The Kinks - Album by Album (song by song)

I think I know of at least a dozen ... I guess women don't geek out on music as much as men? I don't know
We appreciate your presence though

 

I look forward to your thoughts... The thread guide will be up for you in a while.
Don't forget tomorrow is a day off, so perhaps do a side a day?

 

Oh but you’re not alone on this thread ! We have many Wondergirls here: @Rosie, @Sybilla, @Priscilla, @Susannah, @Polly, @Donna, @Daisy, not forgetting our current stars @Annabella and today's @Monica!

 

Monica.

Ray Davies told Q magazine that many people hadn't noticed that Village Green is a very sexy album. "It's about a lot of sex. Monica, Annabella... All these women that will bring you down, disgrace you," he said. "Make you leave your wife and family for a little leg over in the woods. It's about repressed sex."
Ray also said "I like the way I did 'Monica.' I didn't actually say she was a prostitute .... if you say somebody is a prostitute or a hooker you're restricted."

stereo mix (2:13), recorded probably May 1968 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London

Under a lamp light
Monica stands at midnight,
And every guy think he can buy her love,
But money can't buy sweet lovin' from Monica.

Morning to moonshine,
Monica knows every line.
Don't ever propose 'cause Monica knows, you know.
She'll turn up her nose and say what a fool you are.

I, I shall die,
I, I shall die if I should lose Monica.
(Oh Monica my love.)
People can try,
People can try, but they can't buy Monica, my love.

You take the sunshine,
I'll take the nightly shadows.
'Cause everyone knows that Monica glows at night.
She'll do something wrong and prove to you she is right.

I, I shall die,
I, I shall die if I should lose Monica.
(Oh Monica my love.)
People may try,
People may try, but they can't buy Monica, my love.

Morning to moonshine,
Monica knows every line.
Don't ever propose 'cause Monica knows, you know.
She'll turn up her nose and say what a fool you are.
Monica.

Written by: Ray Davies
Published by: Noma Music, Inc./Hi-Count Music, Inc. BMI

Monica has a sort of calypso kind of feel, and I guess a hint of Latin rhythm in there also, which gives the song and Monica herself a sort of exotic feel.

One of the things that stands out to me lyrically in this song, and it is pointedly stated in the first verse, is that a lot of people, but men particularly, struggle with the difference between love and lust. "And every guy think he can buy her love,
But money can't buy sweet lovin' from Monica."

We open with the only line that really suggests this song is about a lady of the night, or prostitute. I guess we assume this from the fact that Monica is under a lamp light at midnight.

For the most part this song almost feels like Ray is singing as the boyfriend or love interest, as he states confidently that no one can win her love, but implies that he has it.... but I guess this could be a rationalisation to make him feel more secure as a customer.... It is a strange dynamic.... I have never been with a prostitute, so it is hard to get inside that feeling.... not a judgement call on my part, on the lady or the customer, just a simple failure to be able to connect thematically on the line of thinking here and what it represents.
In the second verse we hear that Monica has heard it all... don't propose to her, because you already know she will turn you down, and she knows you know this, so don't waste your and her time.
I have always loved the line "She'll do something wrong and prove to you she is right." .... I'm not exactly sure I understand the line, but it sounds so good, and it kind of feels like a husband and wife interaction lol. In fact prior to knowing the whole lyric and the theme involved I had assumed this was a sort of romantic song about a girlfriend or wife.

They say that prostitution is the oldest occupation, I have no idea if this is true or not, I would logically have assumed the farmer was, but either way, if we are exploring all the characters of the Green, it seems like Monica is a necessity.

Musically, and including the vocals, this song is really very sultry, and it has a writhing feel that speaks well to its subject.
Here we get the bass playing the opening melody. The drums and percussion work together nicely to lay the foundation for this track. The guitar gives us a virtually reggae feel, and we also have an organ in there that adds to that feel, almost replicating a steel drum kind of feel.
The song bounces and pulses along and it is warm and inviting.

The way the vocals are done here is wonderful. Ray delivers the vocal with tenderness, and a melodic involvement that really gives this song a great personality.
I assume the I, I shall die section is the chorus, and the layering of the vocals here is just perfect and creates another dimension to the song that just makes it irresistible.

