that's not true, really. he's just embodied a lot of contradictions and swung back and forth
that's like the epitome of your average 'not that political' person when politics comes up!
― iatee, Thursday, 19 April 2012 16:30 (twelve years ago) link
i like that on village green much of the nostalgia is more of an existential variety: we get old, we are forgotten and forget, it's sad. i wonder if that's why this is their most appealing album to a lot of folks? the sentiments seem relatively benign and universal? well, that, and the awesome songs.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 19 April 2012 16:31 (twelve years ago) link
sounds about right. the "village" can stand in for a child's view of the world just as easily as a real place.
― rob, Thursday, 19 April 2012 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
Speaking of Nostalgia and Penis Transplants...
http://www.trashfiction.co.uk/hywel_bennett.jpg
39. "The Way Love Used To Be"Percy OST, 1971129 Points (6 Votes)
The Track: http://youtu.be/xuGsXGPtBVQPain Teens cover (Houston Represent!): http://youtu.be/ELlKJDOX0b0
― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 April 2012 16:47 (twelve years ago) link
sorry for the extra youtube but a really condescending conceit, like he imagines his "ordinary man" to be some kind of naïf.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzjoqpTqSR4
― two overweight dachshunds with three eyes (La Lechera), Thursday, 19 April 2012 16:48 (twelve years ago) link
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e22/JCodling/thekinks.jpg
38. "20th Century Man"Muswell Hillbillies, 1971131 Points (7 Votes)
The Track: http://youtu.be/mrmQB38aT5U"One From The Road" version: http://youtu.be/Z-usL5eBrdgRay solo on "Austin City Limits": http://youtu.be/XD14kdgQEe8
― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 April 2012 16:57 (twelve years ago) link
otm. again, these are largely awesome songs (to one degree or another) but there's definitely a way that davies's admirable empathy for the "common man" can bleed over into condescension.
xpost
haha eerily appropriate!
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 19 April 2012 16:57 (twelve years ago) link
lol at the eternal sunshine video for the way love used to be. man, that song is gorgeous, forgot about it for the poll. no one tell me it's about the welfare state!
― tylerw, Thursday, 19 April 2012 16:59 (twelve years ago) link
I guess I should listen to the entirety of Percy then eh
― Jilly Boel and the Eltones (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:00 (twelve years ago) link
percy is great, i even dig the "filler" instrumentals.
― tylerw, Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:01 (twelve years ago) link
Also cf. "20th Century Man" - I think Ray is perhaps distrustful of modern technological society, though I wouldn't equate that with conservative politics.
The technology part, no. This part, yeah, pretty much:
I was born in a welfare stateRuled by bureaucracyControlled by civil servantsAnd people dressed in greyGot no privacy, got no libertyCos the twentieth century peopleTook it all away from me.
― Waterloo? Oh, we've sunsetted that. (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:02 (twelve years ago) link
their -- both ray and dave -- tonedeafness about women is also not particularly agl (love me til the sun shines, for another example in addition to juke box music)but whatever -- i have managed to not care about that much because i like the songs a lot
― two overweight dachshunds with three eyes (La Lechera), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:03 (twelve years ago) link
Little Miss Queen of Darkness is a notable exception though.
― two overweight dachshunds with three eyes (La Lechera), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:05 (twelve years ago) link
It's funny, fucked as those lines are, they're the most beautiful part of that song for me. In the 80s, though, they had an annoying habit of not playing huge parts of their older songs: they'd play "20th Century Man" without that bridge, and "Sleepwalker" was three verses and out, no bridge, no breakdown.
xp
― Waterloo? Oh, we've sunsetted that. (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:06 (twelve years ago) link
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3288/3386311386_2118f79117_z.jpg
37. "Dedicated Follower of Fashion"Non-LP Single/The Kinks' Greatest Hits, 1966137 Points (7 Votes)
The Track: http://youtu.be/KXaO3zgaf5QLive on TV in '73: http://youtu.be/xXpkt6revK0
― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:13 (twelve years ago) link
Ray's first wife Raisa was Jewish iirc. I referred to that line in "When I Turn Off the Living Room Light" on the nominations thread cuz I've had arguments with another Jew about whether or not it's antisemitic (I am firmly in the NOT camp)
Was she? Not sure about that. Lithuanian certainly. What about Ray's comedy Jewish accent (obv. a dig at Larry Page) on "Top of the Pops" - "And now you can make some rrrreal money"
― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:14 (twelve years ago) link
xps
Not defending RD's entire worldview, but I'm not sure complaints about the dour, prying bureaucracy of the welfare state are entirely off the mark. (And were a staple of '60s New Leftism anyway.)
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:15 (twelve years ago) link
I may be reading those lines through a present-day lens.
― Waterloo? Oh, we've sunsetted that. (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:17 (twelve years ago) link
never been that nuts about dedicated follower actually! off topic a bit but has anyone ever read this book? it was my favorite as a kid, and reading it now to my daughter it strikes me as the children's book ray davies never wrote.
http://www.fictionalfood.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Giant-Jam-Sandwich-550x419.jpg
― tylerw, Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:18 (twelve years ago) link
I love "Dedicated..." (second of my votes to place so far, I believe)
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:19 (twelve years ago) link
http://andrewbales.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/party-line-2.jpg
36. "Party Line"Face To Face, 1966143 Points (7 Votes)
The Track: http://youtu.be/2pSbUEdTyW8Independence Hall cover (H-Town Represent Again!): http://youtu.be/nDsorr3IxBU
― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:24 (twelve years ago) link
I missed this entire poll!!!! Never liked "Party Line".
― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:25 (twelve years ago) link
one of my faves that didn't quite fit in my 20. nice to see it here. i love the damn melody and energy on this one
― epigram addict (outdoor_miner), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:27 (twelve years ago) link
OTM. I think it's possible to be distrustful of government without being a conservative - cf the many varieties of anarchism.
― o. nate, Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:29 (twelve years ago) link
Was going to mention that RDD was a sorta Tory Anarchist upthread
― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:31 (twelve years ago) link
http://derclown007.free.fr/clown_deathofaclown.jpg
35. "Death of A Clown"Dave Davies Solo Single/Something Else by The Kinks, 1967154 Points (8 Votes)
The Track: http://youtu.be/nvYiUydIDAsTo The Bone version: http://youtu.be/ZVN0vw6UsOU
― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:32 (twelve years ago) link
Good song.
― two overweight dachshunds with three eyes (La Lechera), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:33 (twelve years ago) link
Party Line is a metaphor for the spread of communism
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:33 (twelve years ago) link
Communist Party Line
― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:35 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.memoire60-70.be/Images/Chronique_1966_1972/Kinks_Regina_01.jpg
34. "Fancy"Face To Face, 1966161 Points (9 Votes)
The Track: http://youtu.be/k_meqar1M3cLive '69: http://youtu.be/_EQ8x_-b8IE
― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:39 (twelve years ago) link
They played this live?! (rushes to grab headphones)
― Waterloo? Oh, we've sunsetted that. (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:41 (twelve years ago) link
Aaaaaaaaalwaaaaaaaays
― two overweight dachshunds with three eyes (La Lechera), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:41 (twelve years ago) link
Blimey that looks a bit fascist rally! (xxp)
― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:42 (twelve years ago) link
too much plaid for fascists imo (now someone will post an image of fascists in uniform plaid won't they?)
― rob, Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:43 (twelve years ago) link
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2557/4198203515_ea893790f4_z.jpg
33. "People Take Pictures of Each Other"The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, 1968168 Points (9 Votes)
The Track: http://youtu.be/sqGOOmR0krY
― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:44 (twelve years ago) link
Bit Fiddler on the Roof that track. This is a good thing imo.
― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:45 (twelve years ago) link
Live version of "Fancy" is pretty cool. Would've been interesting to hear the Kinks develop more along those lines, but their pit orchestra days put an end to that.
― Waterloo? Oh, we've sunsetted that. (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:49 (twelve years ago) link
tyler I read the Giant Jam Sandwich a ton as a kid, awesome book
― Jilly Boel and the Eltones (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:52 (twelve years ago) link
http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/28/2812/1WJOD00Z/posters/ray-davis-lead-singer-of-the-kinks-with-his-wife-rosa-and-newly-born-baby-louise-clara-may-1966.jpg
32. "Too Much On My Mind"Face To Face, 1966172 Points (7 Votes)
The Track: http://youtu.be/aOSe53DzLP4
― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:54 (twelve years ago) link
Was she? Not sure about that. Lithuanian certainly
over the course of arguing about that song previously I remember finding a newsclipping of Ray and Rasa's wedding that noted that she was Jewish. can't seem to find it now tho :(
― Jilly Boel and the Eltones (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:58 (twelve years ago) link
http://991.com/newGallery/The-Kinks-Better-Things-Dbl-53728.jpg
31. "Better Things"Give The People What They Want, 1981182 Points (8 Votes)
The Track: http://youtu.be/cXioctDPGn0Bouncing Souls cover: http://youtu.be/MjIU0fw0i3s
― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:03 (twelve years ago) link
this is why I was arguing for fewer voters, surely a hardcore fan voterbase would have that top 15
― iatee, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:05 (twelve years ago) link
We had a party line when I was a kid so the song brings up good memories. It was always weird to pick up the phone and here your neighbors talking. Whenever my mom need to call anyone she would put me on the line so I could be all cute and say, "I wanna call my Nana." Nobody wants to disappoint a pre-schooler so they'd wrap up their conversation.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:05 (twelve years ago) link
I consider myself a pretty hardcore Kinks fan and didn't vote for anything post-1972 except for Come Dancing.
so nyah
― Jilly Boel and the Eltones (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:05 (twelve years ago) link
which song you talking about iatee?
it seems p obv to me that that is one of the best songs ray davies has ever written
― iatee, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:06 (twelve years ago) link
better things!
Really? I always thought it was a bit shit. Good lyrics, crap melody and music.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:07 (twelve years ago) link
xpif it makes you feel better iatee, I abstained in order not to simply reinforce the F2F-Muswell canon (the only era I know)
― rob, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:08 (twelve years ago) link
i had better things on my ballot originally, but it got the boot! it's a good late-period tune, but not top 20 for me.
― tylerw, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:09 (twelve years ago) link