"Life After Breakfast" I love to hear that National guitar at the beginning. I wish there was more of it! I agree. This entire album was a lost opportunity. The Kinks would have certainly elevated all of the material. I was thinking the same. It would have been more effective had it faded out at the 2:30 mark. I would love to hear this. I wonder why Ray scrapped this material? I don't listen to their albums much, but I went to see Yo La Tengo live around this time and they were fantastic!
Is There Life After Breakfast? Yes, and it usually involves having to go out to work. Perhaps not for your 62 year old rocker though. I like the song, and always sing along, but it's a bit Ray by numbers. The album needed some light relief, and what better than having a nice cuppa tea and making fun of Mrs Avory's son having trouble with the waterworks. Perhaps this is what there is to look forward to on retirement (if it ever happens). More of a frothy coffee than a pot of Rosie Lee. Agree it would be great to hear the Yo La Tengo versions of these songs. I could imagine a 'super-deluxe' reissue with this, the live BBC radio show and a Blu-ray of the Austin City Limits Concert. Imagining it will be as close as it ever gets though...
Here is an article about a concert Ray did with Yo La Tengo. There seems to be a download of it, but I don't know if this site is safe? At least we know it's out there! Albums That Should Exist: Ray Davies with Yo La Tengo - Jane Street Theater, New York City, 8-25-2000 Edit: Here it is!
Is There Life After Breakfast? With a less polished production, and fewer vocal tracks during the chorus, this could easily live on Muswell Hillbillies or EISB. I do really wish this could have just been Ray and Dave harmonizing on this incredibly catchy and upbeat chorus (especially the bridge). Love those steel/national guitar strums that takes me back to Lola/This Time Tomorrow. The dreamy intro into that louder strum reminds me of the intro to Wouldn’t It Be Nice. Ok enough dreaming, this is real life now! Love the slide guitar. The little mandolin (?) flourishes. The backing “ooohs”. This is probably the most timeless, klassic track on this album. Ray’s singing here is infectious and I find myself singing right along. The lyrics are hilarious. I actually really like the extension on “piteeeee”. Similar to how he extended “rattling” and “plat-i-num” on yesterday’s track. The amount of emotion, color, personality in this lead vocal is fantastic, and I think it’s been a while since we have heard this side of Ray. Some of these words.. doldrum, fluster, wallow, glum, mum… they really paint this song in the colors of a Union Jack sports coat. Over 15 years of listening to this song, and I never really paid attention to the “plumbing” metaphor. That “turn the tap… see? A little bit’s coming” is just flat out hilarious. That same humor as the gas supply being shut off in Life Goes On. If this song faded out at 2:30, we wouldn’t get that plumbing verse. This is just fine as is. Is my wife tired of hearing “Breakfast” for the past 20 hours? Yes she is!
I understand folks thinking breakfast should be a short meal and not a wandering buffet, but I think that ties into the theme of the song to be honest. Like chatting with an old man who tells you stories, frequently the same ones, but you love the guy, so you let him go on with it... Not sure if that makes sense... But essentially, for me, it kind of goes on too long, but it kind of doesn't too.. If that makes sense.
As for the Kinks... Yea, I wish this was a Kinks album. No it doesn't effect my love and appreciation of it, that it isn't.
Is There Life After Breakfast? This is another album highlight. I like how the National guitar with its very distinctive sound sets the mood almost immediately. The song is so catchy, upbeat and immediate, yet also rewards repeated listening. I interpret the lyrics to be the narrator coming out of a depression and addressing himself, with a mixture of relief that dark times are ending and concern that he could easily slip back into those emotions. The song has a lighthearted, almost humourous musical feel, which captures the phase of hope when the depression starts to fade. These lyrics could never help a person still very much in the depths of an ongoing depression, to such a person it would come across as insulting. I like that the song ends with the words "put the kettle on, mate", a sense of normality returning. The whole song sounds very humble and warm and heartfelt. A great song in every way.
Same here, and I was thinking earlier, the fact that it is preceded by "wallow in" makes it work - wallow is such a funny word, its sound buried in the back of the mouth like a depressive under the covers, and then there is the sudden contrast to the sound of piteee - propelled off the lips it ricochets off the front teeth with energy, launching into the atmosphere, lifted even higher by the trailing diphthong that Ray adds and emphasizes, like someone ready to punch the sky .
@mark winstanley your riff as constituted above about how you started on one medication and ended up taking dozens sounds exactly like a Ray Davies lyric!
