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HMS
The Kinks were always dwarfs compared to the Stones, Beatles, The Who. A couple of good songs they had, but so did the Searchers.

This would be the single stupidest thing I have ever read on this site.

And it's "dwarves."

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Wry Cooter

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HMS
The Kinks were always dwarfs compared to the Stones, Beatles, The Who. A couple of good songs they had, but so did the Searchers.

This would be the single stupidest thing I have ever read on this site.

And it's "dwarves."

You should read some of his other posts - he probably holds the entire top ten!

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

I always get the feeling HMS was a bit of a put-on. Chastising The Kinks by saying the 1970s were a "Dead End Street" for them (by recalling their 1966 hit single in the UK). Endlessly praising DIRTY WORK as a classic Stones album. Insisting TATTOO YOU was a compilation and not a studio album. He's a character designed to wind-up OCD Stones fanatics.

First off, NO, this is NOT anything to do with a Kinks reunion lol. I only say that because its usually what I think when a Kinks thread gets bumped. This was just the last Kinks thread I could find so figured I'd add it here:

Over Thanksgiving weekend I listened to Ray Davies solo album Other People's Lives, and strongly encourage if you've never heard it that you should and if you have that you're probably overdue for a listen. Never liked the solo albums that followed, but thought this one was phenomenal. I remember when it came out and it was the first thing he'd put out in awhile and it was just so good. I listened endlessly. The songwriting is just fantastic and so Ray but also perfectly mature in relation to his life at the time. Songs like After The Fall, The Tourist, Over My Head, and Thanksgiving rank with all his other classic Kinks songs. And I still maintain Run Away From Time would have been a hit single if this were a time when that mattered or happened. The whole album all the way through is just so good and filled with classic Ray lyrics. Highly recommend it.

I agree, great album, and why did it take so long? When it came out I sort of had given up on Ray. I have to say that I liked Working Man's Cafe even better though (which came out only one year after Other People's Lives).
The more recent Americana albums are a whole nuther story (especially the second one represents Ray at his most selfimportant, selfconceited and totally uninteresting best).

I should relisten to Working Man's Cafe. I remember when I'd heard it I just thought it was such a far cry from the previous album, but I could be dead wrong. I know there was at least one good song on there.

As for the other, yeah, I'm not sure why it took him so long. Needed some inspiration I guess and I'm glad he got it. The show I saw at that time was perfection too. His first return to New York City in a very long time, such a small intimate standing venue. I ran into Steven Van Zandt and Max Weinberg from Bruce Springsteen's band who were there to see the return of a legend. And Ray was incredible. In amazing form, played a lot of great new songs, and a ton of incredible old ones (even obscure stuff like Oklahoma USA). Still one of the best shows I ever saw.

The interesting thing is all four albums feature material he workshopped with Yo La Tengo back in 2000 when Capitol/EMI were trying to decide whether or not a new Ray Davies album was a wise investment. He's also amassed a fair number of non-LP tracks during this period so there's more like five albums if he ever bothers to collect orphan tracks such as "Quiet Life," "The Shirt," "My Diary," "The Million-Pound Semi-Detached," "The Storyteller," "London Town," "Yours Truly, Confused N.10," "Angola (the Wrong Side of the Law)," "I, the Victim," "Sane," "Postcard from London," and "Broken."

didn't it take so long because he was shot?

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keefriffhard4life
didn't it take so long because he was shot?

He did, but that happened in 2004. Between the Storytellers album in 98 and Other People's Lives in 06 he didn't do much to my knowledge, so before the getting shot thing there was a 6 year period of relative silence.

By his own admission, Ray spent a fair amount of time getting drunk in topless bars in New Orleans with Trent Reznor.

There's always Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits playing shows on the casino circuit.

From Facebook via Dave Emlens Kinks page- Ray onstage recently with the Kast Offs at an Ian Gibbons memorial get-together. ALthough Id read in Rolling Stone that Rays has some sort of degenerative muscle condition, I was still a little surprised how old and frail he is. Not sure how the Stones still do it but I think Ray and Daves collective infirmities will nix any live work at the very least..

[www.facebook.com]

I wonder what came of the rumoured Julien Temple biopic?

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roryfaninva
From Facebook via Dave Emlens Kinks page- Ray onstage recently with the Kast Offs at an Ian Gibbons memorial get-together. ALthough Id read in Rolling Stone that Rays has some sort of degenerative muscle condition, I was still a little surprised how old and frail he is. Not sure how the Stones still do it but I think Ray and Daves collective infirmities will nix any live work at the very least..

[www.facebook.com]

Hmmm yeah, compared to even just a year or so ago, very old and frail looking...

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Ray surely wouldn't be jumping around a lot on stage anymore, I don't think.
All the more reason to make a new album! But hey, that reminds me of that other band's new record...

I guess this is the obvious time to point out Ray IS old though! Most of these guys are. This is actually how he SHOULD probably look on stage, instead of Jagger or Macca who are outliers. It happens, and its sad, but he seems like he's having fun and that makes me happy. Its yet another reason a reunion is unfortunately too far gone at this point. It wouldn't be what it should be and could possibly be embarrassing. We can't stay young forever. He does look pretty frail here but might be better than it looks. I wouldn't assume he's being forced up there. In the end, he always kinda seemed like THIS kinda guy than a Jagger type, even though I know Ray used to have a ton of energy. But he always seemed more proper and old age actually suits him pretty well.

Nobody likes Muswell Hillbillies? Amazing, I thought it was their very best LP by a long shot, right from the first listening. Songwriting to match the best in the genre and magnificent little sketches of a lost life and lifestyle. Every song was a winner to my ears. Probably didn't sell much though, too cerebral for mere rock fans. The expanded version of a couple years ago actually added some to the attraction.

I would have to say the Powerman set was next favorite for me. And neither are hardly even mentioned here.

one love
jb

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jbwelda
Nobody likes Muswell Hillbillies? Amazing, I thought it was their very best LP by a long shot, right from the first listening.

Not many Kinks fans would dispute that it's at least one of their best, jb



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2019-12-10 22:00 by SomeGuy.

Ah I am glad I am not standing alone then.

one love
jb

Yeah, I don't think anyone would question that Muswell is an excellent album. If anything, I assume its just not brought up because its a given. Whereas some other albums I can understand deserve some defense or explanation.

Every song on Hillbillies is great though: 20th Century Man, the title track, Alcohol, Acute, Skin and Bone, Complicated. Its all fantastic. I would argue there's no bad albums between Face To Face to Muswell Hillbillies. Then they lose me for 3 albums, then I really like A Soap Opera, Schoolboys and Sleepwalker in full.

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SomeGuy

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jbwelda
Nobody likes Muswell Hillbillies? Amazing, I thought it was their very best LP by a long shot, right from the first listening.

Not many Kinks fans would dispute that it's at least one of their best, jb

Yep, it's up there with Village Green for me. Face to Face and Something Else are a great combo. Word of Mouth is my guilty pleasure with some shimmering pop tunes.

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jbwelda
Nobody likes Muswell Hillbillies? Amazing, I thought it was their very best LP by a long shot, right from the first listening. Songwriting to match the best in the genre and magnificent little sketches of a lost life and lifestyle. Every song was a winner to my ears. Probably didn't sell much though, too cerebral for mere rock fans. The expanded version of a couple years ago actually added some to the attraction.

I would have to say the Powerman set was next favorite for me. And neither are hardly even mentioned here.

one love
jb

Who said they don't like MH?

Great album, but only a top 5 Kinks album, imo.

Alright we got people here with taste then, sorry for the confusion!



one love
jb