| |
Monday, March 21
So that was all 23 studio albums by The Kinks. Favourite album? I think 'Preservation Acts 1 & 2'. Which is interesting, since I thought 'Village Green Preservation Society' was my favourite before I started this. And my least favourite? 'Muswell Hillbillies', what with it being the start of their odd pub blues phase. Next... Blur! Labels: Muswell Hillbillies, Preservation Act 1, Preservation Act 2, The Kinks, The Village Green Preservation Society
The final Kinks album! 'Phobia' (1993). With bigger and bigger gaps between albums, it was perhaps obvious that it wouldn't last much longer. They disbanded three years after this, in 1996. I can't help but wonder whether 'Hatred' (one of my favourite songs on the album) was a bit of a sign, especially as a duet between Ray and Dave. I guess things are better now between them, but all those years of working together seemed to be taking their toll. I particularly like 'Did Ya', since it heavily references 'Sunny Afternoon'. Wikipedia says this was only on the Japanese version of the slbum, which is interesting. Maybe I have that. Or maybe Wikipedia is wrong! Hm. It was a fitting end to the Kinks, anyway... Labels: 1993, Album Project, Phobia, The Kinks
So, the 22nd Kinks album, 'UK Jive' (1989). Apparently it was one of the most poorly received Kinks albums. It sounds very 80s. And it has a load of different musical styles. Even if it was poorly received, it's by no means my least favourite Kinks album. Labels: 1989, Album Project, The Kinks, UK Jive
Monday, March 14
Have now listened to 'Think Visual' (1986). By this point the Kinks are becoming less popular. 'Think Visual' sounds very much like a Ray Davies solo album, much less like a Kinks album. I do like it (I like his solo albums!) but it's not as good as some of their earlier work... Labels: 1986, Album Project, The Kinks, Think Visual
Sunday, March 13
Album Project update! Have now listened to 'Word of Mouth' (1984). (BTW, you may be pleased to hear that 'Think Visual' has now turned up!) The thing that makes this album a little unusual is the two songs with lead singing by Dave Davies. 'Living on a Thin Line' is a good song. This album was made in a time of crisis. Dave Davies could no longer stand working with the drummer Mick Avory, so Mick was fired. Dave and Ray's relationship was deteriorating. Ray's relationship with the Pretenders lead singer, Chrissie Hynde, was breaking up. So this is an uncomfortable sort of album. Good, but uncomfortable. I guess it was only a matter of time before things fell apart forever... Labels: 1984, Album Project, The Kinks, Word of Mouth
Monday, March 7
Album Project update... Nearing the end of the Kinks, though I hope 'Think Visual' turns up soon - managed to find someone in Germany who had a very rare copy of the CD to complete my collection! Anyway, have now listened to 'State of Confusion' (1983). This has two songs on it that I really like, both of which are about dancing. The first is 'Come Dancing' and the second is 'Don't Forget to Dance'. :) Labels: 1983, Album Project, State of Confusion, The Kinks
Thursday, March 3
Album Project update! I have now listened to 'Give The People What They Want' (1981). So, suddenly, the Kinks were back in the mainstream. 'Low Budget' had made them popular again. According to Wikipedia, 'Give The People What They Want' reached #15 in the charts. And this is a pretty solid album, a bit retrospective in places with tracks like 'Destroyer'. 'Destroyer' has 'All day and all of the night' underlying it, and then there's the obvious mention of a girl called Lola. Of all the songs on the album, you're most likely to have heard 'Better Things'. Labels: 1981, Album Project, Give the people what they want, The Kinks
Monday, February 28
Ok, me again... Album Project Update! Have now listened to 'Low Budget' (1979) by the Kinks. This has a particular resonance at the moment, I think! Lots of songs about hard times and having no money. And it's a very stripped down band. It's just Ray Davies, Dave Davies, Mick Avory on drums and a new bass player - Jim Rodford. Oh, and a saxophonist on two tracks. :) I particularly like 'Catch me now I'm falling' (which is a song about America in recession), though possibly '(Wish I could fly like) Superman' is one of the better known tracks from the album. This album is a real band piece, all working together to produce something that feels solidly made. From the themes on the album you can see that though in Britain they were thought of as little more than a nostalgia band (mainly due to Punk), they were making it big in America... Labels: 1979, Album Project, Low Budget, The Kinks
