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I played this 45 on the Pye label over and over again….”The Tax man’s taken all my dough and left me in this stately home” sang Ray, much funnier than the Beatles.
Ray Davies turns 68 today. a true son of Muswell Hill and a master of his craft who gave us wonderful albums , Muswell Hillbillies and Village Green Preservation Society being my favorites and singles that reflected his home town of London “I met her in a club down in old Soho..”(did you Ray?) and those times Dead End Street, Dedicated Follower of Fashion and so many great tunes
With the Olympics so close, the BBC is reflecting on songs that properly reflect the capital. im6 and I have discussed the wonders of “London Calling” but it was probably Ray Davies that wrote THE song. When you cross Waterloo Bridge, it is one of the few locations where you can see an almost complete vista of London
Ray wrote “Waterloo Sunset” – brilliant, perfect, the theme tune for all of us who grew up in the City. Ray says it wasnt about Terence Stamp and Julie Christie, it doesnt matter, as i crossed the bridge twice a day I knew it was about me and…
Sunny Afternoon is a wonderful song. Thank you Kat, a great pick today. Many Happy Returns of the Day Ray
My Dear Hedley,
It seemed the perfect song for today and just happens to be one of my favorites. I was torn between this and Village Green Preservation Society or Waterloo Sunset- both other favorites.
Waterloo Sunset would be on my list of songs to play during the Olympics.
The Kinks will always be huge favorites of mine-right up there with The Beatles who turned music all around for me.
Very nice tribute, MDH. I don’t think I’ve ever considered what my favorite Kinks album might be. ‘Everybody’s In Show-Biz’? Maybe, but only because ‘Celluloid Heroes’ is my favorite song of theirs. Sure do like ‘Preservation Act 1’, too. But I guess I’d have to go with one of their MANY (and just why are there so many of them?) singles collections. ‘You Really Got Me’, ‘All Day & All Of The Night”, “You Really Got Me”… music made for the car radio! But as much as I like the Kinks (and Ray D), I suspect I can never fully appreciate them the way you do. The songs are so place specific and reflect such personal perspectives of those places and the inhabitants (Village Green, Arthur, Muswell, etc.). Your remembrances make it all too clear that his music will never mean as much to me as it does to you.
The other thing I’d like to point out is that Ray seems to have somehow managed to hang on to his voice all these many years. Maybe because he never had the greatest voice in the world technically speaking — even if it was perfect for his songs — so he didn’t have a lot to lose. But he sounds as good now as he did then. Exhibit 1: “The Kinks Choral Collection” with the Crouch End Festival Chorus. This is simply a magnificent work of art. If you’re not familiar with it, I highly recommend you check it out (shameless plug follows, but only because it’s such an easy one to find): http://www.amazon.com/The-Kinks-Choral-Collection-Davies/dp/B001W6Q4BU
Hope it’s a sunny day for Ray, Kat, MDH and all the Coffee Mates! Happy Summer!
im6,
I followed you shameless plug and bought the album. You seldom steer me wrong when it comes to music so I bought it on faith!
I probably son’t appreciate them as much as MDH either, but I am an unabashed Anglophile and have been there double digit times. I used to book my flight home through Heathrow no matter where in Europe I’d been. It has been a while though since my last visit as I’ve been traveling further afield.
Kat, I recommended you check it out — not necessarily that you actually buy it. Now I’m going to feel guilty if you’re disappointed (and that’s a distinct possibility). I love it, but as I tried to convey, it’s really an unusual set of songs and may not be everyone cup ‘o tea. Perhaps you should check out these YouTube links for a listen to four of the songs in full. Then I think you’ll understand my concern. If you don’t like these 4, you won’t like the album. Maybe it won’t be too late to cancel the order if that’s the case???
Birgit, Its a great link and I am listening, but not sure I really like these versions
Hopefully you are getting ready for a big evening of excitement – good luck
Thanks again for the link
im6, The Kinks began as the Ray Davies Quartet and amazingly the lead singer was their schoolboy friend Rod Stewart.
