He's Evil Well, he's certainly been a very naughty boy. This one is not one of my favourites from the album, and the line about schoolgirls, nuns and virgins tips it over the edge into another one which is a bit silly. I guess an edited version may have been a better choice as a single release. It's a lively little number though.
I'm sure concept albums are fulfilling for the writers but too often they just seem like technical exercises to me. I like "Tommy" the album, but I couldn't really care less about the story - which is just as well because it's full of more holes than Swiss cheese.
Like @Steve62, I'll let others do most of the talking for me. Yep. Musically I dig it, especially the opening that has a very fresh sound for the Kinks. I suppose my only real complaint is the over-repetition of "He's evil" in the chorus; it seems the line could have been modified a bit. I have kept up with the thread but haven't weighed in for a while because I haven't made the time to truly formulate my thoughts and opinions on each track and cogently write about them. I don't mind an album telling a story, though it does require a different commitment from the listener, but I find the Preservation "Play in Two Acts" to be a mess, structurally and often lyrically. It feels like what it is, two concepts that were mashed together but never completely smoothed out. So even if the "plot" is not that complicated, the libretto still makes my head spin, and yes, I would have given up on this if it were a book. But fortunately, much of the music is engaging and often fun enough to stick with it, and I can see how it would've been a hoot live.
He's Evil The good: Love that long intro. Love that the group's getting into longer musical forms. The neutral: Musically, we're really hearing the beginnings of the 70s arena rock development here. I personally love the arena rock period for a variety of reasons, and the sound being one of them so that's good. While there's no fireworks from the guitar here, that crunchy sound is working well. The not so good: One of the reasons I think many love the klassic Kinks, but bail on the later efforts is that the songwriting, especially the lyrics, has lost it's nuance.... those very clever Daviesisms that show up as brilliant observations of the human condition have been replaced by less subtle and, quite frankly, less meaningful direct statements. In short, the lyrical artistry simply isn't there. This song comes across very much as a blunt instrument in that regard. The unexpected observation: It's been forever since I listened to Soap Opera, so I cant say if it's part of that musical continuum I mentioned above, but I definitely heard the same musical approach as in Schoolboys on this song. Specifically, there's a lot of aural connection between this and Schoolboys's long song, "Education." But I find the latter infinitely superior and... brace yourselves... I shall gush endlessly about it whence the time comes. But for now... a fine song, but not in the group's upper krust.
He's Evil - I never caught the line about nuns and virgins before - our headmaster is right, Mr. Black is relentless with his anti-Flash propaganda. Is Flash evil? For the first time, I'm slightly interested in the question. He's no saint, but probably not a despoiler of nuns and virgins. I know his confession is coming up, I will try to pay attention. I'd like to know what he thinks his sins are. If the album were better known, He's Evil could have been a staple of classic rock radio. It's got that heavy, smooth and rich guitar sound (Les Paul with compressor+limiter?), and that cool keyboard intro shows up again with the guitar break in Heart's Barracuda from '77. Hey I finally watched some of that Boston Rock Opera performance, it's pretty good! The drummer is a bit plodding (or maybe just too loud), but the guitarist and horns are nice. What a shame I didn't know about the Kinks when I was living in the Boston area at that time!
I haven’t commented much, if at all on the Preservation stuff so far. Again, been decades since I’d listened to any of it. Enjoyed Act 1 much more than I thought I would. It’s actually pretty solid isn’t it? I like today’s tune, but maybe don’t love it. I m still struggling with the two or three that came before. Just not my thing and possibly too many ideas crammed in.
I totally agree with what you are saying and enjoy the early silent films also so I am in no way surprised that I really like the RCA ballads you mentioned. N.b. I actually don't know the last one.....yet! Edit: Marty why did I always subconsciously consider that you probably looked somewhat like Stan Laurel?
Wow, I fell way behind, I’m kind of embarrassed! Shepherd of the Nation: The first time I heard this, when it was playing in the background, I thought I was hallucinating. This is so outside of the realm of what I would expect from the kinks or of any type of music that I would typically listen to, and yet, I must say, I love it. The lyrics are fun and laugh out loud funny, the vocal stylings are fun to sing along with (almost like the operatic section of Bohemian Rhapsody) and I find the song engaging all the way through. Much to my own surprise, this one gets three big thumbs up from me. Scum of the Earth: Another one that really shouldn’t work for me and yet it really does. I guess I have bought into the idea of letting Ray run wild and perform whatever type of music style catches his fancy. Secondhand Car Spiv: I’m sorry, this song is just too nutty even for words, and yet I am again buying into it. The lyrics are silly and singable, the music changes moment to moment, always sounding like it’s about to go off the rails, and yet making the turn somehow just in time. Ray and the band must’ve had one heck of a good time putting these last three songs together. I am having trouble picturing any other band that I like performing these last three songs and me liking them, other than the kinks. He’s Evil: Let’s make it four for four, I like this song too. This one is much more in their typical style, so it’s easy to accept. I again hear a catchy chorus, great vocal stylings in the delivery of the verses, and finally, Dave gets to let loose on the guitar for a bit after a couple of songs where it was hard to hear him much.
He's Evil The very start of this song sounds like Chopsticks to me. I'm diggin' Dave's guitar in this one. Glad to have you back Dave! He's killing it on this one. It's a catchy song, that's for sure. I like the stuttering bits. That really draws me in. But, man, the repetition of "He's evil" is...repetitive. The last minute of the song is repeating that. A bit too much for me. LOVE the live BBC version. Improves upon the album version. Overall I give this a thumbs up.
