We'll see if the beast makes it, but Barcode will definitely receive appropriate representation on my list. Odd though it may seem, it's all wrapped up in the first flush of Kinks discovery in my memory. I bought Dave's first 3 solo albums in close to real time ... also when I was gathering up the Kinks catalogue. Lobby away, and well timed, I must say - Americana (1 & 2) is on the slate for this weekend's listening/listing. The schedule was set back a bit by an 8(ish) hour power outage today, but I eventually tromped off to the library and listened to Fractured Mindz (sacre bleu!) and I Will be Me. Moving over to Ray for a change of pace this evening. ----- Have a great trip - will you be in the path of totality? @mark winstanley - hope all is ok and you are able to catch your breath and get some rest.
I see we just passed the third anniversary of the start of this thread on April 4, apparently missed, unnoticed, and unremarked by everyone including me! I saw the thread that first day and was very excited to get going and participate in whatever way I could. I didn't post that first day, but I did a few days later once we moved into the songs. There was never a question of the quality of the band and the material that was to be reviewed and was sure to draw considerable stimulating discussion. That was a given. The unknown was the demeanor, thoughtfulness, and respect (or the lack thereof) of the participants towards each other. The acceptance of differing opinions and ideas has turned out far better and greater than expected and more friendly and fun than any other thread I have personally been a part of in my almost 20 years as a member/lurker on this forum. It's been a great ride, better than I could have ever imagined. Thanks folks! __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Now that’s the way to do it. You can use the discussions we had here as another set of liner notes. Hope you got a good deal on the box as it's getting pricey these days. Wait, have you already submitted your list(s)? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ @mark winstanley Really enjoyed your original material and band so thanks for sharing! Really good stuff and your drummer Dave and I are sympatico when it comes to being asked to use click tracks. Don't get me started. Click tracks...Grrrr .
Yea, there are some advantages to clicks, but there is also a loss. The natural groove and flow of musicians can't be achieved against a click, and depending on the style of music, that can be almost fatal. Out of interest. Did my programmed drums on Fill Up The Gaps manage to sound natural(ish) i spent fkn hours and hours on trying to make them as real sounding/feeling as possible lol
That’s the plan. My daughters both live in upstate New York, the younger one fairly close to the path of totality. We plan on driving an hour or so north of her to a point where we’ll be in an area that should get about three and a half minutes of total eclipse. We’re just keeping our fingers crossed for clear skies.
FWIW, I'm with you, Mr. Tardy Gentleman. It gets hard with these messy discographies; my Truly Confused N10 friend didn't make it (due to forgetfulness from the"main character"). Much like Ray's character, I guess i'm truly confused too. Ultimately, I find my foible to be real Ray-ish, though. He would blame it on some external factor but the guy didn't make it easy on himself, and I feel like I am acquiescing to his lot in life. But man, he has some incredible tunes. I felt my muscles tense as I compared tunes of his against each other, especially across eras.
I don't really do social media (present company excepted) and have no other experience of this forum, but feel compelled to say that my short time here on this thread has been a delight in equal measure because of the material under discussion and the warmth, humour, knowledge, intelligence, and thoughtfulness - in short, the humanity - of the participants. Kinks fans are the best, aren't they? Thanks, all. ---- Fingers crossed for a change in the weather [forecast] if you'll be in an area currently predicting a stormy sky.
I have a handful of songs from Storyteller on my Ray list. Some of my favorite Ray solo tracks come from there.
