Yea, it had the big scorers, but Denmark Street got the big snub, and Contenders only got 5 points, so it dragged the average down. edit: it came to 11
I claim responsibility for this, as my rankings may have skewed those sides! Rank Item 1 No More Looking Back 2 A Long Way From Home
Yes. Side one No. Title Writer(s) Length 1. "The Contenders" 2:42 2. "Strangers" Dave Davies 3:20 3. "Denmark Street" 2:00 4. "Get Back in Line" 3:04 5. "Lola" 4:01 6. "Top of the Pops" 3:40 7. "The Moneygoround" 1:42 Side two No. Title Writer(s) Length 8. "This Time Tomorrow" 3:22 9. "A Long Way from Home" 2:27 10. "Rats" Dave Davies 2:40 11. "Apeman" 3:52 12. "Powerman" 4:16 13. "Got to Be Free" 3:00
So, based on the data of the numbers Mark crunched up for us on the results of the averages of the songs that did get ranked, Arthur is our favorite album over The Village Green Preservation Society which is slightly surprising but not too much. I would have expected these to be the top 2 in terms of overall depth and it could have gone either way in terms of the rank order. Schoolboys In Disgrace averaging out as high as it did and outpacing Face To Face surprises me too. Perhaps the amount of Schoolboys songs that got selected for the two recent The Journey comps had that album fresh and in our minds. Remember too how the 60s era of Pye had all those great non-LP A and B sides that we rated very highly and had any one of these appeared on those albums especially during the Face To Face through Village Green era, that would have made a difference here, especially for Face To Face, which could jump a couple of spots had one or more of those songs been on it. And look at Sleepwalker just below Face To Face after not placing a single song in the initial Too 100 after that first round. Give The People What They Want averaged out a bit higher than I would have expected. And as much space and bandwidth as we gave the Pye era at the top of the pops as a group of voters, look at the bottom three ranked albums - three pieces of Pye. Of course Kinks and Kinda Kinks are weighed down by all the cover versions and Percy is, well, Percy.
Just wanted to mention my sister’s absence the last little bit may be due to her not being in the country. Unbeknownst to me. I hope she has remembered that she is on tap this Sunday. As am I.
Catching up after being offline for a bit - have not digested the many lists posted over the last week or so. Also travelling and away from my own lists, so will comment on this stuff when I'm back if the discussion hasn't already moved on too much. But I did want to offer condolences and say thanks to those who've recently shared stories about loss and parental frailty and caregiving last week. As my brother mentioned, we lost our mother less than a year ago and it has been a difficult time. Condolences again for your loss and the difficult circumstances. I can empathize with your current situation. We are trying to help our elderly father negotiate the world without his partner of 60 years. A whole other can of worms, as you say... Thank you. And thanks for L'orphelin. (I dread the day when I will become an orphan.) Thanks @Michael Streett , @palisantrancho , and @Brian x for your heart-wrenching yet beautiful stories on caregiving, loss, and how it changes you. I can relate to this too - it helps to hear others' experiences. And hang in there, @DISKOJOE - glad to hear your mother's situation is stable. This too! Joining this thread has been therapeutic for me - denizens of the Thread, you make me laugh and you make me smile every day. And you've got me interested in and listening to music again. Thank you.
Re Sunday selections - thanks @StefanWq and @The late man . Haven't had a chance to listen to any of this yet, but will catch up when I can. Split Enz! except maybe ? They were certainly popular in Canada in the early 1980s, though I'm pretty sure I don't know the second album - looking forward to that. Mr Diagonal and the Black Light Orchestra / Dan Barbenel I have never heard of, so something entirely new to check out.
ForENZics - Walking Some nice melodies, hooks, asides and laments. Oddly I prefer hearing this without the video as seeing older gents dressed normally without make up (and prior alternate hairdressing appointments) though enacting surreal activities (around the half way mark) is distracting and looks cheaply tacked on.
My Mistake This seemed an all round triumph for the band where song, melody, arrangement, video, attire and acting all came together for an eye and earworm!