This is just another piece of magic that is part of the reason this album is so good.

 

That’s very narrow minded of you. After all, to quote one of the great group minds of the 20th century (not the Bourbaki), a murderer is nothing more than an extroverted suicide.

 

The stereo mix

 

There is an alternate mix on the big box, but it isn't on youtube

 

How about we leave this as a talk about the Kinks music, and not people's like or dislike of humour, or whether its good or bad. I certainly don't think that references to, or insinuations about murder are appropriate for the thread....

Like the Village Green itself there are a lot of characters, and personality types on the thread, and surely we can discuss the albums and songs without the niggling machismo

Cheers
Mark

 

Monica
The return of West Indian-voiced Ray. Along with "Starstruck", one of the more poppier-sounding tracks on the album. I like it well enough as one of the record's second-tier songs. A J Smith's thematic reasoning for why it and "Annabella" are near the end of the record makes sense (time of day), but as I struggle to see the album as a coherent lyrical statement I'm still thinking of my ideal sequencing in purely musical terms... and I would have put in on side one, as per the 12-track version.

 

A lawyer, a surgeon and an architect in a pub nursing their last drinks of the night.
S You know we surgeons are the oldest profession.
A What are you talking about?
S On the sixth day, did not God remove a rib from Adam?
A Oh yeah? What about bringing order out of chaos. You think that didn’t require a detailed set of plans?
L You poor simpletons.Where do you think the chaos came from?

 

I'm here!

 

Hint: Please quit it

 

Absolutely I just had posted the same as it is not the first time this poster has gone the death angle with me with a passive intellectual front!

 

Yea, I know, just focus on the songs mate.... it won't continue

 

Calypso! This delightful tune was voted the "weakest link" of the album on this very forum, not that long ago. Ha, I’d like to know what’s supposedly weak about it! The melody? Excellent. Ray’s high harmony on the second verse? Astounding. The mellotron led groove? Infectious. The lyrics? Remarkable! I love how the words are articulated and phrased to sound everything but english. Monica may be a hooker but Ray’s infatuation is not the lesser for it. My guess is she’s another of his movie fantasies, probably named after Italian actress/sex symbol Monica Vitti who definitely “glowed at night” (in the movie la Notte / the Night, in 1961) and had recently starred in female James Bond sexy spoof Modesty Blaise. Interestingly, the two female themed tunes are sequenced back to back, like two sides of the same medal, the witch and the enchantress. Musically, it's got to be one of the bigger song to song contrasts of that incredible November the 22th 1968 day, up there with Why Don’t We Do It in the Road/I Will… After the heavy psych rock of Annabella, Monica is another of Ray's Caribbean influenced tune (Tell Me Now So I'll Know, I’m on an Island, No Return) and you’ve got to admire how he succeeds in painting both the song's lyrics and the situation where you’d enjoyed listening to it, an exotic cabaret somewhere, surrounded by flower necklaces and fruity alcoholic cocktails.

 

I meant to post this, but forgot

In another interview Davies said the original intent was to call the song "Irma La Douce," after the prostitute character from the film of the same name, but it rolled off the tongue awkwardly, so he changed the name to "Monica."

Sometimes the Weakest Link threads are impossible. Many I can't do, because Weak doesn't enter the equation

 

In his brilliant 33 and a 3rd book on VGPS (which seriously everyone interested should read if they haven’t already), Andy Miller calls ‘Monica’ ‘The flimsiest thing on the album’ and I’m afraid to say I agree. I think it’s the fact that (to my ears anyway) there’s no extra musical or lyrical twist that elevates it above some kinda MOR ish Harry Belafonte pop tune of a decade previous. Yes it’s about a prostitute but I don’t think that was quite the knockout exceptional element that Ray seemed to think it was: It’s not quite ‘Lola’ in terms of breaking boundaries in what a pop song can discuss pertaining to sexual relations. My loss though!

 

Exactly - does VGPS actually have a weak link?

 

Not really for me .
One thing that stands out personally for me looking at these songs one by one, is I have to try and stop myself from trying to state a favourite..... otherwise it would likely be 15 favourites....