THREE YEARS. Three whole delightful dedicated years full of music and, yes, humanity. I joined a few days in (I had to « feel » it first, before committing fully) and well, I guess the rest is SHF History. I think there’s a few explanations why things went so well. A lot of them have to do with the people involved, how the tone was set by Mark and a few of the original kontributore. But the music itself is of course key. These are songs that reward close scrutiny just as much as they induce immediate pleasure. Which is super rare, a lot of the best music around just gives you one of those two things. When you start looking closely at how Ray (not just him, but first and foremost him) crafted the songs, how he played with structure, chord changes, words, phrasing, performance, arrangement, sound, you enter a world where pure inspiration and deliberate (often self-) conscious decisions work hand in hand in a very delicate fine-tuned and artful way. And that’s before you start understanding that he also crafted the body of work itself!!!! He did it in a very unique way, giving meaning, purpose and importance to every phase of the band’s career. We’ve been through it but I’m convinced that’s what has been lacking in his solo years. He could still write great, great songs (top 20 countdown to follow shortly) but they wouldn’t/couldn’t mean the same (if only for him) in this context, because they were in effect removed or detached from the main body of work. Because they were not Kinks songs anymore. This super deliberate aspect of Ray’s work has been the greatest discovery for me during this thread and has kept me engaged in listening (and I mean listening) every single day with open ears and read everyone’s posts with open eyes and an open mind. I’ve written a lot here, and while I knew every song inside and out beforehand (to the exclusion of a lot of solo Dave stuff), I have discovered something new and unexpected about them every single day, either by listening (and I mean listening ) or by reading someone else’s post. This Thread has not been imaginary for me at all, it’s been a real place, with real people, real commitment, real friends.
After a week away, both my lists are in. I found Ray more challenging than Dave to get to a 20 I was reasonably happy with. Originally it included several unofficially available tracks, some from '80 Days', one from 'Come Dancing', but decided that until they get an official release meaning that Ray is happy to share them with us, they're going to remain absent from my list.
While I dropped off once we kicked properly into the 70s, I want to echo the above with what a blast this thread was a whopping 3 years ago, leading into the birth of my son and the early days of that. Without a doubt the best time I’ve had on a forum, with some of the best music ever created.
Happy 3rd Anniversary of this thread. It’s been a pleasure to be part of it and to make some small contributions to it. Much of the success has to go to Our Headmaster and his open mind towards all the periods of the Kinks’ output. I also learned about other things besides the Kinks, such as how cricket is played and that there’s an area in France named Die, among others.I have also enjoyed dealing with plenty of great people, my fellow Avids, expressing our opinions with respect and good humor and without rancor. I hope we can continue to have this thread rolling as long as we can.
Thanks for reminding us of this thread's third anniversary. I'm hopeless at remembering anniversaries. A few years ago I forgot my wedding anniversary; fortunately my wife also forgot it, so we called it a draw. Even though we've done what the thread set out to do I still love coming back to these pages because I'm still finding new things to learn about the Kinks and I'm discovering new music - something that still gives me a kick. These Sunday suggestions have resonated more strongly with me than other musical suggestions on SHF Forums. While well-meaning, suggestions of artists/bands on other threads usually become unfocused lists as more and more people throw up (sometimes in all senses of the term) new names. Here people get the opportunity to go into detail about why their favoured artist stands out from the crowd and, more often than not, they do.
