Not quite true, "Days", "Lola", "Apeman" and "Supersonic Rocket Ship" were all hits - "Lola" and "Apeman" were both Top 10. As we know, their albums never sold in the UK anyway.
That's true... I guess I just don't understand why they essentially fell away in the UK. 64-66, the first three albums did really well. Most of the singles were really successful, and then it just seemed to fall away. I know my personal bias plays a big part in my opinion, because at this stage, for me, Something Else, Village Green and Arthur are among the best albums of the sixties.... and I find it remarkable they weren't huge UK hits
One For The Road I can't share in the enthusiasm for this album with many of you. I don't gravitate towards live albums and this is far from my favorite era of the band. I was always aware that this was a highly regarded and popular album for them. Over the years I have dipped into it and would immediately lose interest. I started with the all the 60s and 70s albums. The only 80s Kinks I had for a long time was the CD compilation Come Dancing With The Kinks, which features songs from 1977-1986, and includes a couple of live songs. In the last month, I thought about picking up this record, but decided to download it first. I have listened through it once or twice, and I still don't get it. There are a few interesting moments and song arrangements, but there is nothing here that I prefer over the studio versions. I will be giving this album the most attention I ever have over the next couple weeks. Maybe something will click and I will enjoy it, or maybe I will be the lone curmudgeon in the group.
I doubt you'll be alone. I can understand this not being in your wheelhouse. I get the feeling the harder edged Kinks isn't generally appealing to you. The musical highlights, in my opinion, often ride on the back of Dave's guitar for the most part, and I get the feeling that doesn't appeal to you either. There's nothing wrong with that.... I find it hard to understand I guess, because I just hear a great rock album, but I think we just approached this era from directly opposite directions. I'd love it if you can find the beauty in Celluloid Heroes here, but we'll just take it as it comes.
You are correct about Dave’s guitar and the harder edge. It’s also Ray’s vocal style and the overall sound of the band I’m not crazy about. I am still not very familiar with the album though, so I am interested at taking a closer look. I can’t even recall this version of “Celluloid Heroes”. I may try and pick up the vinyl, if I can find it, to get the original experience. Sometimes an album comes more alive in that format. That happened with a few other albums like Muswell and Preservation Act 2. I liked those albums before, but the vinyl made me appreciate them even more.
That's a cool story about you and your father. There haven't been too many native New Yorkers who are Red Sox fans. I know that Jeffrey Lyons the film critic was one as well as historian Doris Kearns Goodman. It's nice to know he got to see them win it all at least twice. I remember after 2004 a lot of people decorated their family's graves w/Red Sox flags for those who never saw them win it all. As for DiMaggio, I think that your father either respected a great talent, Yankee or not, or maybe he did wish it was either Ted Williams or Dom DiMaggio, Joe's brother, who played for the Sox.
One of the Avids mentioned that he had the Chu Bops version of One From the Road. For those Avids who don't know, Chu Bops were kinda of a music version of baseball cards. It was a miniature album cover of various popular albums w/a record shaped bubble gum inside. It only lasted a year or so (1980). Here's a Duscogs thingie about them: Chu-Bops™ by CykoMF | Discogs Lists
In You I Believe I don't mind Dave's vocals on this one, but kind of a generic tune. Run There's something decent going on here. I'm sorry to say I don't have time to give this a good listen (sorry Dave). But there is no guitar wanking here. Just a nice mellow sound going down with some twangy deep guitar bits And again, the voice is not a problem for me here. Wild Man I don't have a problem with the general idea of this song, but maybe it was recorded/mixed poorly. I know Dave's voice is really up there, but even still, the vocal is pretty unclear. I think if proper attention could be paid to this song, it could be pretty interesting. Sort of AC/DC-ish maybe? This crop of songs I didn't give a thoughtful listen to. But overall, I wasn't cringing while listening. Though the album as a whole maybe isn't for me, it isn't an embarrassment as I had been led to be believe by some. Dave did himself no favors by doing most (all?) of the instruments himself and producing it on his own. I think he could have used some assistance with all that. oh well. Anyone know if any of these songs sound better live when he toured over the years?
I thought it was Mr. Coffee. The Joe DiMaggio I knew from black and white photos and film couldn’t be this geezer, could it? I think my dad was somewhat in awe but he even managed to snap a couple pictures for posterity. Now, my parents were both from New Jersey and that is where I grew up. I only moved to New York ten years ago but I guess I’ll always be a Jersey boy. But yes, even living in Jersey, maybe fifteen miles from Yankee Stadium, it was rare for someone to hate the Yankees and love the Red Sox. I forgot to add that Tom Seaver, my childhood idol, was ending his career with the Red Sox that 1986 season. Talk about having mixed emotions. And while we’re on the topic of doppelgängers, my dad was mistaken on more than one occasion for another all-time Yankees great, Phil Rizzuto.
