The Kinks - Album by Album (song by song)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mark winstanley, Apr 4, 2021.

  1. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Interesting thought.... I hadn't even considered that.
    Gosling was still there in 1978.... but the early 79 recordings, not only is there no Gosling, there isn't an organ player either ... I don't think
     
  2. ajsmith

    ajsmith Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow
    In between Gosling and Ian Gibbons, there was probably the most obscure primary Kinks member, Gordon Edwards, who played on 1978 live shows and the Low Budget single, but was sacked before sessions for the album proper began. (The rest of the album they recorded as a 4 piece). I’d have to double check Hinman, but I think by March 1979, Ian Gibbons had joined.
     
  3. Jasper Dailey

    Jasper Dailey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southeast US
    Slum Kids: I've always had a soft spot for this one. I think part of it was that it was a simple, authentic feeling R&B exercise that any pea brain (including my own) could understand on an album chock full of pastiches. I know when I listened to this in the past on CD, I'd skip through lots of tracks but I always listened to Slum Kids at the end. As others have already said, this is such a great example of the brothers singing in harmony (that Dave backing vocal is just so perfect), and I enjoy the band vamping. The organ is nice enough but I'm a sucker for that trombone interlude. It makes sense to me that this was a go-to during the Preservation shows; again, it's simple enough and gives everybody a bit of a breather (contrast it with Second-Hand Car Spiv, which it basically replaces; I'm sure Gosling was happy not to have to play those crazy organ runs).

    Looking at this song outside of the context of Preservation, maybe it feels a bit generic, but I still think it's got a bit of a spark to it. As somebody already said, the Davies brothers came from this world of Slum Kids and sang/played this with feeling, and it comes across in the performance.

    Re: the Slum Kids 1979 dates, I always wondered that too! Ian Gibbons dropping by for a taste of what's to come on the keyboards? And likewise with the trombone, did they really tour with a trombonist that late in the 70s? ETA: Thanks ajsmith!
     
  4. Fortuleo

    Fortuleo Used to be a Forum Resident

    I think it's a very substantial one. A rock band presenting a complete dramatic "performance", not just doing songs or giving a show. I don't crave for "innovation" at all costs but Ray clearly had a vision of what a rock concert could be, or could become. And it was, as @Zeki wrote, quite groundbreaking. The Who never attempted this (they did the Tommy film instead). Genesis tried it with the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway the next year (my "Musical Box" concert/reenactment was scheduled next Tuesday, but Covid 19's just decided to postpone it to January 2023 :cry:). Bowie was kind of circling around it throughout the 70's. It seems Roger Waters was also interested ;)… So it was certainly in the air, and I definitely think Ray's communal rock troupe was the most likable and original (and rock'n roll !!) of all those propositions. What we hear on the bootleg, and the little clip with Ray in both Flash and Black outfits seem to indicate the Preservation show was probably his most daring and radical attempt, a complete self-sufficient rock'n roll play. That what makes it a lot more interesting than anything Loyd-Webber/Rice ever did, which were just rock musicals. Not the same at all as trying to reinvent what a rock band can do, or could be.
    And how I wish I was… The two concerts I'd most love to see released on film or video, if any good source material indeed exists, are both from 1974 : George Harrison's Dark Horse Tour and the Kink's Preservation. I keep hoping…
    Then @Mark's link is not march 79 (edit : I think it's the 1977 Christmas concert of the BBC box), as Ray screams "let's hear it for the Baptist" (=Gosling) just before the organ solo !
     
  5. Vangro

    Vangro Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I could point out that the Incredible String Band did put on "U", as a stageshow, in 1970 but nobody could make head not tail of it and it was more a case of a bunch of hippies flailing about than musical theatre. We'll agree to differ on whether Preservation was an innovation worth persisting with.
     
  6. The late man

    The late man Forum Resident

    Location:
    France
    Excellent deduction !!! I hadn't paid attention.

    I went to see the Musical Box's reenactment of the Lamb concert with my wife quite a few years ago (early 2010s I would say). Musically and visually very convincing. It was difficult to completely travel back to the 1970s though, mainly because the singer, though very talented, didn't look like Peter Gabriel enough. I know, it's silly, but the Musical Box project started in the 90s, I believe, and at the time the musicians were the same age as Genesis in the 70s. By the time I saw them, they must have been in their forties... Also - sorry for being a bit shallow in a slightly cruel way - the singer was not as good-looking as Peter Gabriel, and part of the aesthetic fun of early Genesis is having this pretty guy trying to look ugly. (That could be one of the definitions of glam). Still, a great show. I read Peter Gabriel brought his kids to show them what Daddy was doing when he was young.
     
