"Nine to Five", a pretty (and pretty short) song about how time seems to go rather slow at work. Isn't that the truth. I, like most of us Avids, have/had experience at 9-5 jobs & time seems to go in a drip, drip, drip, while vacations seem to go very fast. It's also very interesting to see the phrase "computerized trivia" in a song written in 1975, but computers were already in the workplace, albeit in mainframe form, like those big things w/the whirling wheels you see in old footage of Apollo moon missions. There were already concerns about how computers would affect people. One popular protest button said "Do Not Fold, Spindle or Multilate" after the instructions of the punch cards used to enter data. Anyway, a good song leading into another song a la the second side of Abbey Road about the "solution" to the 9-5 problem.
Nine to Five: Another winner, for me (albeit a slight one, it's a slight song, and that's not a knock on it). There's always something special when Ray uses his earnest voice in a song; watching both Starmaker and the live show, he did the same thing there; no hamming it up here, just a sober treatment of the "drudgery of being wed" ... to the office . I also find it surprising how often he can just pull out such a sweet melody like this one out of his behind (similarities to America by S&G not withstanding!) Similar to "Oh Where Oh Where Is Love". I already mentioned the lyrics yesterday, but I find them uncannily good. Last thing -- the "and time goes by" section reminds me of the Decemberists for some reason; those maj7/9 changes over a static root chord led by airy female vocals is a nice touch and not the sort of thing Ray did that frequently. A nice little song, although I'm looking forward to tomorrow's very different track as well!
America, of course ! Nice catch. I'm not sure it was conscious on Ray's part, it's a pretty intuitive descending chord progression in the style he likes. But these verses do sound similar.
Nine to five is a freaking hilarious track. Ten minutes into his morning as Norman, the Starmaker can't handle it. It's so over the top whiny and self-pitying it betrays the true identity of the Starmaker in the first verse: none other than R.D. Davies! Wonderful hall of mirrors stuff. "All work, no play, it's just another day" - reminds me of my teenage daughter lol.
Ha, it's a fair point! I think looking back knowing Norman and the Starmaker are one and the same, it makes it more poignant though. Norman's 36, we can assume he's been doing the nine to five for fifteen years, that will certainly wear on you.
I think Ray knows perfectly well that he is being "meta" here (for lack of a less annoying term). This is the story of a nine to five guy fantasizing he's a star taking the place of a nine to five guy. That's the plot of the play. But in reality, it is the creation of a star (RDD) imagining the story of a nine-to-five-guy-fantasizing-he's-a-star-taking-the-place-of-a-nine-to-five-guy… So these Side 1 songs are all designed to have multiple meanings. I think it was @Wondergirl who pondered if she sensed some kind of "contempt" on the part of Ray in Rush Hour Blues. I don't think so at all. I think we get three levels of meaning. 1/ whatever the starmaker sings, it's so outrageously spiteful and over the top that it does work in reverse portraying him as a shallow prima donna. 2/ since it's eventually revealed to be Norman singing, we understand the made-up starmaker is Norman's device to look down on himself as instructed by the class system, revealing how he feels negated by society and the "beautiful people". 3/ as it's definitely Ray Davies writing and singing it all, we come back to 1/ and he's clearly portraying himself as an "outrageous poof", in what @Zack called "wonderful hall of mirror stuff" which, now that I think of it, is indeed a less annoying way of saying "meta". So this is quite clever and funny, especially when you realize most (if not all) of it was first and foremost written to give Ray an opportunity to hang about on stage in his underpants.
The frantic Rush Hour Blues gave us a sense of the daily chaos and madness involved with dragging oneself to the office on a typical day. Next, Nine To Five, as soothing as a lullaby, portrays how over time, the dull repetitiveness of office work gradually wears away at one's vitality, until one becomes merely a sleepy robot executing tasks and fulfilling obligations until breakdown and expiration, as time runs out. But Norman's life isn't so bad, right? He has food, shelter, security and family, so he should to be thankful and ought not complain about it like a child! He needs to cope with the situation. How? Drugs! - as we will see tomorrow, when "When Work Is Over" completes this depressing little trilogy of modern life!
"Nine to Five" Even though these are all separate tracks on the album, the next two songs make it appear that it is really one 6:36 medley. It wouldn't have been crazy to discuss them all together, but I also understand giving them each their own day. Another beautiful melody from Ray. I love when the drums and what sound like a melodica kick in. "And time goes by, the hours tick away." I never picked up on it sounding like "America" by Paul Simon, but now I can slightly hear it. That's one of Paul Simon's greatest and most celebrated songs. This is just another song in the long line of under appreciated Kinks tunes. Here is a video of all three songs together for those that haven't or don't want to watch the entire thing.
I've only watched parts of the Starmaker TV production but, to me, it emphasizes how ridiculous it is that Ray didn't do this whole thing as a Ray Davies solo venture. Second thing is Ray's acting is so much better than on the album.