The Getaway (Lonesome Train). stereo mix (6:31), recorded 19 Dec, 2002 (overdubs recorded Jun 2004) at Konk Studios, Hornsey, London Every time I hear that lonesome train roll down the track Going away to unknown destinations I believe there's someone out there making the great escape Just moving on, suddenly gone and so unexpectedly It might hit you on a sunny afternoon Without a warning there's a thought, it just comes over you And is the shadow on a sidewalk someone like you? In a blink of an eye, waving goodbye It's time you made your getaway In a suburb somewhere someone's quietly planning their getaway Traveling light, in case they might get a change of heart It's the bravest move they'll ever make, but they have to make the break That's the risk that they take, so don't hesitate, then so unexpectedly It might hit you on a sunny afternoon Without a warning there's a thought, it just comes over you And is the shadow on the sidewalk someone you knew? It's time you made your getaway It might hit you on a sunny afternoon Without a warning there's a thought, it just comes over you And is the shadow on the sidewalk someone like you? It's time you made your getaway You'll make the great escape Get out that door before it's too late Hear that lonesome train The lonesome train Written by: Ray Davies Published by: Davray Music, Ltd. Here we have somewhat of a pointer to some of the future pursuits of Ray. This probably isn't totally alt country, but it has a sort of Gordon Lightfoot feel musically, and I think it works well, and it helps to add some textural variance in the album... as we have had for the last few tracks really. We open with the smooth groove and a really nice acoustic lead guitar... again that bass. Love the bass on this album. This is a beautiful reflective track that looks at someone who feels everyone else is moving on with their lives, but our subject, who is really only hinted at, sits back watching everyone else making a break for it, while they hesitate and stay set where they are. We have a bit of a theme recurring in a few of the songs, but it manifests in different ways. We have the, run away from the controlling nature of time, idea. We have the idea of someone noy wanting to get out of bed and get on with it idea, that hinges on the idea of getting older and not wanting to play anymore. Then we have this track, where it seems like this person is watching other folks make bold escapes... trying things... leaving the suburban cage (to the best of their knowledge) I can relate to hearing the train, and wondering what or who it is carrying and where it's going, but moreso I can relate to the idea of seeing a plane in the sky, and wondering where those lucky folks are going, while I head to work. I think how cool it would be to be on a plane heading home to see my family and friends... have a jam with the band ... if they're even still doing that. So lyrically this is pretty straightforward.... the restlessness of feeling like there is somewhere better, and the little triggers that reignite that feeling... and to some degree also the soul who is afraid to step outside the door, because the danger of adventure, and the challenge of risk is all too much ... but at least they have crawled out the door.... Actually that makes me think of a somewhat recurring theme coming up on this album... When you have a hangover - crawl out through the door Don't hide in your bed, get out of the house and live after breakfast... But perhaps moreso, we have examples of the struggles of life, and the fear that they can breed. Lost and Lonely - fall into alcoholism and struggle to participate in life After The Fall - fear controls you, but get up and get on with it We don't see our next door neighbours because we have agoraphobia? All she wrote was a painful assault that left us swimming in the wreckage of our life. With all the world throws at us it is easy to lose faith, but a little bit of faith is such a beautiful thing We can't run away from time or the world, and yet we keep trying Entertain ourselves by touring the world - checking out the slums, with my plastic Visa drinking with my chums Get older and feel like it's only worth getting up for breakfast and heading back to bed... Now we are seeing and hearing other people taking off to have adventures, and we're locked in our zone? I don't know, it is an interesting batch of lyrics on this album. Musically I really like this track. It has such a good feel, that even though it may go on too long, it doesn't bother me... The end phrases of each line have this really nice feel and vocal delivery, that have nice harmony vocals with them.... yea, it isn't Dave, but I like it anyway. We have nice slide guitar accents ... Actually when I listen to this, it sort of feels like Mark Knopfler would have been a great contributor for this track... I get a sort of feel that is in line with Dire Straits debut, and in fact some of Knopfler's solo work... and to me that's not a bad thing. We get a nice boisterous instrumental break that rolls around into the bridge.... I'm not sure we have a chorus here to be honest... Then we move into the laid back Water Of Love kind of feel, with some sweet backing vocal "ooo" 's Anyway, I like this track as well.
?Lonesome Train" I hear a CCR vibe in this track - quite a bit of a "Born On The Bayou" feel at times. And it has a Kinks reference. I think it is a very strong Ray vocal. I also like the Beach Boys style backing vocals in the coda. In fact that coda is pretty hypnotic. The song, I think, is solid but not spectacular but I think the production and performances raise this quite a bit.