  7. sharedon

    sharedon Forum Zonophone

    Location:
    Boomer OK
    I can tell you that in this period, seeing as many Kinks koncerts as I kould, fans always did very much want the band to play Slum Kids - and went krazy when they did. I think it’s because it was a rare tune in those days, almost just a rumor, so maybe that was it; but also because live, it was amazingly kathartic! And many of us identified with it…
     
  8. DISKOJOE

    DISKOJOE Boredom That You Can Afford!

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Gordon Edwards was the only person who was a member of both the Kinks and the Pretty Things (he was a member during the Swan Song years). He unfortunately passed away a few years ago.

    I never really thought of "Bringing It On Home To Me" in relation to "Slum Kids" before today. I also think that's it's interesting that a studio take of this song has never popped up, legit or bootleg, in all these years. Maybe one will finally surface in the SDE of Preservation that should come out, including live recordings & a DVD of anything that was filmed. Also, I think that it could have been added to Schoolboys In Disgrace without any problem since it sort of fits the concept of that album.
     
  9. ajsmith

    ajsmith Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow
    A few pages back on the thread, it was wondered if Ray would ever/why he never returned to the Preservation project: a tiny side note in the massive history of The Kinks is that in the early 90s while prepping the Rhino ‘Play In 2 Acts’ reissue of the album, and also in response to Roger Waters 1990 Berlin restaging of The Wall, Ray did attempt some kind of revisiting/reworking of this material.. details are scarce, but according to Hinman’s book, it is known that Zappa style overdubbed drums by Bob Henrit were attempted on old Pres era tracks around this period.., bet they sounded ‘Orrible!
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2022
  10. sharedon

    sharedon Forum Zonophone

    Location:
    Boomer OK
    IIRC, a studio outtake of Slum Kids turned up on the Velvel 2-CD set of Act 2. I’ll try to dig it up - I remember being surprised and somewhat disappointed in it!
     
  11. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    My usual Walk-The-Dog-Song-Segue:
    You must obey his every whim,
    Or else he's going to do you in.
    Here comes Flash.…(segues to) She's got everything delightful
    She's got everything I need
    Takes the wheel when I'm seeing double
    Pays my ticket when I speed
    ——-
    :D I don’t know why. This is the second day in a row that’s happened. The Kinks to The Dead. Oh, well.
     
    DISKOJOE and mark winstanley like this.
  12. Martyj

    Martyj Who dares to wake me from my slumber? -- Mr. Flash

    Location:
    Maryland, USA
    I get this. After all, not being an official release, it was the only way one was going to hear this number.

    While it was created--and presumably rejected (it was redundant as far as the plot goes)--for the Preservation concept, it continued as a live performance set piece beyond that show simply because it was the opportunity for each band member to take a moment in the spotlight. Kind of like a traditional jazz performance solo improve in that regard. I read somewhere it was dropped only when Mike Cotton decided to quit performing with the group. Otherwise, it was the spot in a mid-70's Kinks show where the Mike Cotton Sound was allowed to shine.

    It is one of my top 5 or so favorites from the Preservation era.
     
  13. Martyj

    Martyj Who dares to wake me from my slumber? -- Mr. Flash

    Location:
    Maryland, USA
    What I find most intriguing about the live version of Preservation is that it forced Ray to acknowledge what worked and didn't work for the Preservation narrative as a whole.

    The plot that arose out of the studio version always struck me as half-baked (I'm talking about the concept, not the individual songs--which are mostly wonderful.) It feels like a rushed first draft put up for release before having a chance to step back and reevaluate it from an objective point of view. The late 1974 stage version came along half a year later, after time was given for proper reflection. It reveals the potential of an idea that worked the further it was removed from its starting point. And I think that's where the Preservation LPs as a whole fail: Ray insisted on holding onto some part of his original concept even as it was organically evolving into something else, trying to tie it all together as a grand statement on preservation when what was needed was a fearless pair of scissors to make painful cuts. For example, as wonderful as many of the Tramps songs were, the character feels shoehorned in and, honestly, not needed. That's why, I believe, the Tramp is missing from the stage show. He is not missed.

    Evaluating these live recordings, I still think some cuts were possible. I think given even more time, Ray would have realized what he had on hand---and only really ever needed--was a morality play based on the rise and fall of a spiv who muscled his way into power as a fraud, then lost it. This is largely what comes across in the stage play. All the other trappings, such as the out-of-left-field brainwashing finale, held him back from fulfilling this more direct, simple--and ultimately more satisfying--approach. I dunno, maybe given another year of thought and preparation, even the brainwashing nonsense could get cut (and I love Artificial Man. No one said cutting parts to make the whole better is easy.)

    I'm thankful for these live bootlegs. They are fun, funny...and frustrating in that they reveal the unrealized potential of a much better idea. And, for what it's worth, the band were given time to really "find" the songs and deliver better performances. (Except on "Nothing Lasts Forever." The female singer, whoever it is, takes what worked so well on a wonderful studio recording into a different place. I don't care for it. I dunno. Maybe she's trying too hard.)
     
