This was before my time and the singer is a little eccentric, but this live performance is fantastic! (29:21) Last edited: Jan 2, 2022
Ray Davies (main songwriter and lead vocalist for the Kinks) Highly regarded songwriter and has even been knighted (for services to the arts) - so now SIR Ray Davies Despite all that I feel he's actually still UNDER-rated as a songwriter. Very many, very quirky, very original songs. There's nearly always something highly novel to be found when learning to play a Ray Davies song. Deceptively simple sounding but usually intriguing.
Not before my time. I must have seen the Kinks half a dozen times in the early 70's (1970-74-ish) I still prefer this version of Victoria though. (Though I'll take the Kinks version of David Watts over the Jam's any day of the week.)
My late friend Andy worked for Pye/PRT and recorded them many times, and he is not with us now due to his heavy drinking, so the stories live on in me and his brother! You can touch me if you want! So much good stuff to talk about with this band. Represented a very individual style and been very influential. They needed this thread in our AS Hall Of Fame! Well done @Zenarcist
Ray Davies is an incredible songwriter Very creative chord progressions and lyrically he was probably way better than his peers, especially from around ‘66 onwards, very clever social commentary and observations but with a bit of humour and wit involved. I’d easily put the album Something Else By The Kinks from 1967 up there with Sgt. Pepper or anything. The composition and structure of songs like Autumn Almanac are really creative. Waterloo Sunset is one of the most beautiful songs ever made. I’m grew up around Waterloo anyway, so it always was a favourite but regardless, great song.
I've just realised something after listening to these songs ... I have been influenced by some of the bands who were influenced by the Kinks Last edited: Jan 1, 2022
The live version is in the original post. These guys could play really well on stage, especially the guitar fella, and the vocal harmonies are top notch.
Social commentary, creative progressions and melody combined with great live performances = fuck yea!
The Kinks - The Moneygoround With this folk- and rock-heavy album, Ray Davies succeeded in creating an accurate satirical view of the various facets of the music industry, a reckoning with publishers, record bosses, musicians' unions and hit parade managers, who would divide the profits of record sales among themselves, manipulate hit parades and look with contempt on the bands: "I hate your music and your hair is too long" ("Denmark Street"). In the track "The Moneygoround" he accuses his own agents of exploitation.
After a little exploration, I was pleased to find many of the older albums have been rereleased as remastered box sets that include alternative versions, and studio outtakes, etc. Some (but not all) are on YouTube, and it's a rabbit hole worth exploring IMO, especially the hi-res versions Last edited: Jan 2, 2022
