. Sunny Afternoon mono mix (3:31), recorded 13 May, 1966 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 10. Dead End Street mono mix (3:20), recorded probably 22 Oct, 1966 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 11. Waterloo Sunset mono mix (3:14), recorded Apr 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London Side 2 1. Death Of A Clown mono mix (3:01), recorded Jun 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 2. Autumn Almanac mono mix (3:10), recorded Sep 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 3. Susannah's Still Alive mono mix (2:21), recorded probably Aug 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 4. Wonderboy mono mix (2:48), recorded Mar 1968 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 5. Days mono mix (2:52), recorded May 1968 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 6. Plastic Man mono mix (3:00), recorded Mar 1969 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 7. Victoria stereo mix (3:38), recorded May-Jun 1969 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 8. Lola mono "cherry cola" mix (4:05), recorded 9, 10 May 1970 at Morgan Studios (1), Willesden, London 9. Apeman stereo mix (3:51), recorded 27 Oct 1970 at Morgan Studios (1), Willesden, London ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Kinks Are Well Respected Men Side 1 1. Long Tall Sally mono mix (2:10), recorded probably 17 Jan, 1964 at Pye Studios (No .1), London 2. You Still Want Me mono mix (1:58), recorded probably 17 Jan, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 1), London 3. You Do Something To Me mono mix (2:23), recorded probably 17 Jan, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 1), London 4. It's Alright mono mix (2:35), recorded mid-Jun, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 5. All Day And All Of The Night mono mix (2:20), recorded 24 Sep, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 6. I Gotta Move mono mix (2:24), recorded 17, 18, 24, 25 Aug 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 7. Louie Louie mono mix (2:57), recorded 18 Oct, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 8. I've Got That Feeling mono mix (2:45), recorded 18 Oct, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 9. I Gotta Go Now mono mix (2:54), recorded 24 Sep, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London Side 2 1. Things Are Getting Better mono mix (1:57), recorded 18 Oct, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 2. Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy mono mix (2:14), recorded 22 Dec, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 3. Who'll Be The Next In Line mono mix (2:00), recorded 23 Dec, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 4. See My Friends mono mix (2:44), recorded 3 May, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 1), London 5. I Need You mono mix (2:24), recorded 14 Apr, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 1), London 6. Set Me Free mono mix (2:10), recorded 14 Apr, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 1), London 7. Never Met A Girl Like You Before mono mix (2:03), recorded 14 Apr, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 8. A Well Respected Man mono mix (2:38), recorded probably 6 Aug, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 9. Such A Shame mono mix (2:17), recorded probably 14 Apr, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 10. Wait Till The Summer Comes Along mono mix (2:06), recorded probably 3 May, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London Side 3 1. Don't You Fret mono mix (2:41), recorded probably 6 Aug, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 2. Dedicated Follower Of Fashion mono mix (2:59), recorded 7 Feb, 1966 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 3. Sitting On My Sofa mono mix (3:03), recorded 29, 30 Dec, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 4. I'm Not Like Everybody Else mono mix (3:29), recorded probably Jan 1966 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 5. Dead End Street mono mix (3:20), recorded probably 22 Oct, 1966 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 6. Big Black Smoke mono mix (2:32), recorded probably 21 Oct, 1966 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 7. Act Nice & Gentle mono mix (2:39), recorded probably Jan 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 8. Autumn Almanac mono mix (3:10), recorded Sep 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 9. Mr. Pleasant mono mix (3:00), recorded Mar 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London Side 4 1. Wonderboy mono mix (2:48), recorded Mar 1968 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 2. Polly mono mix (2:49), recorded Mar 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 3. Days mono mix (2:52), recorded May 1968 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 4. She's Got Everything mono mix (3:08), recorded 7 Feb, 1966 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 5. Plastic Man mono mix (3:00), recorded Mar 1969 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 6. King Kong mono mix (3:21), recorded early Mar 1969 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 7. Mindless Child Of Motherhood mono mix (3:13), recorded May 1969 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 8. This Man He Weeps Tonight mono mix (2:41), recorded Jan 1969 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London 9. Berkeley Mews mono mix (2:37), recorded probably Spring 1968 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London Liner Notes: By way of explanation... This is not 'The Kinks Greatest Hits' although several top smashes are included. This is not a 'Best Of', either, but there's no denying the excellence of the songs on offer. It should more rightly be called 'The Kinks Tidy Up' as this particular collection pulls together every Kink track issued in Britain which was never placed on an original album. Some. of course, would appear on later compilations, but we aren't counting those, and thus the record you now hold fills every gap in between the Kinks official Pye albums, now also currently re-released by PRT. * * * Few now can deny the shining brilliance of the Kinks, and in particular the pen of Raymond Douglas Davies. Here was a group which grew out from ragged R&B into a unique and perceptlve vogue. Davies was the supreme observer, at times wry, at other mocking, while his other voice was capable of an aching poignancy, a tenderness belying what erstwhile caustic wit. Rav Davies simply became English pop's most gifted songwriter, with compositions peppered by offbeat characters, hope, sadness and nostalgia. The Kinks were formed in 1962 and operated out of London's Muswell Hill under a variety ot names, including the Ramrods and the Ravens. The catalyst was Ray's younger brother Dave, a mere fifteen years old, but fuelled with the impish arrogance of adolesence. Ray meanwhile attended Croydon College of Art and this essential mixture of anger, vision and sibling rivalry gave a basis to Kink preoccupations. The rhythm section, Pete Quaife (bass) and Mick Avory (drums) was an affable combination, functional and, at times, inspired, but their role was never crucial, as proved when John Dalton came and went and came back again in 1966 and 1969, replacing the unsettled Quaife who quit and returned in seeming independence while merely proving he could be dispensable. There was, of course, a definitive Kinks sound; a tough, assertive snarl, typifying much of their early output, where each single had its own particular, evocative riff. "G, F, Bb; those three chords were part of my life," stated Ray in a 'Rolling Stone' interview, and they combined with Shel Talmy's bared-down production to create that individual style. In later years the Kinks became more polished, more pastoral, and the gentler, more introspective side heard only on occasions during those first fiery years gradually gained an ascendancy. Of course they could still rock-out when and if required, but the frenzy never quite hung out on the edge as it had done prevlously. Part of the reason was Rav Davies' growing maturity. Sometime in 1965 his songs took a quantum jump and left behind the fumbles of early sex in favour of a deep more expansive role. His Iyrics might evoke a lost generation, but betraval of the post-war dream or they may simply recapture a fleeting past moment. He yearned for a time when life was simpler, slower; an idyllic wish for a Village Green England that may never have existed. Although he'd snipe at Middle Class aspirants; those who's values obscurred life's truer beauty, Ray retained a compassion for any truly trapped by birth or class. Rarely condescend ing, his warm trlbutes or pithv satires were concise yet truly expressive, the voice of a writer whose empathy for loss or hope could equally be seen. * * * Nowadays 'Long Tall Sally' seems like a curious paradox. Here is a group renowned for its original songs opening with a cover version. It betrayed several first single nerves, but is generally an enthusiastic debut, if now somewhat muted in the light of whar vould follow. Rather than otfering their bone-crushing technique, the Kinks aimed for a softer approach and sounded more Mersey than rhythm and blues. The Kinks' second release 'You Still Want Me' c/w 'You Do Something To Me', has passed into the realm of legend. Rumours claim it sold a mere 127 copies on release, uncharitable yes, but possibly true. Two songs left over from the 'Long Tall Sally' session, Pye pushed to have them issued. The single was a commercial disaster, yet both sides show Ray coming to grips with his blossoming talent. The pieces may not yet have fitted, the structure still owes much to Liverpool, but it's clear something individual was emerging from the group. 'All Day and All of the Night' was the natural follow up. Its predecessor, 'You Really Got Me', had established the Kinks both as hit contenders and as uncompromising with a song and performance that was in several ways definitive. 