"I'm In Disgrace" A monster guitar riff and a fist pumping chorus that has one foot in the upcoming punk movement and one in stadium rock bloat. I wish The Kinks stayed more in the former on the upcoming albums. This and the other riff rocker on this side have a punk energy that, in my opinion, is lacking on the Arista albums. Elton John was mentioned and I can hear a little Captain Fantastic in the song (that happens to be my favorite Elton record). This reminds me more of Alice Cooper with a touch of Stones. Maybe not entirely, but I can hear both of them doing a version of this song. I love this part! Such a great sounding record. I do think this is the first song in awhile where Ray is attempting to "Give the People What They Want". This should have been a hit, especially paired with what may even be a better B side.
"I'm In Disgrace" Plenty written about this so far that I agree with. I'm another one who's only owned this album on CD so I've always assumed that "Headmaster" was the side 2 opener. This is a terrific rocker showcasing all that is great about The Kinks. The subtle intro, before it kicks into a gear that brings to mind the mid-60s rockers, but with much more sophistication in the tune and the structure. Nice instrumental break as well with the bass solo and guitar solo. It certainly foreshadows the direction of the next album, although I'm not sure I could say there is anything on Sleepwalker that I enjoy as much as this track.
Oh no, of course Dave knew perfectly well it was about his own experience (not the estrangement from Sue and his daughter, mind you, but his fooling around in the bushes with his pants down outside school) ! And he endorsed it wholeheartedly, if his guitar playing enthusiasm is any indication of his state of mind at the time. Come on, Ray never could've/would've done it without Dave's endorsement. I find it quite interesting we're now in 1975/76 and we've yet to come across any relatable sign of the conflictual nature of the two brothers' relationship. Apart from a few digs in songs like Dandy and A Long Way from Home (both being affectionate and almost as much about Ray himself), there's no apparent conclusive sign yet of their much talked about opposition. We fans have craved on theories about Dave being incensed against the "theater years" and being then sidelined as a creative force. There was even a rumor of him having left the band at some point ? But when ? Back to back records, constant touring… he certainly didn't leave for long, then. As was noted before, we've yet to encounter a Decade track worthy of being on a Kinks record of that time period. And his playing (and instrumental preeminence) never ceased to grow and to be a key component of the band's sound and of Ray's writing and producing ideas. Most of the so called Americana elements of the Muswell/Show-biz years revolved around his acoustic and twangy playing. The liner notes of the Preservation CDs reissues saw Dave himself talking fondly of his production and playing contributions to these records. And now Schoolboys in Disgrace sees him firing on all cylinders (especially in the three songs "suite" we've just started to study). As @ajsmith's cartoon illustrated, Soap Opera would be the one record with a bit less Dave but it still showcased some iconic contributions (and he never talked against the record, praising the one song – Holiday Romance – on which he doesn't appear at all!). No doubt, there will be brother versus brother konflikt at some point. Just not as of yet, it seems to me.
‘Where Dreams go to Die’ by John Grant is a great song and he is a wonderful artist. My favorite song by him is probably ‘Glaciers’. Anyway, nice to see him mentioned, I don’t hear him referenced nearly enough.
I’m In Disgrace rocks. Great chord rundown and Dave knocking them out. Yet Ray is melodic and catchy singing on top. It doesn’t remind me of any of the other acts being mentioned. Maybe the piano. My favorite song on the album.
"I'm in Disgrace" - Everything has been well covered and I don't have much time, so in short: Irresistible chorus, love the bass break, and to quote @Endicott, it's "power-chord nirvana." Welcome back, Dave!! I've always liked this one a lot, and now I love it.
I‘m In Disgrace sounds surprisingly quite modern, something like 3 or 4 years ahead of its time with that dry and stabby arrangement. Also since the 2000‘s lots of bands are going for that sound. It’s so striking that I never notice the rather uneasy lyrics subject. Fantastic song that makes me feel the Kinks are still a musically engaging and innovative band.
As they owed one single it would have been ideal for all parties issuing Gimme Shelter on 45 however the tradeoff is we get the fantastic CS Blues recording and legend. Trivia: Some 13 years on CS Blues received a brief official release on a one sided German 45 before being unceremoniously withdrawn due to the apparent displeasure of Decca UK.
Post #12914: For instance, this man Ray Davies, who at most times seems incapable of injuring the proverbial fly, in April,1971, blithely reported the following to Rock's Anne Marie Micklo, "I tried to stab Dave [his brother/Kink guitarist] last week. Stab him. With a knife. We were having eggs and chips after a gig and he reached over with his fork and took one of my chips and I ... I could have killed him."