Thursday, February 24
And another Album Project update - 'Misfits' (1978). I have to say there are some songs on here that are I've really loved listening to, both for their catchy tunes and their social comment. For instance, 'Black Messiah'. It's a song about British race relations, with a ska beat. And 'Out of the Wardrobe' is about a transvestite. I guess the songs are sort of about people who don't quite fit in, hence the title 'Misfits'. But it's a loose collection, rather than a tight concept album. Another album that shows off the individual talents of each of the band members, including a song called 'Trust Your Heart' on which Dave Davies sings lead vocals... Labels: 1978, Album Project, Misfits, The Kinks
Album Project update! 'Sleepwalker' (1977). It's the 15th studio album by the Kinks, and the first with their new record label Arista. It's a return to their roots, in some ways. No more concept stuff. Just rock that's both edgy and humorous. When I listened to it for the first time I was struck by how the bass on 'Mr. Big Man' doesn't seem quite the same as on the other tracks. This is because I am sad and pathetic, I guess! Or I like bass guitar too much. Anyway, I was interested to find out that that is the only track on this album that was played by the new Kinks bass player, Andy Pyle. John Dalton left during the recording of the album. It's a very slick piece of work, this album, showing off all their talents. I liked it. :) Labels: 1977, Album Project, Sleepwalker, The Kinks
Thursday, February 17
So, Album Project update, the 14th Studio Album by the Kinks, 'Schoolboys in Disgrace' (1976). It's the last of the Kinks formal concept albums, and the prequel to 'Preservation'. Basically, it's the story of Mr Flash when he's at school. How he ends up hating authority. How he ends up being, well, evil. The album sounds much more like the Kinks, not just Ray Davies with a bunch of musicians. The song 'No More Looking Back' is a wonderful song, with a great bassline, great guitar played by Dave Davies, and great (not overly theatrical) singing. Yes, I did like this album. And though I haven't enjoyed every moment of Ray Davies's strange concept album creations, there have been some moments of true genius. Labels: 1976, Album Project, Schoolboys in Disgrace, The Kinks
Wednesday, February 16
Ok, so 'Soap Opera' (1975) - after the heights of 'Preservation' it's a bit of a let down. It's ok, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. It's basically an album about celebrity and fame - an ordinary man called Norman who wants to be a rock star. The rest of the Kinks didn't really like it much, I think, but Ray Davies had an idea and they supported him in it - best to let him get it out of his system! Mick Avory (the drummer) said they viewed it as a separate project that Ray wanted to do. So there you go. :) Labels: 1975, Album Project, Soap Opera, The Kinks
Thursday, February 10
Album Project update - I've listened to 'Preservation Act 1' (1973) and 'Preservation Act 2' (1974). I've listened to them quite a few times, once with the CD inlays to try and understand exactly what's going on! The thing about these albums, you see, is that they're basically one very long rock opera. Ray Davies wrote it to create a musical extravaganza with some of the same themes as 'Village Green', though it's much darker. It was originally supposed to be released as a double album but due to various problems it was released in two 'Acts', one of which (the second) contains most of the storyline. Without knowing who's singing the songs and what the scene is, some of it doesn't make sense. It would be brilliant to see the whole thing performed. But due to its length, they never played all the songs in concert, just a cut down version. I'd have loved to have seen them in costume as Mr Flash and his cronies, though. I will try to explain what's going on... 1. Morning Song (CHORUS) - an opening with no words. 2. Daylight (CHORUS) - sets the scene - there's the village green, the sun rising, everyone getting up and going to work... 3. Sweet Lady Genevieve (TRAMP) - a drunken tramp full of regret longs for his Genevieve. 4. There's A Change In The Weather (WORKING CLASS MAN, MIDDLE CLASS MAN, UPPER CLASS MAN) - some sort of change is on the way - will it be a change for the better or a terrible calamity? 5. Where Are They Now? (TRAMP) - a song about change, basically. 6. One Of The Survivors (JOHNNY THUNDER & CHORUS) - one of the characters from 'Village Green', he stays the same though the world changes around him. 7. Cricket (THE VICAR) - we see the traditional sermonising of the vicar, old fashioned and somewhat comforting. 