The Kinks - Album by Album (song by song)

I too am a proud member of that league of unfortunates who lack the capacity to ignore certain facts, and who are, as the Record Collector reviewer put it, "overawed" by the reality of existence: where we are and how we got here. So, I'm always game for a Ray song expressive of some existential angst, and I number him among our compatriots. When reviewing Low Budget carefully for our discussion, I was pleased to find two specimens of this sort unexpectedly hiding in plain sight on side 2 of Low Budget: In a Space and Moving Pictures.

I really enjoy the in it/infinite rhyme here:

Thinkin' about the world
And all the people in it
And I'm staring at the stars
And into the infinite​

The way Ray stresses the second syllable of infinite creates a clever rhyme, and getting the same sound from two words and then a single word lends adds a more little spice to it; in addition, the meanings work nicely together (the infinite includes everything that is, so by definition if you exist, you are in it). That clean and crispy "init" rhyme also balances the less conspicuous "orrr/airrr/arrr" rhyming in the opposing verses (world/staring/stars). Finally the "it" sound ties nicely to the alliteration in the previous line (staring, stars).

 

I agree with both of these statements. This was always my second favorite after "National Health". I favor the weirdo new wave type songs on this album. The Ray bark takes away some of my enjoyment. I wish he would have went with a different type of vocal on the "Now I'm out in inner space and I'm looking at all the people." The aggressive vocal around 1:45-2:00 is the only section where I like Shouty Ray. It slowly builds until Ray sounds like he's going to burst.

This is a strange tune. It starts out sounding like it's going to be a Stones style blues number, but it quickly switches into a song about space with some otherworldly synthesizer sounds. The bass line also has some moments of a little disco groove. This song combines all the styles that they attempt on Low Budget. I think it's the one song that sums up what they were going for on this album.

 

Sounds like the intro to Crazy Mama. Funny, in all the years I've listened to In A Space I never caught that, the Stones/Faces intro style, or the JC Superstar melody in the chorus.

 

“Now I'm out in inner space
And lookin' at the people. standing face to face”
—-equates to—-
“When I'm driving in my car
When a man come on the radio”

 

Hopefully you'll feel better soon, my friend. Just listen again to your buddies the Kunks, it's a proven elixir… I too find the kompanionship on here extremely warm and reassuring. For one, it's been a real joy to chat about the Kinks for almost a year now (I joined on the third day…), with no one trying to derail the thread to explain how much the Be***es are overrated…
Seriously, I learn stuff every day, often just to listen better. We have a thread full of passionate people doing their best to show consideration for one another and eager to contribute info, analysis, opinions, but also feelings and personal stories. Those are invaluable, because that's what the best music becomes in the end, feelings and personal stories, isn't it ?

Yeah, it reminds me we're still waiting for your catch up posts about the 40 something songs you missed out on in the beginning… Back to work, avid @DISKOJOE !

Anyway, happy anniversary to you all, still a huge journey ahead of us, with many good songs and discoveries yet to come.

 

Well, I guess I’m going to be the contrarian on this one. In the year that we’ve been doing this, there have been songs that I’ve disliked. Even intensely. Not many, but there have been a few. But none have really felt like filler. Except perhaps for ones with bald in the title. Todays track feels like filler to me, utterly forgettable.

on the other hand I do like the two tracks that preceded it after being lukewarm at best for the first four.

So, happy anniversary all. Sorry I wasn’t more positive today, but I will definitely have positive things to say in the not too distant future.

 

In a Space

I'm diggin' this one. It's not a top favorite off this album. In fact it may be in the bottom three, but that's not necessarily a tragedy as there's a lot of good on Low Budget.

I do like the verses. Once again, there's sort of a New Wave feel going on here. My favorite line is "Close up I am big but far away I'm small and hardly here at all". Personally it's helpful for me to remember how insignificant I am in the universe. I guess some people would be sad about that, but I find it humbling. My sh!t isn't really all that important in the scheme of things. And that's ok.

Is it only Ray and Dave doing the backing vocals? I feel like I'm hearing a woman singing as well.

And yes, very Stonesy start to the song as @mark winstanley

Good one, but not great.

 

Thanks for reminding me about our big anniversary! Cheers to everyone for making this a (usually) fun, necessary part of my day.

@ajsmith hope you're feeling better soon and have a good support system. You're a big part of our kwirky kommunity.

