There are some uncharacteristically dodgy rhymes in the song, but reading your comment it occurs to me that maybe that's just part of its innocence and charm - Ray's usual irony and cleverness would feel out of place here. I also find this song genuinely touching, and it's an interesting way for him to address the shooting, which is the major event of the Americana story in terms of action, but it's not the main focus here. It's also an interesting way for him to say, indirectly, that he wishes that the Kinks had never broken up. Though it addresses the Big Guys specifically, the song kind of sums up a lot of what the album is saying about family, and how without it he's like a little boy lost - and maybe it took being shot for him to realize that.
Tony And Bob Spoken interlude acknowledging his late keepers or “bodyguards” and it seems he has genuine affection for these gentlemen in not only a professional, but also a personal way, which is a nice gesture and an extremely rare example of Ray acknowledging someone other than himself as a nice guy. Reflective and sad music by design. A good portion of the book is devoted to these folks, so it makes for interesting reading and musing. But is it album listening material? Stay tuned. The Big Guy The main ascending melody is very catchy and has a singalong quality that reminds me of something else I have been wracking my brain on for a while now to identify, but with no luck yet. The old 1970s Schoolhouse Rock educational cartoon short about unpacking adjectives comes close, but I think it’s something else I haven’t been able to eardentify yet (I’ve made up yet another word here/hear). I was trying to come up with a logical reason why this particular tangent of his “bodyguards” and that aspect of his career appears in some detail in the printed version that is the book, and even more cynically, in recorded form on this album in the first place, when other seemingly more consequential people and events are not brought up or even acknowledged as having occurred, much less as having had an actual impact on things as they turned out, which of course they did. While the words and melody disguise themselves to be catchy, pleasing, and friendly the song really does not develop any further than that, and I think the reason the stories of these two guys are in the book and its place on this album is some form of self-therapy and acknowledgement from Ray. The New Orleans incident was much later than these two guys who were Kinks-era Keepers, but it seems the big picture of The Big Guy is that if somebody, anybody, truly close had been around Ray during these lost years after The Kinks he probably would have made different decisions and things would have turned out far different including this one fateful decision. Anyone else who was around Ray at any given moment and event in his life to save him from himself and self-destruction as he freely and frankly admits – Tony, Bob, his exes, his kids, Dave, Mick, The Kinks, whoever. None of these had been around in a long time by this point. Tony and Bob get the actual name checks as they are no longer on this Earth. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ As for the Now And Then sidebar, I happen to like this new Beatles track very much and better and better the more I listen to it and if Ray, Dave, Mick (Mick? Seriously? ), have anything of consequence left to share or up their sleeves, then put up or shut up.
That’s weird, because the NME story I read had Ray giving his opinions on Now and Then - and Hackney Diamonds. Either way it’s still funny: “Elsewhere in the interview with NME, Davies shared his thoughts on the long-awaited “final” track from The Beatles, stating: “It’s alright, but it’s nothing really different for them”, and also revealed that he is a fan of ‘Hackney Diamonds’ – the latest album from The Rolling Stones.” The Kinks have enough material for “about 20” new songs, says Ray Davies
Short promo video on today’s songs. Meant to post it earlier but got side “tracked” taking a Micky of my own.
The Big Guy A lovely tune and a moving tribute to the 'big guys', Tony and Bob. Possibly the best tune on the album, as has already been mentioned. Whilst it is a lovely tribute, it is a shame in some ways that this tune has been used for a song so wedded to the narrative story here, such that it can't really work outside 'Our Country'.
I don't have much to say about the songs on the present LP, so I'll just note that the Face in the Crowd video was very nice to see.
“‘The Big Guy’ alludes to God of course” he says at the very end of that video - which had never occurred to me.