  14. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    I’ve enjoyed discussing the plot here on this thread but really don’t care whether the narrative flows or not (other than enjoying pointing out whenever it doesn’t). The up-from-the-gutter ruthless capitalist Flash, the sinister, scheming, self-righteous Mr. Black, the thuggish Spivs, good-time Floosies, the love-you-till-the-end-of-time Belle, The Tramp, the cricket-loving-vicar…oh, and can’t forget The Mad Scientist and The Do-Gooders. Listen to the album (while reading the liner notes) or watch the show, afterwards there’s plenty to enjoy and talk about. The wackier the story line, the better!
     
  15. Michael Streett

    Michael Streett Senior Member

    Location:
    Florence, SC
    The version of Slum Kids Mark posted in his write-up is the live version from The Kinks Christmas Concert 1977 as heard on the BBC 5 disc set. So Gosling is still there on organ but Andy Pyle is on bass guitar.

    The live version as heard as a bonus track on the Velvel Preservation Act 2 CD reissue is from 1979 and has Ian Gibbons on electric piano, not organ, and Jim Rodford on bass. This version is noticeably faster.
     
  16. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    That's weird.... it looks like all the youtube versions are the 77 show.
    With it using the Preservation cover I assumed it was the album version .. and frankly I have listened to so much music, particularly the Kinks, recently, I would be battling to notice lol
     
  17. Wondergirl

    Wondergirl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    Hence why I don't make a point to listen to any of those music types you just mentioned. :winkgrin:
     
  18. palisantrancho

    palisantrancho Forum Resident

    This is the first thing I thought of while listening this morning. This song sounds like something from Schoolboys In Disgrace. I thought it was "Schooldays", but maybe I was thinking of "The Last Assembly"? It might actually remind me of both songs.

    I have a different live version on my CD. I'm not sure if I ever heard this slowed down organ version. It's not all that thrilling, but let's hear it for the baptist over here! The organ is the best part of the tune. It would have been a fine live song if you have a proclivity to blues jams. If not, it's your cue to hit the loo and grab a pint of scrumpy.

    I listened to some of the Preservation show. It would be amazing to have this on video somewhere. I'm quite surprised that the theatrical years have very little footage. I would have been the one yelling for "When A Solution Comes"! Sad to not see that song on the set list.
     
  19. croquetlawns

    croquetlawns Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    I was pretty disappointed with Slum Kids - most previously unreleased Kinks songs used as bonus tracks turned out to be gems, or were at least interesting, but this one is a bit generic and boring IMO.
     
  20. TeddyB

    TeddyB Senior Member

    Location:
    Hollywoodland
    Two comments:

    I have always loved “Slum Kids” from when I first heard it live in 1974. I never noticed the similarity to the Sam Cooke song, which I also love, so maybe it was subliminal. The 1977 BBC live version is preferable to the 1979 one to me.

    I saw the Kinks do the Preservation show ten days after the Providence one at Winterland in San Francisco on December 8, 1974. IIRC, it was the exact same setlist for that part of the show. They also played two shows in Los Angeles, and I would guess others on the West Coast.
     
  21. Vangro

    Vangro Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    That probably would have worked better but I fear Ray felt he had to make some grand statement on the world at large on the album(s).
     
    mark winstanley and DISKOJOE like this.
  22. Adam9

    Adam9 Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I think the single was Ray's idea as it it was the opening song to the Preservation show (live or on the P.A.?)
    I would guess the track was placed first on the CDs to simulate the performance more closely.
     
  23. markelis

    markelis Forum Resident

    Location:
    Miami Beach FL
    Slum Kids: Not sure I would try to work it into my theatrical-era playlist with its fellow Preservation songs, but I like it, it’s a good fun live track. Since I love One from the Road, I intend to create a separate playlist of live kinks songs and this will fit in quite nicely. I like the way they stretch out many of the songs on One from the Road and this will fit that feel seamlessly.
     
    Fortuleo likes this.
  24. Wondergirl

    Wondergirl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    Slum Kids
    Maybe it's a bit "predictable" but I really like this one. The lyrics are meaningful to me. I grew up in a broken down mill town in the Northeast US so I feel like I knew some of these slum kids. I knew even as a child that some of these kids did not, indeed, have a chance.

    Sorry if I'm missing it, but was Slum Kids recording properly or only just live versions?

    I'm all good with this song. And don't care if it fits in with Preservation. It's just a good song and that's that.
     
  25. Fischman

    Fischman RockMonster, ClassicalMaster, and JazzMeister

    Location:
    New Mexico
    On holiday without the computer so comments will be brief.

    I'm really digging Ray doing the gospel thing on Slum Kids.
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2022

Share This Page

molar-endocrine