'All Day and All of the Night' merely rewrote it; the proto-metal riff took a sideways step, the guitar break emerged as maniacal in its effort to stay similar but be different, and the whole song behaved like some alter-ego. Although overshadowed by its illustrious big brother, 'All Day and All of the Night' is nonetheless remarkable. The growth in the Davies talent is heard on the flip sides of those two early hits. Tucked away behind 'You Really Got Me' was 'It's Alright', a rather ambitious piece which somehow came on like a meeting between Ray and Mose Allison as the singer slurred his way across the changes. The middle eight did give the game away, but the laconic verse seemed years ahead of the schoolboy pop of 'I Took My Baby Home' which had backed the Kinks' first 45. Meanwhile, 'I Gotta Move' was just as attractive, faster yes but relaxed when compared to its topside. Once again Ray tries to stretch the confines of his group, here by controlling its power rather than forcing it on. Hits-in-the-bag not only meant a debut album ('The Kinks') but an e.p. too. 'Kinksize Session' was one which compiled previously unissued sweepings and is a valuable precis of the Kinks of 1964. It had to include 'Louie Louie', the frat-band anthem had given its touch and atmosphere to 'You Really Gor Me' and the version here was as much a nod of thanks as anything else. The remaining three were all Ray originals and fared well despite the new demands now made on his writing. 'I Gotta Go Now' did seem a mite repetitive, but the group play neatly around the changes offered. 'I've Got That Feeling' carries a fine hookline in amongst some more pure Mersey beat, while its ballad-like aura places it close to 'Stop Your Sobbing' or 'Something Better Beginning' from the first and second albums respectively. The final cut, 'Things Are Getting Better' replays the chords from 'Revenge', the instrumental powerhouse on 'The Kinks'. Having rampaged through the pop charts for six months (and scored a second No. 1 wlth 'Tired of Waiting') the Kinks imploded with 'Everybody's Gonna Be Happy', a chunk of restless, relentess energy, which flew by so quickly it forgot to grab hold of a tune. Enthusiastic it certainly was, fun as well, but no way could it be commercial. 'Evervbody's Gonna Be Happy' crawled to a miserable 16. Its fiipside, 'Who'll Be The Next In Line', actually claimed the stronger tune and may well have proved the more successful song. That indeed was America's attitude, who, in sensing something less than gold, reversed the sides. This downwards slide was mercifully brief. 'Set Me Free' went Top 10 while revisiting the curling riff of 'Tired Of Waiting'. Although deliberately playing safe, there were enough twists in the formula to give it some individuality. The flip, 'I Need You' was a fiercesome piece, driven on by a toughness and desire. It was (yet more) seminal Kinks, capturing them at a garage band-ish peak. By contrast 'See My Friend' was a radical experiment. It's drone-like quality predated much of pop's flirtation with the East, and in a totally natural way. Rather than graft it to a convenient sitar, the Kinks suggested India by the song's total structure. Ray's voice sounded mysterious; by trailing the lines he seemed much more distant wrapped in Iyrics both ambiguous and effusive, bound up in metaphor and heartache. In short; a masterpiece. Meanwhile, its flipside, 'Never Met A Girl Like You Before' recalled the jauntiness of the faltered 'Happy' and offered a sense of relief from the dense meisterwork it coupled. The 'Kwyet Kinks' e.p. appeared in December 1965. While it accompanied a more traditional sounding single in 'Till The End Of The Day', it proved itself a crucial release in the ultimate direction of the group. 'A Well Respected Man' was the lead track, the prototype Davies social comment. More barbed than his later work, and written with much less pity, it nonetheless remains a landmark. The satire is undisguised, Ray's distaste is obvious yet it's wrapped in the sweetest of tunes, a seeming contra diction which gives the song its power. Such was the strength of 'A Well Respected Man' that it over shadowed the rest of the e.p.'s contents, 'Such A Shame', 'Wait Till The Summer Comes Along' and 'Don't You Fret'. Three softer, passive songs, they played with the quiet atmosphere much of the 'Kinda Kinks' l.p. implied, and it was this tenuous link which showed that despite an obvious public preference for a rocked-out Kinks, Ray Davies saw this as transitory, preferring a more peaceful sound as a future development. His satirical pop was confirmed with 'Dedicated Follower of Fashion'. Here Davies was both bitter and mocking and perhaps even harsh, but inspired by a real-life incident, his sideswipe at fashion toppery piled condesension upon disgust. However, 'Dedicated Follower Of Fashion' used a tune so bubbly and disarming that it calmed the singer's ire. Ray's camp delivery recalled music-hall farce and reduced his own anger, turning it into laughter instead. Those who flipped the single found (yet another) gem, 'Sitting On My Sofa'. Its minimalist Iyric seemed the antithesis of the 'Dedicated' imagery, but musically its place in the riff cycle is assured. This writer also recalls it as a firm Scottish favourite, played by any number of optimistic beat groups. For that it has a special place in our hearts. 