I noticed early on that we may all (or mostly) have 15-20 songs in each of our top ten lists

 

Reference guide

Oct 1963 - Nov 1966

1967

Apr 1967 Mr Pleasant - Alt version - Beat Club - live - beat club - instr (whistling)
This Is Where I Belong - Ray live - Ray with Francis Black

May 1967 Mr Pleasant EP
Mr Pleasant
This Is Where I Belong
Two Sisters - Ray live (with chat)
Village Green - Instrumental - Ray

My 1967 Waterloo Sunset - instr. - live 73 - Ray live 78 - live 94 - Ray and Damon Albarn - doco excerpt - Ray and Bowie - Ray live (Peter dedication)
Art Nice and Gentle

May 1967 Waterloo Sunset EP

Documentary

Jul 1967 Death Of A Clown - Dave Live - Dave live 2002

Sept 1967 Something Else By
David Watts - Live 84 - Dave live 97 - Ray live 2010 - Alt mono - alt version
Death Of A Clown
Two Sisters
No Return
Harry Rag - BBC - Ray 2010 - alt version
Tin Soldier Man - Sand On My Shoes (original) - Alt backing track
Situation Vacant - mono
Love Me Till The Sun Shines - BBC - live 69 - Dave 97 - stereo
Lazy Old Sun - alt version
Afternoon Tea - German Stereo - Alt stereo - Canadian Mono
Funny Face
End Of The Season
Waterloo Sunset

Little Women backing track

Dave And Ray interview sixties

Echoes Of The World - The Making Of Village Green Preservation Society

Oct 1967 Autumn Almanac - stereo - Top Of The Pops - live fan jam - Ray - breakdown

Nov 1967 Sunny Afternoon LP

Nov 1967 Susannah's Still Alive - stereo - video

1967 BBC sessions - Sunny Afternoon
Autumn Almanac
Mr Pleasant
Susannah's Still Alive
David Watts
Death Of A Clown
Good Luck Charm

Jan 1968 Live at Kelvin Hall
Part 1
Part 2

Jan 1968 Wonderboy - video - Top Of The Pops - stereo mix
Polly - stereo mix

April 1968 The Kinks EP

June 1968 Days - stereo mix - Glastonbury 2010 - live 1969 - video edit - Basil Brush - Alt stereo - Acoustic - 1991 EP version

Aug 1968 Lincoln County - stereo mix - Dave live
There Is No Life Without Love

Colour Me Pop Medley

She's Got Everything Promo film

July 1968 Colour Me Pop - Dedicated Follower Of Fashion A Well Respected Man Death Of A Clown Sunny Afternoon Two Sisters Sitting By The Riverside Lincoln County Picture Book Days

Nov 1968 The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society - the gold disc award
The Village Green Preservation Society - Alt mix with studio banter - Live 73
Do You Remember Walter - Euro Stereo - Backing Track - live 94
Picture Book - real stereo - live 69 - live 73 - Ray 2011
Johnny Thunder - alt mix - stereo - original stereo - Ray (+VGPS) 2008 - Ray 2010 - Crouch End Chorus
Last Of The Steam Powered Trains - alt ending - live 69 - live 70 - Dave live
Big Sky - alt stereo - live 69 - Crouch End Chorus
Sitting By The Riverside - Stereo
Animal Farm - alt stereo - Ray 2004 - stereo
Village Green - alt vocal - backing vocal
Starstruck - alt vocal - video - stereo - Ray 2008
Phenomenal Cat - alt mix - stereo - stereo US link
All Of My Friends Were There - stereo
Wicked Annabella - stereo - Dave 97
Monica - stereo

Preservation Live

Starmaker Tv Play

 

The Kinks 1968 (to the best of my knowledge)

 

All ‘68 except the top photo, which is probably ‘64 (you can tell by Pete’s hair: from ‘65 onwards he straightened it. I am not proud that I know this, but there you have it!).

 

this seems to be my lot in life. I run a very small forum and there is now only one other regular female on it. we talk a lot of music, but it's not expressly for that.

 

I'll keep the falcons in mind when I need some female company. LOL
I know of other female Kink fans, but there's a lot of gushing of how cute Ray and Dave are...and I join in willingly. But I know that this thread isn't for that purpose, so I try to keep my fangirling to a minimum (it's so damned hard tho).