 

Didn't realize you didn't join us until June. Could've sworn you were with us all along, Avid @DISKOJOE

 

I feel like a fraud at the anniversary party, I started reading (back from page 1) sometime in July I think, but only formally joined in late October. Maybe I'm just some sort of kid little brother trying to mingle with the grown-ups.

One thing is sure, we're all in a weird kind of space here, that Ray didn't anticipate in today's song, or did he ?

 

In a Space

In a space allocated to me by the human race
Right from the first line, this song resonates with me. It's so easy to be hemmed in by other humans. This is why, despite being gregarious by nature, I've always preferred rural environments to urban ones.

...until I die this space is occupied
I find this an interesting paraphrase of Descartes - I occupy space, therefore I am
So while constrained, we can still defiantly claim that space

But then, in the end, that space is rather insignificant.


Silly comparisons aside, I've always liked this song, lyrically and musically. I like both the flow and the attitude. A fine singalong too.

 

Let's see, first 2 Pye singles a bit too Mersey influenced, "You Really Got Me" a true classic, Kinks, a first album w/several poor covers but containing the first fruits of Ray's genius, "All Day & All of the Night" another stone cold classic, Kinda Kinks, more reflective & folky songs, shows the rush it was made in, "See My Friends" another classic single presaging the raga rock trend, "A Well Respected Man" another leap in Ray's songwriting ability, Kink Kontroversy, the final Kinks album of their first phase & their last cover "Milk Cow Blues", the only song that both the Kinks & Elvis did and finally "Dedicated Follow of Fashion", another great character piece by Ray, done in a great version in French by Petula Clark. Am I caught up now, Avid Fortuleo?

I was with you guys all along, but I was lurking in the background the first couple of months. I jumped on board just around the time of Face to Face and haven't regretted it since.

 

We are all an incredible combination of insignificant in macro sense, but terribly significant in a micro sense.
It is humbling the scale of the universe, but we are actually an important part of it

 

A week or so ago, I posted a Kinks cover done in French by an English singer. How about a Kinks cover done in English by a French singer?

 

In A Space: I am surprised by the disproportionate lack of affection for this one. I love what everyone seems to dislike about it. I especially like the build up leading to the Shouty Ray sections, the Shouty Ray sections get me bopping’ every time. Mark hears a squelchy bass synth (no negativity implied by him, just the way he hears it), I was going to ask who was playing the Whoopie cushion, but either way, I like it. It’s a great mix of Stones swagger and new wave that just works for me. I especially like Ray’s countdown (count up?) of “seconds into minutes into hours“ etc., and I especially like that he seems to skip centuries for some reason, but no one ever said Ray was good at maths, just at songwriting and rocking and rolling. This one was ignored when I bought the album, but it has really taken root and been stuck in my head over the past few weeks in preparation for this thread. One of my favorites on an album filled with favorites.

 

Thank you @ajsmith for posting that episode. I love the way radio shows - like books - invite us to create our own visuals. Neither the TV show nor the movie did justice to Adams’s vast imagination. I also enjoyed being reminded what to do if I find myself stuck in a crack in the ground underneath a giant boulder I can't move, with no hope of rescue.

 

In A Space

Just 2 listens so hopefully I can make some reasonable observatory comments.

The verses have some lines rhyming with Denim And Lace by Marty Rhone, might this be the cheesy song @Fortuleo is thinking of?
When the backing vocals join Ray's I get a Preservation Act feel.
Though Ray is overwhelmed when he accelerates through hours, days, months, years, decades etcetera it has me thinking of an elongated, known logical concept not unlike the lyrical concept in his own Skin And Bone and the way the body is connected though this is a time continuum.
I like the fact that we have another departure from the expected on this album.

 

Happy Birthday To Us

 

Pretty sure I was lurking on this thread from the start, and it didn't take very long to realize that this is a safe space where I can freely express my Kinkslove with my fellow Avids. I've enjoyed reading the thread daily and making occasional contributions during our loony balloon's last trip around the sun - here's to the next one! And thanks to our headmaster for being so generous with his time and keeping us in a stable orbit!

 

As long as you have your towel, it'll be ok

 

And thank you Avid Luckless Pedestrian for choosing an avatar that still gives me the chuckles.

 

I'll never give up hope that this song could worm its way into my brain and leave a mark!

 

Happy to oblige DISKOJOE!

 

There’s your answer!

(Though my impression is decidedly different than yours. I haven’t tallied the numbers but, overall, I think the affection outnumbers the lack of affection).

 

For Ray in this song it seems 2000 light years!