I’m certainly down a worm hole with Split Enz. I suddenly have six of their albums on my iTunes. It’s a lot to digest, but I am loving this new band to dive into. @StefanWq chose the perfect album to hook me in. At this early stage, Second Thoughts remains my favorite. It's interesting that many of the songs were re-recordings of earlier songs. I haven't listened enough yet to know which versions of those songs I prefer, but so far my preference is with the flow and production of Second Thoughts. I love the song "Matinee Idol (129)", which I just found out was an earlier song on a compilation called The Beginning Of Enz. I'm also listening to Time and Tide tonight for the first time and it's another album with many gems. It's not going to be easy to top this Sunday recommendation! I have no idea what to share when it comes time for me recommend a band or artist. I have many ideas, but nothing that I am sure of.
Space(d) Bunny I don't know what to say but it did bring a pleasurable smile to my face. I wonder if Aqua and Right Said Fred joined Carla's friend who sang the high pitched song title (linked below) and had Frank Zappa produce? Google Image Result for https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTIwODJhMGQtYWYwMC00MWExLTkyNzMtMDk3MWQ2MzQzN2I3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDY4MzkyNw@@._V1_.jpg
Late Victorian This is an affecting piece of music with very atmospheric piano intermeshed superbly with a studio treated string part. The vocal phrasing of notes is interesting as languid gaps are contrasted in counterpoint by rapid ascension in tandem with the piano in lockstep support. Who writes beautiful slightly off-kilter songs like this with similar feel and instrumentation? The answer is another Mr Diagonal solo artist whose name is Jack Bruce and I say this in high complement. N.b. Whilst not a similar piece Jack coincidentally wrote a song called Victoria Sage.
Rockstar Great satire that I think would be enjoyed by anyone from Dave Grainey to Ray Davies. Extra points for securing Ami Stewart's stage headgear for the video! "When's the next gig?" "Rockstar....... we'll let you know!"
Maybe I'll Build A Boat Is the intro on a pseudo lollipop with a plastic pull-out top to help waver the pitch? This is a genteel backdrop of escapism as antidote to everyday tasks and we see our protagonist in his beautiful laundrette!
Sunset and Vine (A Fools Paradise) Our hero Mr Diagonal looks a little on the sunny side though is more parallel to Rca Ray as he's sitting (& standing) outside his hotel room and hopefully awaiting the day he is famous enough to be immortalised on Hollywood Boulevard as a bard. This is not so happy a song but he is beguilingly Mr pleasant at the same time so it all comes out as somewhere over the Ray-brow!
The Stand Alone Singles. 1964 Long Tall Sally - UK 42 Never really stood a chance for my list. It's ok, but very few of those early British band cover songs did, or do, much for me. You Still Want Me – 300 /You Do Something To Me - 290 - - These are a couple of cool tracks, but the competition is too great. You Really Got Me – 8 /It's All Right - 296.... big hit Ok, You Really Got Me was on the debut album, but it comes for special mention, because it wasn't in my forty.... If songs are important, then this one was. It launched the band's career, and it changed the face of what rock music could be, opening the doors for garage rock, punk, hard rock and heavy metal... and yea, I still love the song... but in terms of the list.... nah, based on the three years of exploration, it isn't a top forty favourite for me. I have always preferred All Day And All Of The Night, even though I understand the importance of this big hit. 64 on my list All Day And All Of The Night – 12 /I Gotta Move - 242 - UK 2 - US 7 - Aus 14 This came in on my list at 32. If I had made this list before we did the thread YRGM and this would likely have been fairly high up. 1965 Everybody's Gonna Be Happy – 246 UK 17 This is a cool, fun song, but it isn't even in my top 176. A good single for the time, but not in Ray's elite songs for me. Set Me Free – 85 /I Need You - 57 UK 9 - US 23 - Aus 54 Again, excellent A and B side, but just not in the upper reaches of Ray or Dave's writing for me. Didn't make my 176 See My Friends – 30 /Never Met A Girl Like You Before UK 10 See My Friends comes in at 37, and it is a significant track. ADAAOTN is a fun rock song that built on the ground of YRGM, but this was something else and set the band on a new path, in my mind at least. Ray wanted to step outside of being pigeonholed and this is one out of the box. We talked about all the reasons, but the Indian influence, without