Tony and Bob / The Big Guy Don’t really have too much to add to what you all have said. This might be the most personal tracks that Ray ever wrote and recorded. The Big Guy’s storytelling style reminds me a bit of the feel of The Informer or The Road. The promo video posted by Mr. Streett also highlights that the “Big Guy” could also refer to God watching over him. And with the last couple songs, we are left wondering how godless New Orleans really is. Edit: @Luckless Pedestrian highlighted the God connection while I was drafting my post
The Big Guy This is one of, if not my favorite track on this album. It’s one of the few that sounds like a Ray Davies song rather than a genre exercise. Ray clearly has fond memories of Big Tony and Bobby. Even though his reminiscing and nostalgia for his former minders was sparked by the shooting, and clearly fits the narrative, the emotions are universal for anyone that misses a friend that is no longer with them. On a personal note, when in the spoken Tony and Bob intro, Ray mentions that they had an instinct for knowing when something bad was going to happen, it reminded me that one of the only times I ever did an about face and decided not to walk down a specific block was in New Orleans. I love New Orleans and my wife and I did quite a bit of walking there, but just once, my gut told me not to walk past a group of young men hanging out on a darkened street up ahead just on the outskirts of the French Quarter. I’d never felt that way in New York, not that I walk around the bad sections of New York with my wife at night to be fair.
Watched the promo video after my post - I hadn’t thought of there being a God reference, either. It makes sense… writing the song after a near death experience and feeling abandoned and alone.
Tony & Bob / The Big Guy The narrative of the album gets both very dark and grateful at the same time, as Ray remembers his bodyguards of the past and how he misses their protection and friendship. In "The Big Guy" the horrible shooting incident has happened and Ray thinks back on the awful moments immediately after he had been shot in the leg and couldn't be sure that he'd be helped in time. The song is both beautiful and haunting in equal measures with excellent performances by all musicians involved. They really play with a lot of empathy for the mood of the song. Definitely one of the very best tracks on the album.
Latest odds on a full scale Kinks reunion. 1. Musically collaborating 10% 2. In a Muswell Nursing Home 20% 3. In Heaven (at the Konk-ed out bar) 30% 4. Down The Pub 40%
Tony And Bob This got me thinking of some rock bodyguards that were a bit larger than life and those that had them on their side were extremely grateful. Big Jim Callaghan worked for many years with The Stones, Dylan & AC/DC. Tony Funches was known for amongst other things working for The Doors and with The Stones at Altamont where he broke a fist on a Hells Angels face! Tony wrote a book on his exploits which was published after his death and I assume that Big Jim like Ray's bodyguards is also long gone too? Altamont photo with Tony, Mick & an Angel. Google Image Result for http://www.coloradomusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Tony-Funches.jpg
The Big Guy Something musically and vocally reminds me of the verses from the John Phillips song 2001 off his posthumous Pay, Pack And Follow album. More subtly there is a little musical motif from John Lennon's Beatles song In My Life which is perhaps most easily heard at the end. **Edit; Interesting Ray fondly lauds and laments these gents and at the same time is critical of his own behaviours! It just goes to show you can teach an old dog new tricks but unfortunately for a hardheaded guy like Ray his experience was chalked up on the blackboard jungle on the streets of New Orleans! Hmm now if it had been on the streets of San Francisco a little @Rockford & Roll avatar would have steered a safe streett passage so Ray only saw the Golden (and not a possibly Pearly) Gate!
Those sides are so long, crowded, so little dead wax around the label, that my tone arm loses its tracking when it gets to the inner bands on at least one of the sides
Epilogue. (Spoken) For better or worse, my adventures in America had made me a wiser person, and now I'd been given the chance to put my life back on track. As I was driven to the airport, for the final time before leaving New Orleans, I asked the driver to take a short detour past the place where I'd been shot. These experiences would not stop me from seeing the funny side, but just the same, I never forget a face and while I don't normally bear grudges, If one day I should return, vengeance will indeed be mine. Meanwhile, I'd celebrate my origins rather than hide them. I am a Londoner after all. Getting shot in New Orleans had given me a limp, and if not properly treated, could turn into a permanent voodoo walk. But the next time I see a zombie coming towards me on the street, I won't let him spook me out so much. I'd even sing him a song. Written by: Ray Davies Published by: DavRay Music Ltd./Sony ATV Music Publishing This is a nice little wrap up of the New Orleans incident. Nice backing music, a hint of humour and a reflective, thoughtful breakdown... Nothing special as a song, because it isn't, but probably an essential piece of narrative to take us into the last song.