8. Money & Corruption/I Am Your Man (CHORUS & MR BLACK) - there's unrest as people grow fed up of crooked politicians. Mr Black steps in and says he can put things right. 9. Here Comes Flash (CHORUS & SCARED HOUSEWIVES) - oh no, the evil Mr Flash is on the way! He is the personification of the evil that Mr Black is so against... 10. Sitting In The Midday Sun (TRAMP) - still cheerful, the Tramp sings that things aren't so bad as long as you can sit in the sunshine. 11. Demolition (FLASH & HIS CRONIES) - they're knocking everything down and building cheap houses to line their pockets. Boo! 12. Announcement - Mr Black has formed a People's Army to overthrow Mr Flash. 13. Introduction to Solution (TRAMP) - Mr Black is waiting for the right moment to strike, Mr Flash is in his den drinking. A battle is looming! 14. When A Solution Comes (MR BLACK) - in his attic, Mr Black bides his time. He plans to change the world! 15. Money Talks (FLASH, FLOOSIES & SPIVS) - Mr Flash sings about how you can corrupt anyone with money. 16. Announcement - Mr Black is to address the people. 17. Shepherds Of The Nation (MR BLACK & THE DO-GOODERS) - Mr Black tells the people of the puritanical moral standards that are needed to fix things. 18. Scum Of The Earth (FLASH, FLOOSIES & SPIVS) - Mr Flash sings about how he's only human... Good and evil exist in all of us. 19. Secondhand Car Spiv (FLASH, FLOOSIES & SPIVS) - Mr Flash came up from the gutter and now he's in charge of the country. 20. He's Evil (MR BLACK & FOLLOWERS) - a party political broadcast about how Mr Flash is evil! 21. Mirror Of Love (BELLE) - a song by Flash's special floosie. She loves him even though he's cruel. 22. Announcement - Mr Black and the People's Army have won a major victory. 23. Nobody Gives (TRAMP) - the normally cheerful tramp despairs. People never give unless they get something in return. 24. Oh Where Oh Where Is Love? (TRAMP & THE DO-GOODERS) - what happened to love, hope, sympathy and trust, faith, joy in simplicity, regard and respect? Why's the world become so BAD? 25. Flash's Dream (FLASH) - after a hard day campaigning, with Mr Black and his army closing in on him, Flash dreams that he is visited by his soul. It warns him that his end is nigh... 26. Flash's Confession (FLASH) - following the dream, Flash confesses all the evil he's done, all his cruelty, ego and conceit. 27. Nothing Lasts Forever (FLASH & BELLE) - on the run, Flash turns to Belle for help. They agree to go their separate ways. 28. Announcement - Mr Flash is captured by Mr Black and the People's Army! 29. Artificial Man (FLASH, MR BLACK & MAD SCIENTIST) - Mr Flash is taken to a secret hideout to have his brain cleansed and his mind conditioned. If the only way to make the world perfect is to mess with everyone's minds then it doesn't sound like such a perfect world... 30. Scrapheap City (BELLE & THE FLOOSIES) - Mr Black's new world is featureless and, ultimately, less appealing than Mr Flash's corrupt old world. 31. Announcement - a state of emergency is declared, with curfews, rationing, the closure of places of public entertainment, TV and radio stations. 32. Salvation Road (EVERYBODY) - the people got what they wanted. There's an end to corruption. Everyone's the same. But there's no freedom, only fear... So there you go. I haven't done it justice in this brief summary. The basis of the story is that to start with you think Flash is evil, Mr Black is good. But gradually you see that Mr Black is more evil than Flash was! It probably would have worked a bit better if it hadn't been released as two Acts, since it is fairly disjointed, but, well, it's amazing. :) Labels: 1973, 1974, Album Project, Preservation Act 1, Preservation Act 2, The Kinks
Tuesday, February 1
Hmm, I have to admit I have hit upon a section of The Kinks that I like a lot less... Since I last blogged I have listened to 'Muswell Hillbillies' (1971) and 'Everybody's in Showbiz' (1972). 'Muswell Hillbillies' is the first album The Kinks made with their new record label RCA (they had formerly been with Pye). They set out to make an album that had no obvious singles on it, since Pye had been promoting singles to the detriment of the albums... I think the reason I like it less is the 'pub jazz' flavour bought to it by the Mike Cotton Sound (who stayed with The Kinks for many years). Still, it has some interesting songs, some of which are very dark. 'Everybody's in Showbiz' has the same sort of sound as 'Muswell Hillbillies', still featuring the Mike Cotton Sound. But it has a couple of songs I love, like 'Celluloid Heroes'. And it was a double album, with a second disc - a live show recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1972. For four years of their early career The Kinks had been banned from touring America, and now they were in and (apparently) big hits. 'Everybody's in Showbiz' (and indeed 'Muswell Hillbillies') do have a certain American flavour to them. Perhaps that was where the band wanted to make it big. I don't know. Apparently The Kinks had often had a bit too much to drink when they performed live, resulting in often shambolic performances. The live album does seem to reflect this! Labels: 1971, 1972, Album Project, Everybody's in Showbiz, Muswell Hillbillies, The Kinks
