Don't worry about it, Avid Ajsmith, no problem at all. By the way, have you appeared in any other issues of Shindig!? The reason I ask is that I took advantage of an offer & loaded up on back issues recently.
Until this thread I had no idea I even liked the guy lol. Although I had heard a couple of songs, I had no idea Dave sang them
Mark, you took the words right out of my mouth (er, fingertips). I totally agree with your reading of this song’s placement in the album’s “story.” I’ve long felt it was the bandmembers committing to each other/the band. It’s them against the world. Ray said this album is good vs. evil. For some reason, I feel that this is really a pure, innocent, very heartfelt song. It’s sort of like the band’s proclamation of their innocence. They’re on this journey, they come from some small nothing town or something, they’re young and inexperienced and have anxiety about life, but they at least have each other. Thematically, this sense of universality of strangers on a road can be interpreted in a more universal way as a commentary on the human condition. We don’t know where we are going, but we all know we are going to die (and it makes us weak in our knees knowing it), but at least we all experience that together. We are not two, we are one. We are united as we are all on the road. That more universal interpretation is very similar, thematically, to Pink Floyd’s “Echoes,” which came out the following year. “Echoes” (or at least part of it) is about two strangers being able to recognize the inherent humanness in one another. Speaking of Pink Floyd, I feel they are frequently recognized as a cerebral, philosophical band. The Kinks are recognized for their ironic character studies. But songs like “Strangers,” “Apeman,” or even some of the stuff on Arthur and Village Green really make me think that philosophical studies of Kinks’ lyrics have been unduly ignored. This song didn’t click till I was in my mid-20s and then I got it (and now I get shivers listening to it). It’s a brilliant song. And Dave was only 23 when he wrote it!
Thanks. Haha no, it was a one shot deal for Shindig! as ‘Colour Me Pop’ is a singular obsession of mine I’ve spent years researching and I don’t have the headspace or time to write about anything else with the same degree of (relative) authority. I was just fortunate the editors wanted to take my pitch on! They did say if I wanted to send them any further pitches they’d welcome them but I got nothing else so far. I’m far from a pro writer, I’m just a hobbyist who got lucky on this (and a few other) occasion (s).
To me "Supersonic Rocket Ship" is the one that surprises me. "Celluoid Heroes" was the best known song off of that particular album until now.
I also want to note, thematically, “Strangers” is the opposite of the other Dave-penned track on this album “Rats,” which is about the inherent selfishness and heartlessness of people. Whereas this song feels so spacious, like two strangers meeting on an isolated country road, “Rats” feels like a scene from a nihilistic 70s movie about overpopulation and anarchy in an urban megalopolis with people walking all over each other. There is so much room in “Strangers” whereas “Rats” is so claustrophobic and aggressive.
It's kinda ironic that a song about movies gets displaced by a song on the same album that got featured in a movie.
Avengers: Endgame in 2019! (With apologies again for the out of chronology post, though it’s just an excerpt).
So it appears that "This Time Tomorrow" isn't so much of a deep cut as I thought when I heard it played on Radio 2 this morning!
I actually find "Strangers" a dull listen. The same melody repeats over and over without much in the way of contrast. YouTube clocks it at 3:21 but it felt more like 5 minutes to me, which is the opposite of what you want. I don't think it's even close to Dave Davies' best song. Maybe it sounds better in context on the LP. I'll have to play the tracks in sequence to see, but on its own I would call it very skippable.
Nothing against Pink Floyd as I kinda like Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here, but I think of them as the "Please call on me, teacher, so I can show how smart I am!" kids sitting front and center while the Kinks are in the back row drawing frightfully clever and wickedly funny cartoons. (Piper at the Gates of Dawn is still the best Pink Floyd LP!)
“we are not two, we are one.” the harmony vocal, the swirl of the organ and then the piano...just beautiful
Strangers A Dave Davies song that is decent, but certainly doesn't stand up to most of Ray's songs and is not Dave's best either. But it is still an interesting and moving song and it stops at just the right time.
I don’t think so: “Welcome my son Welcome to the machine Where have you been? It's alright we know where you've been You've been in the pipeline Filling in time Provided with toys and scouting for boys You brought a guitar to punish your ma And you didn't like school And you know you're nobody's fool So welcome to the machine”
But Supersonic Rocketship was a hit single, the only hit single during the RCA period. And yet, it was omitted from the later Celluloid Heroes The Kinks Greatest! Has to rank as the most bizarre decision in Kinks compilation history.
"Strangers" The power of music! The crowning achievement in Mr. Dave Davies songwriting career. @Zeki perfectly sums it up in a few words. A beautiful vocal with so much emotion. Talk about nailing the vocal take, and letting us all feel every word deep in our bones. I wouldn't be surprised if this was his first take. It's so good that I cannot be bothered with any cover version and I love Jeff Tweedy. I can't take more than 5 seconds of any cover because The Kinks version can never be topped. I understand why so many want to try and cover it because it's so fun to play and sing. The only other version of this song I like is when I am singing it. Is it the best tune on the album? I'm not even sure anymore. Imagine a song this great and having others surrounding it that may be as good. There is a song not far off that I might rank higher, but "Strangers" is a masterpiece of lyrics, melody, simplicity, and emotion. I never tire of hearing it, and each time I listen, it is usually multiple times. The drums that trail off at the end means it's time to play the song again.
Yea, I'll stay out of Floyd arguments, they were my top favourite band for longer than any other, and although I don't generally line up with a lot of Roger's politics, I love his writing.