If it weren't for this thread, I probably wouldn't care about the story either. I remember getting Tommy for Xmas back in the early 80s and I enjoyed the album without caring too much about the story. However, I guess since many of us on here are making the attempt to grasp this story, I'm trying to keep up, but failing miserably and that's just frustrating me. I shall endeavor to stop caring about the story and just focus on the music from here on out. I must maintain my sanity.
You know, with modern surgical techniques your hands can be restored to normalcy with only moderate (lifelong) pain and easily concealed scarring.
Not to worry, the story provides neither the framework nor the foundation for the album(s), it’s just scaffolding.
To me, the concept in a concept album is a bit like God. I don't really need to understand Him or to have objective proof of His existence, I know He's here in the background and all around and it comforts me.
Previous Kinks "concept albums" have been a bit flabby and unfocussed with lots of songs that either don't fit at all or else if you have to work very hard to make them fit. On this one Ray has (so far) been absolutely scrupulous in making sure the songs fit to a storyline/plot and the results are a bit stifling, like he's wearing a straitjacket. My advice? Forget about making concept albums.
Could the Tramp then have sung this as a warning about Black despite the fact no one would have effectively listened to him?
He's Evil Just heard this and the basic framework seems more conventional and digestible and I am thinking what I had once feared may occur.... Perhaps I should have kept those 2 Velvel CD's (with the bonus tracks) of Act I & Act II? The first thing that stood out was that not only could this have been used as an Arista track but some of Ray's phrasing alongside the chordsing culminated in me singing "I'll even come to your house if you're ever alone!" Yep Sleepwalker is very visible to me though less so was some brief turnaround lines (for example at 1.12) from Big Sky so a subtle Presrvation throwback by accident or design. Must mention Dave's very welcome rock & blues phrasing here making better bedfellows than our political adversaries. For Flash it looks like the writing is on the wall as i just think that if he can provide no rebuttal or counter attack then there will be no dumping Black, Flash!
Oddly enough, Aqualung is not a favourite of mine ... If you're looking for prog, Thick As A Brick and particularly A Passion Play are excellent, though Passion Play seems to be not broadly liked... Their best albums to me though are Minstrel In The Gallery, Songs From The Wood and Heavy Horses.
Tommy is an odd one for me. I like the album, but it isn't a favourite for me, a lesser Who album in my world.
"Mirror of Love" Single by The Kinks from the album Preservation Act 2 B-side "Cricket" (UK) Released 5 April 1974 (UK) Recorded January - March 1974 at Konk Studios, London Genre Rock, Dixieland Length 3:26 Label RCA 5015 Songwriter(s) Ray Davies Producer(s) Ray Davies stereo mix, Ray Davies' demo, recorded probably Dec 1973 at Konk Studios, Hornsey, London Sung by Belle (Flash's Special Floosie) Why I love you though you treat me bad. 'Cos when I look at you I'm looking through the mirror of love. Oh the mirror of love and you look alright, 'Cos when I look at you I'm looking through the mirror of love. You're such a cool lover, But you're such a cruel lover, Treat me like I'm a fool, I hate you but you know I would kill for you. You're a mean and obscene lover, But I would have no other, Even though you treat me bad, You were the best man I ever had, 'Cos through the mirror of love, mirror of love, When I see you through the mirror of love, You're alright and I forget that you're bad, 'Cos when I look at you I'm looking through the mirror of love. Why I love you though you treat me bad, 'Cos when I look at you I'm looking through the mirror of love. The mirror of love you sure look alright. I see your reflection when I'm looking through the mirror of love. You're a crude and a rude lover, But I would have no other, You slap me down, treat me bad, You're a two-timing swine and you drive me mad. You're a mean and obscene lover, But you are my dream lover, 'Cos even though you treat me bad, You were the best man I ever had, 'Cos through the mirror of love, mirror of love, I see your reflection in the mirror of love. And you're alright though you treat me bad. When I see you I'm looking through the mirror of love. Oh the mirror of love, sure look alright 'Cos when I see you I'm looking through the mirror of love. Written by: Ray Davies Published by: Davray Music Ltd. This is a really interesting one, because here we have Ray on most of the instruments. We have Ray on guitar, piano and drums. Dave is on mandolin and we get some horns also This version appeared on the album and the UK single, but a band version was recorded for the US version of the single. I guess in US gangster lingo, Belle is Flash's main squeeze.... his girlfriend amongst many other women? Here we get the picture painted that Belle probably has a broken picker, as we used to say, and she is stating pretty clearly that Flash is a dog of a man, who cheats on her, and slaps her down and treats her bad, but she goes on to state that he is the best man she ever had...... So in this context, the Mirror Of Love seems to be the Rose Coloured Glasses syndrome. There isn't a whole lot going on with the lyrics. Essentially it is just stating that Belle loves Flash, even though he is all those things. Musically this is kind of part oom pah and part drunken Dixieland. The piano has an unusual reverb sound on it, and starts as the lead instrument. The Tuba is playing the bass again here. Getting Dave to overdub the mandolin was a good move, because I think it adds quite a bit to the song. So essentially this is like a high quality demo that they decided to put on the album. I don't dislike the song, but it is probably my least favourite track so far. Not really sure what else to say about this one..... go for it folks.