I totally agree with you on the singles. Ray was clearly preoccupied with time and place which comes through even in his later solo work like Working Man’s Cafe (which was given away free with the Sunday Times) but how many times have you been driving, heard the intro to Lola and burst in to full song ?
I only saw them once, at the old Finsbury Park Rainbow, and I guess they were never really that famous.
Millions of people swarming like flies round waterloo underground
But terry and julie cross over the river
Where they feel safe and sound
And the don’t need no friends
As long as they gaze on waterloo sunset
They are in paradise
Waterloo sunsets fine (and so does all the nice people at KTCC)
Duh… wouldn’t you know I’d list the same song twice (‘Your Really Got Me’). I meant to cite ‘Where Have All The Good Times Gone’ as that’s my favorite Kinks single.
Since posting earlier, I’ve been listening to Ray & Chorus and it crossed my mind that some readers may think I was being a smarta@@ recommending that particular disc and calling it a masterpiece. I assure you I was not. Oh, certainly, it’s plenty weird (Kinks + Khorus), but it all somehow works if you give it a chance.
Dear Ray Davies-Fans,
anyone interested in Ray Davies & London Philharmonic Orchestra
live-performance of The Village Green Preservation Society album ?
An audience-recording (moderate sound) just appeared on http://tela.sugarmegs.org/default.aspx
Search for “Ray Davies London Philharmonic Orchestra”.
(Btw lots of other Kinks- and Ray Davies-concerts on that site…)
June 21, 2012 at 11:23 am
https://www.box.com/s/a2beeafa2f10481dc057
June 21, 2012 at 12:35 pm
I played this 45 on the Pye label over and over again….”The Tax man’s taken all my dough and left me in this stately home” sang Ray, much funnier than the Beatles.
Ray Davies turns 68 today. a true son of Muswell Hill and a master of his craft who gave us wonderful albums , Muswell Hillbillies and Village Green Preservation Society being my favorites and singles that reflected his home town of London “I met her in a club down in old Soho..”(did you Ray?) and those times Dead End Street, Dedicated Follower of Fashion and so many great tunes
With the Olympics so close, the BBC is reflecting on songs that properly reflect the capital. im6 and I have discussed the wonders of “London Calling” but it was probably Ray Davies that wrote THE song. When you cross Waterloo Bridge, it is one of the few locations where you can see an almost complete vista of London
Ray wrote “Waterloo Sunset” – brilliant, perfect, the theme tune for all of us who grew up in the City. Ray says it wasnt about Terence Stamp and Julie Christie, it doesnt matter, as i crossed the bridge twice a day I knew it was about me and…
Sunny Afternoon is a wonderful song. Thank you Kat, a great pick today. Many Happy Returns of the Day Ray
June 21, 2012 at 5:01 pm
My Dear Hedley,
It seemed the perfect song for today and just happens to be one of my favorites. I was torn between this and Village Green Preservation Society or Waterloo Sunset- both other favorites.
Waterloo Sunset would be on my list of songs to play during the Olympics.
The Kinks will always be huge favorites of mine-right up there with The Beatles who turned music all around for me.
June 21, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Very nice tribute, MDH. I don’t think I’ve ever considered what my favorite Kinks album might be. ‘Everybody’s In Show-Biz’? Maybe, but only because ‘Celluloid Heroes’ is my favorite song of theirs. Sure do like ‘Preservation Act 1’, too. But I guess I’d have to go with one of their MANY (and just why are there so many of them?) singles collections. ‘You Really Got Me’, ‘All Day & All Of The Night”, “You Really Got Me”… music made for the car radio! But as much as I like the Kinks (and Ray D), I suspect I can never fully appreciate them the way you do. The songs are so place specific and reflect such personal perspectives of those places and the inhabitants (Village Green, Arthur, Muswell, etc.). Your remembrances make it all too clear that his music will never mean as much to me as it does to you.
The other thing I’d like to point out is that Ray seems to have somehow managed to hang on to his voice all these many years. Maybe because he never had the greatest voice in the world technically speaking — even if it was perfect for his songs — so he didn’t have a lot to lose. But he sounds as good now as he did then. Exhibit 1: “The Kinks Choral Collection” with the Crouch End Festival Chorus. This is simply a magnificent work of art. If you’re not familiar with it, I highly recommend you check it out (shameless plug follows, but only because it’s such an easy one to find): http://www.amazon.com/The-Kinks-Choral-Collection-Davies/dp/B001W6Q4BU
Hope it’s a sunny day for Ray, Kat, MDH and all the Coffee Mates! Happy Summer!