The traditional gift for a third anniversary is something made of leather. I wonder if Mark would appreciate an anniversary gift made of leather that's suitable for any (traditional) Headmaster and would remind him of his homeland? If so, I've found just the thing.... Adult size Kangaroo Hide Stock Whip "2023 Xmas special " 3 free crackers with this whip! | Mick's Whips
I had Procol Harum in mind since @markelis first proposed the idea of our freeform Sunday project. I hesitated because I had no idea how well they fit into anything Kinks related, but decided to throw my hat in the ring after seeing a fairly wide range of music covered on the first few Sundays. Anyway, here goes. Procol Harum is far from being a new artist, but I’m hoping that for at least a few people the tracks I post will be new to them. People more familiar with Procol will know from my avatar that I am a fan. The reason they came to mind as an artist to highlight is that, as with the Kinks, the songs they are most well known for, by the general public, are not representative of their career. For the Kinks, we all assume that the general public knows YRGM and Lola, and that general rock music fans know at least some of the Kink’s other hit singles. Us Avids know that that barely touches the surface of the Kinks. Likewise, for Procol Harum, even the most casual music fan knows their giant hit, the magnificent Whiter Shade of Pale, which I won’t post here. Some may also know Conquistador, which got a fair amount of airplay at one time, but I would think, at least here in the US, that that is the entirety of most people’s knowledge of them. Based on WSOP, people might think that they specialized in a symphonic style of rock. Heck, even the version of Conquistador that got airplay was recorded live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Procol certainly did not work in as broad an array of styles as the Kinks, but they had songs that might be considered prog, like their epic In Held Twas In I, which I also won’t post. Other styles that might apply would include psychedelia, piano ballads, blues rock, and harder rocking songs. My experience with Procol Harum also started at the same time as did my experience with the Kinks, which is another reason they came immediately to mind. Along with the Kinks, my earliest concerts included seeing Procol Harum live several times, at a few of the same venues. Back then, in my angsty teenage years, if you had asked me who my favorite band was, I would have said Procol Harum. They may no longer occupy the top spot of my favorite bands, but I still love them, and wish their discography was a little better known. Procol Harum formed in 1967, with singer Gary Brooker and other members having their roots in R & B band the Paramounts. Procol went through a number of lineup changes over their career, but for the main run of the band ran, from 1967 to 1977, the constants were piano player, singer, and composer Gary Brooker, who wrote most of their original music; lyricist Keith Reid; and drummer B. J. Wilson. For the first three albums, the lineup also included relatively well-known members Robin Trower on guitar, and Matthew Fisher on organ.
Nothing But the Truth This first song is the lead off track on the album from which my avatar comes, Exotic Birds and Fruit, released in 1974. Like most of their catalogue, it is a Brooker/Reid composition. It has great energy and features the organ and piano sound that they employ in many of their songs. Reid’s lyrics can be pretty dark, but have interesting turns of phrase. I don’t know exactly what this song is about, though the line about Icarus flying too near the sun makes me wonder if the song is somehow self-referential, as they never again achieved the success of WSOP later in their career. They also have a song on this album that is clearly addressed to their record label, Chrysalis, called Butterfly Boys. Anyway, this is the opener. It seems as clear as yesterday We saw it in a dream but dream became insanity an awful gaping scream So sad to see such emptiness So sad to see such tears And heaped up leaves of bitterness turned mouldy down the years Nothing but the truth. Common words in use Hard to find excuse Harder than the truth Like Icarus we flew too high We flew too near the sun They caught us in that awful glare Our hapless throats were strung But just before the final stroke They took us victims of the rope And cast us far beyond the deep To lie in never ending sleep It seems as clear as yesterday They cast us in the deep We lie in darkest night for good A never ending sleep A never ending bitter gloom Whose darkness seldom clears A God forsaken emptiness Which fills our hearts with tears Brooker/Reid 1974 Gary Brooker – Piano, vocal BJ Wilson – Drums Chris Copping – Organ Alan Cartwright – Bass Mick Grabham – Guitar
