The Kinks - Album by Album (song by song)

There's also 'Egg Stained Pyjamas' from the VGPS box.. I have to admit.. I did see Mark's call for that to be uploaded onto Youtube for discussion, as it's not on there, but I hesitated to respond as in a way I felt some things should be kept exclusive to the box set to keep it more special, y'know? Esp as the box set is still available to buy new. I do appreciate that could be regarded as a bit silly/sentimental but it's kind of my gut reaction.. if yous want though, I'd be up for uploading 'Egg Stained Pyjamas' to Youtube for discussion to bulk out today, then take it down immediately after? How would you feel about that as a compromise Mark?

As for 'Easy Come, There You Went', I think it's notable how in the VGPS big box liner notes, (as I see @FJFP has already mentioned in the time it took me to write this post!) Andrew Sandoval seems to regard this as more of a composed song than 'Spotty Grotty' or 'Avory's Underpants' which he calls 'studio warm ups' although the exact distinction is unclear really. I guess this one has more instrumental embellishments beyond the core Kinks line up that suggest it was a bit more thought out. It's also easy to imagine a the phrase 'Easy Come, There You Went' being sung over the main riff of this track, but it could just as easily have been a Small Faces-style title made up for reference after the fact.

 

Completely up to you mate.
I'm not bothered either way.
If you do put it up today, run through the intro for it please, my time is gone for today

 

That's pretty much how I feel about it!

 

Ok, here we go (with the qualification that I don't have the info to hand or the time to give this even a tenth of the quality of intro you've set as standard!)

Egg Stained Pyjamas.

recorded sometime in 1968: apparently another song written for Ray's daughter Louisa (about feeding her as a toddler).. Unlike the other instrumentals from this era (except maybe Little Women) it seems this one was intended as a fully blown song: lyrics and a vocal melody were written but never recorded. Ray considered adding them 50 years later for this tracks release on the box but in the end didn't do it. A shame! I really enjoy the music as we have it though.. do you know what it really reminds me of? Dramatic accompanying music for silent movies! Anyone else get that? That's all I've got. Anyway, see what everyone thinks: this video will self destruct by tomorrow!

 

A good effort sir!

 

Cheers mate.
I just waffle. You set it up nicely.
I didn't know it was for his daughter either, though it makes sense with the title lol

 

I find it curious that you can just about hear Ray singing in the breaks, but I've never been able to pick it out! Unless he's just counting the break?

 

"Easy Come..."

This one sounds to me like it's intended as an instrumental jam - I can't necessarily hear any song structured over the top of it. While its riffing style is similar to other 1969 tracks, the main riff also reminds me of the kind of riff that might have been on Kinda Kinks. I like how the last guitar note of that main riff is "off". The low and high pianos and the mellotron are nice embellishments. It's hardly essential but good for an occasional listen.

"Egg Stained Pyjamas"

This one, however, sounds like the backing track to a song for which the vocals were never recorded - it doesn't have the extra embellishments of the other track. As such we can only imagine what the finished track would have sounded like, but I think it would have been another music hall sounding piece - I can also hear the 1920s silent movies vibe as well.

 

It's funny, I hear the silent movie thing, keystone cops type thing, mixed with a bit of George Formby.
It's only the second time I've heard it.

I would love to hear what Ray had in mind for vocals, because, with Ray, it could have been anything lol

 

“Easy Come, There You Went”

I definitely hear the Arthur sound being developed here. It’s really rocking out, but not using that distorted guitar sound anymore. I like the mellotron swells, and they almost are used like a 70s or 80s synth would be used. Is the title a play on the phrase “Easy Come, Easy Go”?

"Egg Stained Pyjamas"

Very cool to hear this limited upload (thank you, @ajsmith !). It definitely has some throwback melodies, the kind that Brian Wilson would throw into some Smile-era tracks. Certainly a shame he didn’t put any lyrics or vocals to it. I do love these backing tracks and bonus materials, they make good background music when driving or just around the house. You get the essence of the band just there with you, without a lyrical message being sent. I listen to a lot of the Beach Boys copyright extension releases (the “sunshine tomorrow” sets, the “I can hear music” set), and I just enjoy getting as much of these bands sounds as I can get!

 

LOL. Ooopsy. I may have had a few drinks when posting this...that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

 

Ahah, yes! Or a Benny Hill romp. Somebody’s definitely gonna get slapped or get his ass kicked!

It also begs for some brass arrangement, I think, the second section especially. Pete’s bass’s really the star of the show! This is a great infectious music-hall little number, almost Mr Pleasant sounding (which is extremely pleasing to these ears!!).