any Indian instruments to make it a sort of pastiche, actually raises this above any of the other faux-subcontinent material of the sixties for me. Who'll Be The Next In Line - 139 - - Good track, but not in my top 176, Ray has done so much better. A Well Respected Man – 36 /Such A Shame - US 13 - Aus 11 Clearly a great track, and again, if songs are important, then this is, due to it starting Ray on his observational character studies. Came in at 67 for me. 1966 Dedicated Follower Of Fashion – 32 /Sitting On My Sofa 138 - UK 4 - US 36 - Aus 36 the A side made 38 on my chart. To me Ray manages to get the perfect balance between humour and satire and captures it in a great sixties pop song. The B side is great, and probably just missed out on my 176 Dead End Street – 7 /Big Black Smoke - 77 - UK 5 - US 73 - Aus 62 One of the great double siders Dead End Street made number 14 Big Black Smoke just missed out at 50 I’m Not Like Everybody Else (b-side) – 13 A corker of a track, and yea, it’s a b-side 1967 Mister Pleasant - 130 /This Is Where I Belong - 90 - US 80 - Aus 35 Mr Pleasant got in at 57 This Is Where I Belong should probably have made the 176, but I guess I missed it amongst the other 300+ tracks. Autumn Almanac - 5 - UK 3 - Aus 73 66 on my list. Yes I love it, but probably not as much as most. Susannah's Still Alive – 260 /Funny Face - UK 20 Funny Face is another song that should have been in the big list, even though it wouldn't have made the top forty. Susannah's Still Alive came in at 91 1968 Wonderboy – 50 /Polly - 197 - UK 36 Polly 105 Wonderboy 130 Obviously great tracks, but for me there were greater Days – 2 /She's Got Everything - 46 - UK 12 - Aus 77 Days 18 She's Got Everything 71 Days an indisputable classic. I suppose it will end up higher on the list, but at this stage on the thread we are only up to number 28. As wonderful as this song is, there are 17 more wonderful tracks in my world Lincoln County – 176 /There Is No Life Without Love - 235 - Both good tracks Lincoln County perhaps should have made my 176 1969 Hold My Hand – 239 /Creeping Jean - 174 - Essentially like a couple of others, I think this qualifies as a Dave single, not a Kinks release, but this whole period is a little murky as to what is what with Dave's songs. One thing I will say is Creeping Jean should have been the A side, and if we consider it a Kinks track it should be in my 176. Plastic Man – 196 / King Kong - 160 - UK 31 - Aus 97 Again, to me, this shows how strong the Kinks catalog is. Neither made my 176, perhaps King Kong should have. Mindless Child Of Motherhood (b-side) – 134 This Man He Weeps Tonight (bside) – 141 1970 Berkley Mews (b-side) - 61 1974 Preservation - This perhaps should have made my 176, but like the bside (Salvation Road) it didn't 1977 Father Christmas – 78 /Prince Of The Punks - 286 - Santa missed the boat... yea I know, blasphemy. Prince Of The Punks came in at 118... probably mainly for the rip roaring One For The Road version. 1982 Noise (b-side) - 311 1991 Did Ya – 68 / Look Through Any Doorway - 89 - US 48 - Aus 48 I counted this as part of Phobia, and in doing so I missed Look Through Any Doorway, which would likely have made the 176.
California Plaintive and I guess quite straight and direct. This is the best geography lesson I ever had but I'm a sucker for fingerpicked nylon strings with an appealing tone. Thanks to @The late man even though that moniker best suits me at present!
Thanks for your insightful reviews, and thanks everyone for your very positive and relevant comments ! I'm glad Mr Diagonal met a warm welcome here.
I thought Mark's reviews were excellent with his usual musical based commentary but I must say I haven't caught up to read everybody else's yet!
I've been tied up for a couple of days and haven't had the chance to dig into many of the recent posts - especially Mark's impressive song and album breakdown. My reservation about making judgments about the popularity of albums through our song votes is that much seems to depend on the methodology of applying equal scores for groups of 20 songs and that score minus 1 for the next 20. I understand the reason for doing this yet I don't believe a single point captures popularity differences - say between the top 5 songs and those that finished 21-25. And I have a gut feeling that Something Else would fly much higher in our album charts if a different methodology were used. But am I volunteering to throw different assumptions at the data until I get the result I want? No, I'm not a "professional" consultant. But I will stare at all the numbers a bit tomorrow to see if I have an epithany - or until I decide I need to drink until I'm epithanied.