I'm In Disgrace No i mean literally as i am at 6's and 7's and 9's plus struggling to keep up and waist deep in new material. Ok we know this is Dave however is Ray also suggesting it is Flash? If so he was a powerful leader in the Preservation Acts though without the ruthlessness, black heart and spite required though I can absolutely see him enjoying the company of the Floosies as he enjoys being berated by Do-Gooders for such Percy-verances! A sweet piano led opening reminds me musically of a mixture of Two Sisters & Little Miss Queen Of Darkness with Ray's vocal betraying hints of You're Looking Fine. Then we are rocking with the long lost guitar band the Kinks who need to be fed and given their head regularly to avoid needing me panic. The best song on the rekkid so far and I really like the recording and how the instruments sound as Dave torches the school and headmaster's orifice with his flaming guitar! I can't get it together to go through all the parts so the disgrace is all mine but I like that Ray worked hard to keep the interest with the arrangement and instrumentation.
I don't think Dave discovered their parents' combined deception until long after the Schoolboys... album, so he may have felt differently had he known.
I guess that’s why this song sounds so fresh and not-dated to me. Definitely one of my favorites on the album. I’m a sucker for call and response, love Dave’s guitar work, and Ray’s singing. As I mentioned I listened to this album last many years ago, and only once at the start of the discussion for this thread. I had read Kink relatively recently, and hadn’t made the connection between this song and Dave’s life until pointed out here. Makes me like the song enemy more.
Nice Davies brothers slip. I love this song, and the following ones. Not much to say. I guess I will comment on the side as a whole when it's done.
Schooldays reflection redux (it’s Sunday): I played this in the car yesterday and it sounded great. My mind immediately segued into Sam Cooke’s ‘Bring It On Home To Me.’ Maybe the cadence of the song? Not sure.
Random thoughts... Schoolboys is one of the Kinks' transitional albums, with a foot in the theatrical period and a foot in the Arista/AOR period. Oddly enough, this is probably why I consider it the Kinks' best post-Muswell album; it draws from the strengths of both eras. That said, Dave's guitar playing on this album, to my ears, features a presence and a vitality that doesn't really come through on the Arista albums, where his axe work sounds a bit more remote and stadium-rockish. There are still a lot of fine songs and performances to come, but I don't think Dave often again sounded as intense and focused as he did on Schoolboys. I am not a guitar expert or anything. I comment on these threads strictly as a fan and a listener, so I might be technically way off base here. But this is what I personally hear.
Walked to a newer local record shop yesterday. I’m not crazy about most of their prices, so I don’t visit this place often. The (used) new arrivals had around 15 Kinks albums. Mostly all the albums from Muswell through Word Of Mouth. It was great to see all these albums in the racks! I picked up State of Confusion and Dave’s first solo album. Now I only need to find the last three albums and a couple of the early EPs. I don’t think I will care for Dave’s solo album but I like the album cover. On the other hand, State of Confusion is a strong candidate for their worst cover. Not sure what they were thinking with that one!
Lâcheur ! A few last thoughts on this Dave/Ray thing, regarding Dave’s youth being the basis of this record. Rock fans have a (sometimes unhealthy) habit of being into band’s politics almost as much as being into the music. It’s not my place to judge it, I’m guilty as charged myself. But in the Schoolboys in Disgrace case, I’m adamant it’s missing the point completely. Ray taking inspiration from his little brother’s misadventures shows how invested he was by his side, it’s the very opposite of a lack of respect. From what we know about Dave's personality, there’s little chance he would’ve went along with it if it was not the case. The knife story is not conclusive of anything except the bad mental shape Ray was in at the time, and he himself told it to journalists to illustrate his mental breakdown, not to express any animosity against Dave. To me Schoolboys in Disgrace is probably the most invested Dave ever was in a Kinks record, as a guitar player at least (on par with Muswell Hillbillies). He’s all over it, multi-layered, creating some of the best lead parts and riffs in the whole catalogue and being featured on the live recordings as a bona fide guitar hero, as attested by the footage @ajsmith posted. No doubt, Dave has spoken many times about their “toxic” relationship but from what we can gather, he started to acknowledge this toxicity further down the line. Here’s a revelatory quote from 2014, backing me up. Please keep in mind Dave entered his 30s in 1977… “It’s like some people prefer me and Ray to be at each other’s throats than to be brothers. In my 30s and 40s, I resented the fact that Ray gave me so little credit for my input and creativity. But my love has always been relentlessly directed towards him.”