Muswell Kills. Cause' I'm a Muswell hillbilly boy But my heart lies in old west Virginia Wooo! (Scat Verse) How're you doin' my blue eyed beauty? Looks like you're from outta town Come on Honky hand it over Let me spread your money 'round Don't look at me like a wide eyed stranger Don't shout out or make a sound I got the gun and you got the dough That's what makes the money go 'round They call it payback, country style (Cause I'm a) Muswell hillbilly boy Muswell hillbilly boy Billy boy, Billy boy Wooo! You can make this cockney move away from London Learn a new dance, sing a different song Make him do-si-do with a different partner But you can't make him forget where he comes from Well I've travelled far and wide in this great nation I've been around the block and paid my dues Had my ass kicked in on many an occasion But didn't come all this way to get shot by you Cause' I'm a Muswell hillbilly boy But my heart lies in old west Virginia Though my hills, they're not green, I have seen them in my dreams Take me back to the black hills that I ain't never seen Wooo! (Scat Verse) Let's have a knees up mother brown Come on take the zombie down Kick him in the goolies grab that gun Give it large, come on my son Take out vengeance ain't that sweet Let's have a rumble in the street Sophistication dies when you unleash the animal inside, yeah Vengeance, London style - ya know what'a mean? Muswell hillbilly boy Muswell hillbilly boy Billy boy, Billy boy Wooo! And you can tell every swingin' dick You can't teach an old dog new tricks No way, no ****ing way So behave, don't do it again Written by: Ray Davies Published by: DavRay Music Ltd./Sony ATV Music Publishing So after chasing the adventure and dream that was America, Ray decides he is British through and through, and specifically a Londoner, and even more specifically a Muswell Hillbilly Boy. So it all comes around, and the real tip of the hat to Muswell Hillbillies is this little closer, which is somewhat tongue in cheek, but only somewhat.... remember these lads were the real deal when it came to fighting, and to some degree they're lucky they survived each other. I really like this as a song, and I think that is enhanced by the fact that a lot of this album sits on the introspective side of things, so to go out with a bit of a stomper, that leans towards having a bit of fun is a good move. It feels like a call out to Dylan in the first verse's opening line... Where have you been my blue eyed son... but maybe I'm stretching. But either way it is said in a condescending tone... it's doubtful many men would appreciate being called a blue eyed beauty, as it infers femininity to some degree. Essentially it is a Hollywoodified version of the robbery in verse. The rest of the song is essentially a sort of prideful "lucky I didn't get my hands on you" thing... and it's understandable. Ray likely was someone to contend with in his younger days, and like he says in the lyrics, he's had his ass kicked before, but some of us working class bozo's will give you a run for your money.... and no matter how, as Ray says "sophisticated" life's circumstances may seem to make you, if you come from the street, from the working class, you are bound to have a bit of mongrel in you... Whether the right or wrong thing to do, just the fact that Ray chased the guy to get shot in the first place shows that inner mongrel was on its way out.... But age is a tricky foe, because the mind doesn't pay any attention to age, and you start writing cheques/checks your body can't cash anymore. The square dance is a nice change up, and fits the feel well. To some degree this ends the album with a bit of fun, and seems almost tongue in cheek... and seems altogether un-Ray-like in many ways.... I don't know ... a stomping blues rocker with slide guitar is normally going to work for me.