Saturday, January 29
I have now listened to 'Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One' (1970). I guess you'd have to have been living under a rock not to know the song 'Lola'. But in many ways it doesn't fit with the theme of the album. There are some great songs on here about the music industry, including one that unflatteringly mentions some of the Kinks managers. I think 'Denmark Street' is one of my favourite tracks on the album - a song about getting a record deal. The mix of styles on here, including the scariness of Dave Davies' songs, makes it have even greater depth than it would have done. And yet it all works together in one album! :) There never was a Part Two, if you were wondering. They were planning one but ended up making 'Muswell Hillbillies' instead... Labels: 1970, Album Project, Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, The Kinks
Thursday, January 27
Meant to go swimming but I have a headache. Getting them quite a bit lately. Ho hum. Anyway, that means I can blog while my bath is running! I will do an Album Project update! (Big surprise!) Today I listened to the seventh studio album by The Kinks - 'Arthur or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire' (1969). This is a marvellous album full of all sorts of things that give the British their identity (including the hope of a new life emigrating to the colonies!). It's an album full of songs about the working man, war, class, hopes and dreams and everyday life. It's an album full of emotion. It's brilliant stuff, even though you may not have heard any of the songs on it before. Perhaps you've heard 'Victoria'. But chances are it would all be new to you. The album was written for a TV project, though Granada pulled out and in the end it was only released as an album. The project featured a man called Arthur. The original story of Arthur (from the album cover) is as follows: Arthur? Oh, of course, England and knights and round tables. Excailbre, Camelot. "So all day long the noise of battle roll'd among the mountains by the winter sea". Sorry, no. This is Arthur Morgan, who lives in a London suburb in a house called Shangri-La, with a garden and a car and a wife called Rose and a son called Derek. Derek who's married to Liz, and they have these two very nice kids, Terry and Marilyn. Derek and Liz and Terry and Marilyn are emigrating to Australia. Arthur did have another son, called Eddie. He was named for Arthur's brother, who was killed in the battle of the Somme. Arthur's Eddie was killed, too - in Korea. His son, Ronnie, is a student and he thinks the world's got to change one hell of a lot before it's going to be good enough for him. Derek thinks it's changed a bloody sight too much - he can't stick England any more, all these bloody bureaucrats everywhere, bloody hell, he's getting out. Ronnie and Derek don't exactly get on. Arthur wasn't named for Arthur of Camelot and all that, he was called after Prince Arthur William Patrick Albert, 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn and Earl of Sussex, because Arthur's parents knew their place, and children ought to be named in honour of Queen Victoria's children, and Prince Arthur, you know, he was her third and married... Arthur has spent most of his life on his knees, laying carpets. Oh, and he had his plans, he was thinking very seriously indeed about setting up on his own, only he hadn't much in the way of savings and there was this Hitler and... it all seemed a bit risky. There were the children to think of, weren't there? Arthur doesn't like risks, he never has. He bought a car instead, and took the kids out on Sundays. Things aren't exactly easy now he's retired, but he owns his own house, and most of his car. You've got to be careful. But you don't want to worry too much about the world, the way Ronnie does, or complain all the time like Derek, you're not going to get anywhere like that, you know. You want to take things as they come.