I do remember Joe DiMaggio from those Mr. Coffee commercials. I also remember Tom Seaver playing for the '86 Red Sox, although he got injured late in the season and didn't get a chance to start in the World Series. I hope you father wasn't asked to recite Phil Rizzuto's dialogue from Meat Loaf's "Paradise By The Dashboard Light"
It doesn’t challenge your theory but my father in England used to drink 3 pints of Fosters every day well into his 80s. I think it reminded him of Australia.
One for the Road I never listened to this entire live album until two days ago. Yep! You heard it first here. I'm unsure what I'll think of it until I've examined it more closely. I'll keep my very initial impressions to myself for now. the bottom line for me is that I'm not sure that live albums are my thang. Having said that, as I said in the past, I do think that the live versions of the MH songs on Everybody's in Showbiz surpass the studio versions. But I'm not so sure if the same thing happens on One for the Road with the Low Budget and other previous albums' songs. Again, I haven't made up my mind on that, so need to look at that too. The live Lola was played to death on the radio. That one I know very well. And there are probably a few other songs from this album that were regularly played on the radio (maybe All Day and All of the Night??). So I'm ready to roll on this live album. It'll be fun to see what my takeaway on this is once we're through.
Have the DVD have the Vinyl. Love one for the road. Love the crunchy guitars and just loud exuberance.
So glad your dad got to see two Sox series wins. So many folks lived a long life and passed away with their dreams unfulfilled. 1986 was a tough year to be a Sox fan. My husband, who is generally a mild-mannered fella who is a rule follower, was so upset by the Sox loss while at Boston College as a student that he and his buddies threw a piece of dorm furniture out the window. I'm sure they weren't the only ones. would your dad have lost his head if he met Ted Williams? Wakka wakka
One for the Road - I remember seeing this displayed among the new releases in Sound Warehouse here in Houston back in the day. I was only vaguely aware of the Kinks' output since Sleepwalker - whatever I'd heard on the radio - but it had received a good review in Rolling Stone and I was considering buying it. My new girlfriend and first wife-to-be, who was more into New Wave, discouraged me because it was...old wave, I guess. I also used to be lukewarm on live albums, so as a college student with limited resources, I walked away from it for a few decades (she walked away from me after one decade!). It's funny the little things one remembers - like NOT buying an album 40+ years ago! - when so many other memories seem to have evaporated over the years... Fast forward until several years ago, when I was re-exploring the Kinks again, and the One for the Road DVD came with the Greatest Hits 1970-1986 compilation. I'm not sure if I've watched it more than once - I have a bunch of music videos but for some reason I rarely watch them - but I will be putting it on again. I got the reissue CD a few months ago and I think it's a winner. I often prefer live versions of Kinks rockers over their studio counterparts and there are examples here as well. It gives only a relatively small window into the breadth and depth of the group, but this is a great encapsulation of their late 70s/early 80s high-energy hard rock incarnation. Unfortunately, I never saw them live, but I'm happy to have this.
Avid Wondergirl, 1986 was rough. I remember listening to Eddie Andelman's Sports Huddle and hearing all the callers scream in disappointment all night long. I also remember the sportscaster for WBZ TV standing in front of the Red Sox visitor's room stating that he didn't want to go inside. I think that time and the 4 subsequent championships have done a lot to dull the pain. Bill Buckner, all is forgiven!
The way that series played out, it was nearly impossible to not have empathy for the BoSox. Let’s not forget the Red Sox had their own miraculous events occur in that year’s pennant against the Angels. Even as a teen, I felt awful for the late Bill Buckner and the rest of the team, stacked with quality players as it was. And for my dad too, as he was certain he’d never see them raise the flag. That must have been one long, hard winter in Beantown.
I do remember the Angels series & that poor Angels pitcher who gave up the homer to Henderson who killed himself a couple of years later. Buckner shouldn't have been made the goat. It was the manager's fault that he was there. There was also the death of Len Bias right after he was chosen #1 in the NBA draft by the Celtics that killed the Celts as an important team in my opinion.
Ha ha, I don’t think that was me as I don’t think there’s anything about the entire Kinks and solo career where I would use the phrase “can’t stand”. He’s not quite into “Bernadette” territory here where he sounds like he’s screaming falsetto through his nose, but we’re getting close! But even that I can stand OK lol!
Glad to hear you’re on the mend! I’ll be interested to know which Superman 12” matrix you have. The Scottish dealer I mentioned that confirmed that rare matrix did indeed have it and came through for me so I now own the physical copy.
Yes, poor Bill Buckner. It's too easy to blame Buckner for that play, but he has to own part of it. I know that the idea is to play through pain and discomfort, but man, Bill could barely walk. A lot of blame to go around.