Our Country.... This album works on some levels and not on others... The narrative is a little loose in many ways, unless you really tie a few things together, and until doing the deep dive I didn't really get much of the idea of the play or narrative in terms of flow.... and even now certain parts of it don't seem to flow really well.... but the overarching theme, that may well have been shot down by everyone by the time we get through the songs seems to be a lost Ray, searching for a substitute for his Kinks.... The Kinks were Ray Davies' life, and that seems to be why he held onto them so tightly.... and not unlike a relationship, if you try and hold onto it too tightly, it will eventually end badly. We clearly saw Ray clutching at straws when the band broke up, and he moved into the Storyteller persona for nearly ten years. It actually took someone to shoot him to get him to record an album of new material... and I think, although we probably said something along the journey about this, that it was somewhat an inability to let go of the Kinks that made what could have been an exemplary solo career, a little too thin on the ground ... I mean even Return To Waterloo was supposed to be a Kinks album, and if Dave had joined in, it would have been... but I do really love Other People's Lives and Working Man's Cafe, and I actually do think Americana is a latter day masterpiece of its own.... I do like Our Country, but I'm not sure how frequently I would revisit it, in light of the first three real solo albums... and think about that... essentially four real solo albums in 26 or 27 years. But the meat in this sandwich for me is the sort of confessional, that to my mind while going through this album exposed just how much Ray needed the Kinks. For me the run of tracks from We Will Get There to Louisiana Sky seem to unlock the secret to Ray's (almost) failure to launch. As I (actually quite off the cuff and accidentally) said in the opening, Ray couldn't feel at home in the UK or the US, because for Ray his home was in the Kinks, and without that part of his life, he became somewhat aimless.... but that run of songs, from the way I heard and read them on the deep dive, explain to me that his predicament was even more dire than I had imagined. He had been Ray Davies the head Kink for so long that it seems like it is all he knew how to be, and though he managed to keep himself entertained doing the Storyteller routine for nearly a decade, it seems the wheels fell off after that. The album speaks of his restlessness, and a need to go and explore the US.... but I think the reality, even though I'm sure he did want to tour the US, is that he didn't really know who to be anymore. Just thinking back to how many references to being lost, not knowing who I am etc etc over the albums is a clear indication, but it wasn't until that stretch of songs on this album that it struck me how deeply the breakup of the band had actually scarred him .... left adrift on the sea of life with nowhere to call home.... Although Ray had been writing and keeping busy, it seems like the only thing that could get him to actually make a solo album was being shot.... what am I supposed to do with that? Say "well I'm glad someone shot him then" ... it just makes me overall very sad. and one can't blame Dave for wanting to go out on his own and find his own voice, because it had been somewhat suppressed under the mighty Ray Davies for over three decades... even though we got a few 80's albums... I guess essentially it all worked out for the best. The Kinks are one of the greatest album bands the world has ever seen. Dave got to express his own unique musical voice on his solo albums, which, aside from a couple, I have enjoyed very much. and Ray managed to get some excellent solo albums out into the world, even though it took getting shot to make it happen.... It's sort of hard to wrap this album up, because although not a favourite, I still enjoy it, but the big revelation for me wasn't so much the album, as the personal struggle Ray had with not being in the Kinks....
"Epilogue/Muswell Kills" The inevitable end to Ray's American journey, I suppose, as Ray is taken back to the airport alone in a taxi. It's a sad ending, but Ray appears ready to embrace being a Londoner again. "Muswell Kills" is not one of my favourites on the album, but at least it gives Ray the opportunity to get all his demons out while revisiting an old track. Ironic that the album should end with the words "don't do it again", directly contradicting a Kinks song title and the theme of many Kinks songs! Our Country One thing that I can be fairly certain about - if I had bought this album when it came out, on CD, it would have disappeared into the "don't bother" pile even quicker than the first one. There's not much here that would have appealed to me in 2018. At least by delaying until this point and getting it on vinyl I have given it a fighting chance of succeeding. I feel there are too many pastiche/genre exercise-type tracks, and also quite a lot of narrative, but breaking it down into four digestible chunks makes it easier to swallow. I don't think it's ever going to become a favourite (compare and contrast with Paul Simon's In The Blue Light which I bought at the same time and is proving an absolute revelation) but it will get played from time to time. Is it the last new material we'll ever hear from Ray? I would hope there is one more triumph to come.