Here he is ! Jamming and practicing his licks with his band mates, while big brother Ray's off day dreaming about imaginary places and forgotten times… On both tracks, we also get some excellent bass work , especially Mick Avory's Underpants, on which it's almost the lead instrument. I'd have called it Pete Quaife's Socks.

 

Thanks a million for this, AJ. I do not own the box set. I've read this title before and always wondered what this cut sounds like. Along with their recording of "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth", this is the first times my ears have heard a number via this wonderful thread. So thanks again.

And don't get me started on silent movies! A passion of mine almost equal to my love of the Kinks. I'll say this, though: "Egg Stained Pyjamas" does sound like what people associate with silent movies music--which is what everyone gets wrong about silent movie music. That rinky-dinky quasi-ragtime feel is forever connected to silents thanks to 1950's and 60's era soundtracks added to silents that merely matched the very early days of nickelodeon's (1895-1910) with a contemporary popular music genre. The actual music that accompanied silents always reflected contemporary popular trends, But just as music changed over the thirty year period of R&R from the 50's to the 80's, so too did popular music evolve from 1900 to 1930. Some accompaniments were ensembles, some orchestral even. Movie studios would send out sheet music "cues" for the accompanist to follow, but few theaters were budgeted for such things. The reality of silent movie music was way more varied and often limited to the ability and repertoire of the musician. But very little of it actually sounded like the bouncy saloon-style piano playing most people associate with silents.

Anyway, enough of my yakin...

 

Mark - sorry if I missed this, but happened upon Time Song today and wondered how it fit in with this thread? It was released with the deluxe VGPS and I guess written or recorded around this time period.

 

If I remember rightly, I was going to post it earlier, but was told to hold off....
I can't remember the reason....
I did ask to be reminded, because otherwise I'll miss it.

Maybe someone can remind us the story there.

 

I think because it was composed for and dates to the Preservation Act 1 and 2 plays, even though it was included on the VGPS reissue.

 

It’s been bumped until later in the thread cos even though it was included on the VGPS box, it’s a 1972/3 era song/recording. The reason for its inclusion on the box is it was originally written for the early 1973 restaging/expansion of VGPS that had by the end of the year mutated into the ‘Preservation’ albums (a related but ultimately different project).

 

Ok...it was confusing to me as it's on the VGPS deluxe set but yet mentioned as being a part of Preservation. Thanks for clearing it up, @Martyj and @ajsmith !

 

Avid Martyj, great explanation about the types of music used in silent movies back in the day. Many of the "picture palaces" of the day had those magnificent organs to accompany the action on the silver screen. Another question that I have regarding silent movies is that they always seem to have the herby jerky movement. Did they have move natural movement when they were first shown? I was thinking of Peter Jackson's restoration of WWI footage where everybody was walking normally instead of being in a Keystone Kops short.

Finally, for you, Avid Martyj & the rest of us Avids, here's the Bonzo Dog Band w/a little ditty that they recorded down the hall from the Beatles when they recorded Revolver:

 

That sounds right.
Cheers mate

 

The Kinks!!!!!!! Remember how I learned piano version score of Sunday Afternoon. Groove in every note! Love this band!

 

Yes, and this does seem to echo the comments here that "Pictures in the Sand" has a whimsical, child-like feel to it, which I agree with. In fact, I think Ray Davies would have been right at home composing songs for Sesame Street, or at least the Muppets.
Thanks for reading!

 

I do remember reading someplace that Ray was watching Capitan Kangaroo during one of his trips to NYC circa 1966. There was also an interview circa 1968 in which he said that he watched the Wonderful World of Disney

 

Hi, welcome to the forum.

We are currently up to the extra tracks connected to The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society.

THIS LINK will take you to a somewhat chronological set of links to each of the tracks, albums and misc. things we have looked at so far, and it is updated every Saturday.

Please feel free to join the ride.

Today we are talking about the bonus instrumental tracks Easy Come, There You Went (track on the previous page) and Egg Stained Pyjamas (up the top of this page)

This is the upcoming schedule for the next week or so

Friday - Mick Avery's Underpants and Spotty Grotty Anna

Saturday - Where Did My Spring Go

August 9th Monday - When I Turn Off the Living Room Light

Tuesday - Village Green at the BBC pt1

Wednesday - Village Green at the BBC pt2

Thursday - Summing up the Village Green era, and your personal version of the album, or a variance you would have liked. Whether different order, or the double album idea

Friday - Dave Davies - The Album That Never Was/Hidden Treasures

 

I'm working on that and some other songs from my Kinks songbook.