June 21, 2012 at 5:07 pm
im6,
I followed you shameless plug and bought the album. You seldom steer me wrong when it comes to music so I bought it on faith!
I probably son’t appreciate them as much as MDH either, but I am an unabashed Anglophile and have been there double digit times. I used to book my flight home through Heathrow no matter where in Europe I’d been. It has been a while though since my last visit as I’ve been traveling further afield.
June 21, 2012 at 8:23 pm
Kat, I recommended you check it out — not necessarily that you actually buy it. Now I’m going to feel guilty if you’re disappointed (and that’s a distinct possibility). I love it, but as I tried to convey, it’s really an unusual set of songs and may not be everyone cup ‘o tea. Perhaps you should check out these YouTube links for a listen to four of the songs in full. Then I think you’ll understand my concern. If you don’t like these 4, you won’t like the album. Maybe it won’t be too late to cancel the order if that’s the case???
Celluloid Heroes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsHwsJ9Vxig&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL79533060D3381BB5
You Really Got Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2mOJkROAgM
Days
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVbvuYeecu0
See My Friends
June 21, 2012 at 9:06 pm
… or download the Kinks Choral Concert 2009 for free from npr:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121757293
June 21, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Thanks Birgit. What a great find. Now all I need to find is 63 uninterrupted minutes.
June 22, 2012 at 8:31 am
Birgit, Its a great link and I am listening, but not sure I really like these versions
Hopefully you are getting ready for a big evening of excitement – good luck
Thanks again for the link
June 22, 2012 at 9:53 am
im6,
Never fear-I liked these songs!!
June 21, 2012 at 2:01 pm
im6, The Kinks began as the Ray Davies Quartet and amazingly the lead singer was their schoolboy friend Rod Stewart.
I totally agree with you on the singles. Ray was clearly preoccupied with time and place which comes through even in his later solo work like Working Man’s Cafe (which was given away free with the Sunday Times) but how many times have you been driving, heard the intro to Lola and burst in to full song ?
I only saw them once, at the old Finsbury Park Rainbow, and I guess they were never really that famous.
Millions of people swarming like flies round waterloo underground
But terry and julie cross over the river
Where they feel safe and sound
And the don’t need no friends
As long as they gaze on waterloo sunset
They are in paradise
Waterloo sunsets fine (and so does all the nice people at KTCC)
June 21, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Duh… wouldn’t you know I’d list the same song twice (‘Your Really Got Me’). I meant to cite ‘Where Have All The Good Times Gone’ as that’s my favorite Kinks single.
Since posting earlier, I’ve been listening to Ray & Chorus and it crossed my mind that some readers may think I was being a smarta@@ recommending that particular disc and calling it a masterpiece. I assure you I was not. Oh, certainly, it’s plenty weird (Kinks + Khorus), but it all somehow works if you give it a chance.
June 21, 2012 at 2:29 pm
im6 – I have throw it in my amazon.uk basket ….the special edition runs about $7.50 so I will stare at it for a bit and then jump
Bowie killed “Where have all the Good Times Gone” on Pin Ups.
June 21, 2012 at 6:20 pm
Dear Ray Davies-Fans,
anyone interested in Ray Davies & London Philharmonic Orchestra
live-performance of The Village Green Preservation Society album ?
An audience-recording (moderate sound) just appeared on
http://tela.sugarmegs.org/default.aspx
Search for “Ray Davies London Philharmonic Orchestra”.
(Btw lots of other Kinks- and Ray Davies-concerts on that site…)
June 21, 2012 at 6:28 pm
Thanks, Birgit!!
June 22, 2012 at 12:17 am
Favorite line: “Telling tales of drunkenness and cruelty.”
June 22, 2012 at 9:29 am
Rowen,
Ilove the way he uses that line.
July 28, 2012 at 9:31 am
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