I just had a thought about "Nine to Five". There's one thing missing from the song that I'm sure that most of us Avids had/have in their jobs, the annoying boss. There's nothing about bosses in this song, while the other "9-5" song does mention it. Perhaps Ray doesn't realize this or more probably he is the boss type (Mick Avory on celebrating Ray's birthday as a national holiday: "Everybody would have to work twice as hard!")
The albums wouldn’t have been as good, and maybe the other Kinks enjoyed it? What were they supposed to do for a few years if they weren’t touring as The Kinks? I’m sure they all appreciated the paycheck. It’s hard to say what any of them thought during this time. I know Dave speaks highly of the next album. I don’t recall his thoughts on Soap Opera. I’m sure if it was a success, they would all be singing its praises.
Pretty sure whenever I've read interviews with anyone Kinks other than Ray Davies they all single this album out as their nadir in the band.
I just looked up what Dave had to say about it. He said it was a novel idea, very funny, and innovative. He also said he was content to go along with it, but feels like the album wasn’t given enough attention with the arrangements. In the book Kink he urges fans to check out “Holiday Romance” and “Ducks on the Wall”, but also states it remains his least favorite Kinks album. This book is 25 years ago, so who knows if he still feels the same? I imagine The Kinks would have disintegrated if Ray went solo with these albums.
Johns Gosling and Dalton hated it. Mick Avory never says anything. By the way, I prefer this album to both "Preservation Act 2" and "Schoolboys In Disgrace" but it's so obviously a vehicle for Ray Davies.
That could also be partly because it wasn’t a success. If they hated it so much, they could have left the band. They eventually do in a few years, but they stuck with Ray through all this craziness. Opinions often change as well. How many times do you hear a band raving about a new album and years later they say they hate it? Many times it also has more to do with their personal life or the recording atmosphere that leaves a negative opinion, and has nothing to do with the actual music. There may have been mixed feelings about it in the band. It’s impossible to know what the band thought at the time. It really doesn’t matter now though. It’s a Kinks album whether you love it or hate it.
Gosling and Dalton did leave the band after the concept albums, but I don’t know all the reasons why.
Nine to Five Wow I think the reason I never realized this song was only 1:48 was that I really did think that this and When Work Is Over were parts of the same song. I mean, Rush Hour Blues is like 3 songs in one, and the transition from Nine to Five to the next track, while abrupt, seems to flow so wonderfully. The third song in this trilogy seems different enough, but I digress and will get to that in due time. Back to Nine to Five, it's so gentle and breezy. I like the accordion and the space that fills. The mundane lyrics are interesting and another parallel to some Brian Wilson compositions like Busy Doin' Nothing or I've Just Once to See You, where the writer is just talking about every day things that we all do... giving directions to one's home, looking for a written down phone number, washing up dishes and rinsing the sink, and then doing the repetitive office tasks from 9-5 every day, day in and day out. But as others have said, this one is very meta and there's the multiple layers to the story being sung. This makes me sad though: It always seems we hear that the "Golden Era" ended at Lola, or Muswell, or Sweet Lady Genevieve was "the last great Kinks" song... and so far, all those warnings have been dead wrong. I am finding great songs in Preservation Act 2 and now Soap Opera. I'm sure I will appreciate the Arista period (all those albums will be new to my Arista virgin ears!), but part of me does lament the end of this era.
That's just the thing...if you're a virgin listener/viewer, you think that this is about Starmaker, but actually it IS all about Norman you realize at the end. I thought it was very clever when it hit me after viewing the TV show for the first time.
We're nearing halfway through the album and what I find interesting, and it may just be circumstances, but.... Prior to this thread my Kinks album introduction was scattershot.... One For The Road State Of Confusion (bought in real time, back in the day) Low Budget Muswell Hillbillies The Kinks Are The Village Green preservation society. Probably 15 years break, then the sacd's were released and I bought them all. Then I noticed the Pye albums were reissued with all the singles included, so I got them too. I hit an album here and an album there, with no rhyme nor reason.... just hey, I'll try this one. For some reason I loved the band, but felt like they were a singles band, which is a really unusual perspective for me with a band..... The thread essentially was my want/reason to really give these albums a proper go........ I am wondering if the reason I am finding the albums so much more accessible, or perhaps logical, approachable and enjoyable is based on running at them chronologically. Obviously really listening properly makes a big difference, but for me, I am seeing a very logical progression through the albums, and it seems to enhance them for me.... or something. As I have stated prior, before, and even during the thread, I really wasn't sure about this album, but going through it, it is actually a really enjoyable album.... I still think it may sit lower down in some kind of ranking thing, but not from the perspective of being something I wouldn't listen to. Anyway, just some rambling afternoon ponderances...