Piggy Pig Pig This track is another of Procol’s harder rocking songs. It is on one of their darkest albums, 1970’s Home. I can almost feel the winds raging, and see the people trembling in fear. I have no idea where the shouted “piggy pig pig” line of the title comes from, but I like it. I remember being surprised the one time I heard this played on the radio many years after it came out. Some dark lyrics by Keith Reid; this time the music has the same mood. Wash yourself and see your sorrow, make every pitcher clean Take a mop to swab the floor and destroy the evil dream Counting houses full of lead, the evil eye on high The streets awash with blood and pus, the new moon's in the sky God's aloft, the winds are raging God's aloft, the winds are cold After leaving I was weeping - count it out in tolls Watch the book, the page is turning - how the tale unfolds Inside every cancered spectre, inside-outside find your own God's aloft, the winds are raging God's aloft, the winds are cold. Brooker/Reid 1970 Gary Brooker – piano, vocals Robin Trower – guitar Chris Copping – organ, bass B. J. Wilson – drums
A Rum Tale This is a quieter, more melodic one. It’s from their 1973 album Grand Hotel. Who doesn’t like a nice rum drink in the tropics. Our narrator has taken to drinking. It’s a sad and woeful story. She's fuddled my fancy, she's muddled me good I've taken to drinking, and given up food I'm buying an island, somewhere in the sun I'll hide from the natives, live only on rum I'm selling my memoirs, I'm writing it down If no one will pay me I'll burn down the town I'll rent out an aircraft and print on the sky If God likes my story then maybe he'll buy I'm buying a ticket for places unknown It's only a one-way: I'm not coming home She's swallowed my secret, and taken my name To follow my footsteps and knobble me lame Brooker/Reid 1973 Gary Brooker – vocals, piano Mick Grabham – guitar Chris Copping – organ Alan Cartwright – bass guitar, acoustic bass B.J. Wilson – drums, percussion
Power Failure Back to a harder rocking track, to drive home the point that Procol was more than a “symphonic” rock band. This song is from their 1971 album Broken Barricades. I had to post this live version, featuring a BJ Wilson drum solo, especially for @Micheal Streett. There is an attenuated version of the drum solo on the studio version, but it doesn’t work all that well there; on the studio version, the drum solo sounds like it was pieced together, and includes a fake audience response. Climbing out of open windows Crashing down from broken stairs Keeping watch on smoking cinders Falling over burning chairs Tossed and crossed and screwed in transit broken, splintered, bruised and thrown Badly shattered, gale force frighty Rushed across and shown alone Speech reduced by poor relations Strung from weeks of self abuse Chopped up, churned out weeks of greazy Spark plugs burned up, power's fused. Brooker/Reid 1971 Gary Brooker – piano, vocals Robin Trower – guitar Chris Copping – bass, organ B. J. Wilson – drums
Fires (Which Burnt Brightly) I thought I’d end with a more symphonic song from Grand Hotel. It’s either a great breakup song or a great antiwar song, take your pick. The female singer who adds so much to the mood of this song is Christiane Legrand. Ms. Legrand is the sister of well-known French composer Michel Legrand. This war we are waging is already lost The cause for the fighting has long been a ghost Malice and habit have now won the day The honours we fought for are lost in the fray Standards and bugles are trod in the dust Wounds have burst open, and corridors rust Once proud and truthful, now humbled and bent Fires which burnt brightly, now energies spent Let down the curtain, and exit the play The crowds have gone home and the cast sailed away Our flowers and feathers as scarring as weapons Our poems and letters have turned to deceptions Brooker/Reid 1974 Gary Brooker – vocals, piano Mick Grabham – guitar Chris Copping – organ Alan Cartwright – bass guitar, acoustic bass B.J. Wilson – drums, percussion Christiane Legrand – vocals
Procol Harum does not have that large a discography and the first 9 albums are the main ones I listen to. Their tenth, Something Magic, contains a side-long epic poem that was subject to some ridicule at the time. I believe it was even disowned by Gary Brooker at one time as well, but I can’t find a citation. My understanding was that they were under record company pressure, and that was what they had available. They broke up after that album in 1977, reforming in 1991, and releasing three more studio albums. I got to see their 1991 tour and they were just as good as ever. We were thrilled to see Matthew Fisher return, as he had left the band before we saw our first live shows in 1974. I am less familiar with the post 1991 albums, even though I own them all. My initial reaction was that they were okay, but that they tend to repeat what came before, to lesser effect. Their last album, Novum, from 2017, is the only one without lyrics by Keith Reid, having lyrics mainly written by Pete Brown (known for writing some of Cream’s lyrics). While it may not be bad, without Keith Reid it doesn’t feel like a proper Procol Harum album. Gary Brooker died in 2022, and Keith Reid in 2023. I know I said I wouldn’t post Whiter Shade of Pale, but decided to include this instrumental version by King Curtis. It helped set the mood in the film Withnail and I.