'I'm Not Like Everybody Else' drew a (then) rare Dave Davies vocal. If Ray had been resigned to his fate on 'Sunny Afternoon' this was just the opposite. Revered by countless punk combinations, this is all spit and snarl; cocky, assertive and demanding. Few would dare question Dave's claim by the time it faded; his impassioned voice, the furious arrangement, they both conspire to make this song another of the Kinks finest hours. By 1967, Ray had honed the roughness from his observations. He'd thrown out his extremes (sarcasm and pity) and become a touching kronikler of the status quo. His comments were generally implicit rather than pasted uptront and 'Dead End Street' revelled in such benefits. No-one can fail to see Ray's heart and sympathies, yet now he can avold over stating them. 'Dead End Street' abounds with pin-pointed imagery, it smells of musty streets anu sleepy breakfasts while its melancholic fatalism is enhanced by the use of a lone French Horn. 'Big Black Smoke' was a part of a Kink mini-theme -- cautionary tales of young innocents lost to the city. Loosely based on the same descending scale that had made 'Sunny Afternoon' so appealing, the added church bells and crles of 'oyez' injected an element of theatre into what was an exceptionally strong flipside. In the context ot its contemporaries, 'Act Nice and Gentle' sounds positively anachronistic. It recalls the Kinks more flippant days, rather than the depth of 'Something Else' or the majestic 'Waterloo Sunset'. Its mock Country and Western bounce predates a more wholehearted excursion therein on 'Muswell Hillbillies', and the song retains a charm despite its somewhat throwaway nature. 'Autumn Almanac' was the first Kinks single not produced by Shel Talmy. Ray now added that task to his workload and any difference (I doubt the backward tape would have gained a Talmy mix) was mostly imperceptible. What did seem obvious was this unending supply of Davies inspiration, and this particular song, while boasting yet another wonderful tune, ran that priceless philosophy of life on football, Blackpool roast beef and community. By coupling it with 'Mr. Pleasant', a year-old track rescued from Common Market 45s, Pye inadvertantly offered the chance to chart Ray's growing maturity. 'Mr. Pleasant' was very much a part of the 'Well Respected Man' approach, where comment was worn firmly on the sleeve. That said, its vaudeville type serting, Nicky Hopkins' tinkly piano and that rollicking Trad-jazz brass, exaggerated the leering Iyric, generating a feeling of pantomime rarher than that of explicit comment. Rather like 'Dedicated Follower of Fashion', 'Mr. Pleasant deserves a smile rather than scorn. After three years hitting Top 10. Wonder Boy faltered at 36. It had been six months since 'Autumn Almanac' and April 1968 was a cold time for pop. The Kinks were rather lost in the switch to rock, their indivldual kideosyncracies suffered until the dust had settled and 'Lola' returned them to favour. In the meantime of course, great records continued, and 'Wonderboy' is one of those. Too often depreciated, it may have lacked a commercial bite, but its charm is nonetheless self-evident. 'Polly', a further tale of miscreant woe, was equally good, and could have claimed an 'A' side spot. The song originally came from a projected U.S. album, 'Four More Respected Gentlemen', which would, in turn, be quickly cancelled when 'The Village Green Preservation Society' assumed a priority. Some of its contents would end up on that album, some were shelved altogether; others like 'Polly' turned up on singles or flipsides, and were thus rightly rescued from oblivion. 'Days', for sure, did not deserve that fate. A wonderous slice of emotion, it reeks of nostalgia and personal loss and longing, of a writer desperate just to touch the past again. Its pace and atmosphere were close to 'Waterloo Sunset', only here the singer must come to terms with the images and their meaning himself. A further refugee from the abandonned project, 'She's Got Everything' brought back the Kinks of 1965. This could easily be slotted beside the 'Kontroversy' sessions without seeming out of place. The ready made riff, the raunch; Ray even takes on an adolesent voice and the general hubub was a joy to hear again. Occasionally the Kinks would plagiarise their past in a predetermined way -- when 'Set Me Free' was required after 'Happy' had been a comparitive flop. Then there was 'Plastic Man', a clear attempt at a second 'Dedicated Follower of Fashion', complete with campiness and sarcasm. It still brings a grin, the tune is certainly fun, but I still feel it tries too hard and sounds, somehow, unnatural. Ray seems too eager to please, but when the word 'bum' ensured a BBC ban, sales stopped and the point became an academic one. If 'You Really Got Me' was the finest heavy metal riff, then it took the Kinks five years to really follow it up. 