Here we are… life after breakfast. Time to leave, if only one's brave enough. That what strikes me here, "escaping" seen as an adventurous move rather than a retreat. Another long moody piece, this song’s elevated by its soundtracky western arrangement, a bit like the stylistic follow up to Storyteller (a lovely song about which @Mark also mentioned Dire Straits). A lot of great touches everywhere, the twangy guitar riff, the swampy/bayou groove, Ray’s delicately swinging vocal (and nice self-harmonies), the long winding descending verse melody (almost a slowed-down replica of the di di didi di di Mrs Robinson opening) and the devastating minor chord change on the first “sunny afternoon” chorus, an old song of (impossible) escape. Interestingly, Ray won't repeat this chord change in the remnant of the song: the other choruses don’t have it, probably because they’re not meant as bittersweet realizations but as uplifting calls to action. It does frustrate me a bit (musically, my ears beg for the repetition of this chord change) but Ray doesn’t budge, he does what’s best for the song’s purpose. It’s really a great track, the big instrumental break / solo mid-song gives it a dramatic/romantic push, before the superb two minutes ooo-oooh coda, when the song slowly fades away, with Ray still whisper-singing (in two voices, left and right channel, high and low) about this very American idea, the great escape, into the wild, the unknown, the ever after.
"The Getaway" The long, slow track in the middle of the hour-long CD. Almost certain to bring that moment when you suddenly wake up and you're in the middle of the next track and you wonder where you've been for the last five minutes. Nothing about this track and this album in particular, just in general. I find this one quite similar to "The Tourist" in its feel, but whereas that one has its middle section to change things up, this one doesn't - just a lengthy instrumental break. I've never been entirely convinced by the "so unexpectedly" line and chord change - it seems too forced, as though the inspiration wasn't there to come up with a more natural-sounding change. I appreciate that its got the whole Americana thing going on, and was probably the main launching point for that project, but as a track I find it no more than OK and not particularly memorable.
Interesting that you should say that. I would almost agree except… Ray will indeed have another run on this tune as part of his Our Country, Americana Part 2 album and to me, the remake's much better. There, the song really shines and takes its definitive form, which I'd rate higher than solid. I think of The Getaway, the Tourist and Thanksgiving Day as a bunch of “American tunes” (second Paul Simon nod from me today, perhaps a result of that other thread going on) which probably inspired Ray’s next ten-years-in-the-making concept. Tellingly, the words “America, the land of ice-cream and apple pie, guns and the Wild West" from the first live-only Americana tune @Mark posted a week ago, are tagged at the beginning of that second version of The Getaway. The remake's more laid back and westernized, it has a lot of feel, an apt tchaka-tchaka train groove, twangier guitars and divine harmonies. In short, it has the Jayhawks as a backing band. I'd advise the playlisters among us to hold their horses and wait for that second version to come along to make their decision!
The Getaway (Lonesome Train) - More swampy vibe. Dang, his vocals have a Neil Young feel to my ears. Not bad at all but could use a little more locomotion ?
The Getaway Definitely hear Mark Knopfler and CCR stylizations but perhaps also some of the production and rhythmic gait found in parts of Bob Dylan's Time Out Of Mind too. Sunny Afternoon is mentioned a few times but part of me wishes Ray had altered this at each turn to say Stormy Sky, Balmy evening etcetera to show the thought/s are always pervading no matter the (time of day or) weather! Mark has nailed the album theme well in his post and Ray seemed to have finally gained the synergy and self propulsion from getting on that train towards the risky getaway destination of one debut solo album! In closing i concur that the performances and production elevate a decent song up to a being a very good one.
The Getaway (Lonesome Train): I’ve listened, I’ve read the reports, I’ve rushed to hear the Americana Act II version…and I’m a bit stumped by my initial notes where I declare this track to be “kinda boring, really. Good, though. Just not that interesting.” I’m stumped because I do like it better this time around. Maybe it was a mood thing when I listened previously? Don’t know.
The Getaway: I was glad to hear Ray moving in a direction like this, away from hard rock geared towards an audience he thought still existed based on his 80s success. This song doesn't do a lot for me, but it sounds right. Sometimes you need songs like this an album, that don't quite hit for you, but you're glad to hear the artist move in a direction that suits his style. I guess you could argue he already did this much better on Muswell Hillbillies. But for long-term fans (were there any other kind after the long lay-off?), that was over 30 years ago! Again, I'm hearing a fade-out at about 5:10. The song goes on for more than another minute and a half, the last few seconds of that consisting of meaningless studio chatter!