Things have been coming at Arthur all his life. Arthur's life, and the life of millions of English people like him, is shown through the songs Ray Davies has written. The Granada TV story in which they're set all takes place on Derek and Liz's last day in England. Nothing happens very much - everyone has Sunday dinner together, then Ronnie turns up and the men go to the pub where Ronnie gets all worked up about The System, while Liz and Rose talk about the past, and then Arthur takes them all to the boat, and they have a picnic on the way, and all the time Arthur's remembering his life and... It's been a sad day for Arthur, seeing them off. People haven't been nearly as nice to Arthur as he's been to them, and... What's it all about, then? Is this what he's lived for? He's got the house, hasn't he? And the car? It's been a good life, hasn't it? Well, hasn't it?(By Julian Mitchell) Labels: 1969, Album Project, Arthur or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, The Kinks
Wednesday, January 26
Ok, there we go, watched some TV and ate dinner then listened to the 15 track version of 'The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society' on CD, rather than the odd 15 track mono/stereo mix I seemed to have on my iPod! Feel much better now. I remembered one thing that has happened to us recently - Rob and I are no longer church homegroup leaders... It was our last homegroup meeting last night. It was a fun evening, lots of lovely food and entertaining company. It won't be the same being in another group. It wasn't like it was our idea to stop, but it is probably a good idea. Ho hum. Labels: 1968, Album Project, The Kinks, The Village Green Preservation Society
Well, not much has happened to me of any interest. Feeling kind of bleugh, but I have the evening to myself now so I shall go and do some interesting things in a minute. :) I have now listened to one of the best albums of all time - 'The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society' (1968). The only downside to this album (in the form I listened to it in) is that is has some rather odd stereo treatments. But, well, what can I say that hasn't already been said about this album? When you work in the 'heritage sector' it's still very relevant. Trying to save the old when everyone wants the new. It's an album full of reminiscences about the way things used to be. And the weird thing is that you probably won't recognise any of the songs unless you're a big Kinks fan. Listen to it in its entirety and it's a wonderful concept album. And I think it's the first Kinks album I bought. Must be 10 years ago now. Hooray! Ah, when I say you are unlikely to recognise any of the songs, you might recognise 'Picture Book' since Hewlett-Packard used it in one of their adverts. Amazing. Labels: 1968, Album Project, The Kinks, The Village Green Preservation Society
Tuesday, January 25
The Album Project continues... I have now listened to 'Something Else by The Kinks' (1967). I didn't enjoy this quite as much as 'Face to Face', though it ends with the iconic (is that the right word?) song 'Waterloo Sunset'. Possibly one of the best songs ever written. :) Labels: 1967, Album Project, Something Else by The Kinks, The Kinks
Monday, January 24
So, I have now listened to The Kinks' fourth album, 'Face to Face' (1966). It was a joy to listen to - lots of wonderfully crafted songs full of social comment. And some fantastic harpsichord, too. :) Song you're most likely to recognise? 'Sunny Afternoon', I think. (Probably worth mentioning that 'Dedicated Follow of Fashion' was only released as a single, it wasn't on an album...) Labels: 1966, Album Project, Face to Face, The Kinks
|
|
