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
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2291/2464913117_20879d99df_z.jpg?zz=1
30. "This Is Where I Belong"Non-LP Single, 1967/The Kink Kronikles, 1972190 Points (8 Votes, 1 #1)
The Track: http://youtu.be/0woPvO8qAgs
― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:11 (twelve years ago) link
Same here. I like it, but I think it seems better than it is after trudging through the crapulence of Give The People What They Want.
xp
― Waterloo? Oh, we've sunsetted that. (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:12 (twelve years ago) link
lol, now it's my turn (re: where i belong): surely a hardcore fan voterbase would have that top 15
― tylerw, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:13 (twelve years ago) link
crap melody and music
Really? Better Things has always struck me as one of Ray's most melodic melodies.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:13 (twelve years ago) link
"This Is Where I Belong" is my #1
― tylerw, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:14 (twelve years ago) link
But wait, now that I think about it, Better Things sounds a lot like a Pretenders-style song. I could totally hear Chrissie Hynde singing it...which may be why EZ hates it.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:14 (twelve years ago) link
This Is Where I Belong came really close to making my ballot. Hurt deep to cut it.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:16 (twelve years ago) link
it's weird, i think the first version of that i heard was at a frank black concert (1994-ish?) and i was blown away, just like "FRANK BLACK HAS WRITTEN HIS BEST SONG EVER" and then found it was a cover, ha.
― tylerw, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:18 (twelve years ago) link
― Johnny Fever
I hadn't cottoned to that either! I betcha that's at least part of my problem with it.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:19 (twelve years ago) link
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3005/3008954455_77b4e7951f_z.jpg
29. "Celluloid Heroes"Everybody's In Show-Biz, 1972/One For The Road, 1980200 Points (9 Votes)
The Track: http://youtu.be/rTJVclgwS5gOld Grey Whistle Test, 1977 : http://youtu.be/eSR7nfn-acsOne For The Road version: http://youtu.be/u555wjy4uQI
― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:44 (twelve years ago) link
Better Things intro and guitar tone definitely Pretenders-ish. But I love it. Was a mixtape/mix-disc favorite for years, it's a good way to sign off. I like the lyrics -- "hoping all the verses rhyme/and the very best of choruses, too" -- and then the rush of the chorus totally delivers, "it's really good to see you rocking out and having fun..."
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:45 (twelve years ago) link
"This Is Where I Belong" top 5 for me, love that song. I think it transcends whatever place it came from to include anyone who is glad to belong anywhere.
― two overweight dachshunds with three eyes (La Lechera), Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:47 (twelve years ago) link
So strongly, strongly disagree with this.
― clemenza, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:48 (twelve years ago) link
the first part or the second
― iatee, Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:48 (twelve years ago) link
http://hilobrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/rushmorepool29a.jpg
28. "Nothin' In The World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl"Kinda Kinks, 1965/Rushmore OST, 1998208 Points (9 Votes, 1 #1)
The Track: http://youtu.be/hj9671V_UxARushmore pool party scene: http://youtu.be/Fn68zL6nukkMark Lanegan cover: http://youtu.be/qz0So4RMsxY
― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 April 2012 18:53 (twelve years ago) link