'Kink Kong' is as close to Black Purple or whoever as the group could allow themselves. Out right humour redeems its thudding heavihandedness, with Ray's pose as the simian monster perfectly funny. Totally superb, this monkey business was, of course, a dry run for 'Apeman'. 'Drivin" has two distinctions. It became the first Kinks 45 since 'You Still Want Me' not to chart. It also marked John Dalton's return to the fold. However it's the flipside, 'Mindless Child of Motherhood' that concerns us here. Written by Dave, it was almost certainly destined for his never-released solo album, recorded while 'Death Of A Clown' was a hit, then shelved in the wake of successive flops. A twisting, contusing piece, Dave speaks out at random against several seemingly unconnected items. A mini-stream of consciousness, at the same time it becomes yet a further classic. Likewise, 'This Man He Weeps Tonight'. Tucked on the tlip of 'Shangri-La', this was yet another plece ot Dave's solo jigsaw. Characteristically anarchic, the song slots nearly into the style his later singles, 'Lincoln County' and 'Hold My Hand', had found, with a dash of Dylan, a squeeze of West Coast pop, and a lot of traditional Kinks. 'Berkeley Mews' closes this parricular collection. Tucked away behind the lifesaving 'Lola', it too had been exhumed from the 'Four More Respectable' sessions. Although something of a mixture, several plays see those pieces slot into place, and let the song's true strengths come through. The ragtime frills are as much of a hook as the melody line, while its effortlessness adds a special charm. As such it bids farewell to the 1960s Kinks, a move trom Pye to RCA was soon complete, taking the group towards a whole new stardom in amphi theatre America. That is, of course, another story. Thus you now have those 37 tracks, and can play this beside the original album without fear of duplication. Of course where, I hear you say, are the Dave Davies solo singles, or other Kinks songs such as the Euro-only rocker 'This Is Where I Belong', or the archive performances from the 'Kinks Kronikles' and 'The Great Lost Kinks Album'? Never fear; these things are in hand. Some are sadly no longer in copyright, but for those which are, watch this space. In the meantime, what other way can I close than God Save The Kinks. Brian Hogg Lizardd Sound Archives July 1987. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This looks like it was nicely put together, but I know nothing of significance about it, so I'll let you guys fill in any blanks there may be.
Well, you can’t use the infamous 2008 Universal Studios fire as an excuse, since the Kinks are not one of the acts listed as being affected, even though the Kinks were on MCA. My bet is that Ray has the masters at Konk Studios and probably sees no point to releasing them. The only time any of the MCA stuff has been reissued after the 1991 compilation Lost and Found to the best of my knowledge was several tracks on the Picture Book box set.
Interesting. What makes you think Ray has the masters? Just a hunch? It seems odd that those three wouldn't be reprinted.... It sort of seems with the Kinks catalog being so large, there isn't much reason to have certain albums unavailable. It's hard to imagine The Stones catalog having albums unavailable
‘The Kinks Are Well Respected Men’ is The Kinks ‘Past Masters’ (from the same year too!) in that it intentionally komped all their UK Pye non LP sides and I suspect was intended as a compliment to the PRT CD issues of the bands core Pye albums from that same year. Kind of a shame it didn’t become standardised like PM and instead fell out of print as it was thoughtfully compiled and well intentioned but it was not to be. Note also the promise of Great Losr Kinks album material in an accompanying volume but again this didn’t happen and it would be another decade before any of that stuff began to leak out officially for UK folks…
Well, I was going on a hunch, since I know that the Kinks owned their 1970 RCA stuff. In going through the booklet to the Picture Book box set, it seems that the songs from the RCA and Arista years are copyrighted to Kinks Properties Limited, while the four MCA era tracks are copyrighted to the Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., just like the Pye material.
My Ray Davies story, just as an aside: In 2013, Ray was promoting his book Americana in Bath, UK and did a Q and A and book signing in a church, of all places. I have cerebral palsy so am unable to climb stairs without a handrail, and unfortunately it turned out the table where Ray was signing was on a raised platform. I knew there was no way I'd be able to get up or down the steps without someone to help. I alerted a member of staff, who offered to take my book to Ray to get it signed. The book was duly signed and returned to me, and I exchanged a 'thumbs up' with Ray from a distance. Still disappointed I didn't get the chance to say hi!
