THE KINKS Part 4 – Hillbillies And Heroes

The four releases I’ll be discussing here were among the least-played Kinks titles in my collection until this past week, even though I’ve owned all but one of them for many years. This was the beginning of a period in their career when they had essentially become a cult band in both the U.S. and their native England. Sure, they had a couple of FM radio hits during this time, and they rebuilt their audience in America after a 4-year ban from live performances with the massive success of “Lola.” Unfortunately, they were also becoming known for erratic, alcohol-fueled concerts that kept them from more mainstream acceptance and their slow progression away from straight-forward rock & roll and towards a more “musical theater” approach didn’t help their commercial fortunes. I’m getting slightly ahead of myself here since that change wouldn’t come to full fruition until the albums I’ll be discussing in my next post, but I wanted to explain why this era was a transitional one for them. That doesn’t mean these records should be overlooked, as they’re filled with plenty of great songs. Hopefully you’ll feel the same way after reading this post, if you’re not already familiar with them.

Their final release on longtime label Pye Records was Percy (1971), the soundtrack to a British comedy about the world’s first penis transplant (yes, you read that correctly…and no, I have not seen the film). Recorded by the 5-piece lineup which would remain together for most of the decade (lead singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Ray Davies, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dave Davies, drummer Mick Avory, bassist John Dalton and keyboardist John Gosling), this album consists of 13 tracks written by Ray, 6 of which are instrumentals. On first listen last week it seemed to be mostly incidental music and lesser-quality songs, but I’m glad I stuck with it because there are a number of excellent songs which have become new favorites. Percy was mostly a forgotten album for many years, especially in the U.S. where their label (Reprise Records) never released it, but it has since become a word-of-mouth keeper. It’s not the place to start your Kinks collection but don’t let its semi-obscurity scare you away.

The Essentials:

♪     “God’s Children” – One of Ray’s prettiest songs, featuring chiming guitar, shimmering piano & sweeping strings. It has a spiritual feel, both musically & lyrically, and an uplifting melody as he pleads that “we gotta go back, the way the good Lord made us all.”

♪     “Dreams” – Begins as a tender ballad with fingerpicked & strummed acoustic guitar and piano before moving through several distinct sections in less than 4 minutes. It rocks harder at “I could be a king or a football star” then shifts to a half-time groove leading into “Dreeeeam….I’m far away.” One of their most cinematic numbers.

Other Notable Tracks:

• “Lola (Instrumental)” – There’s something about the funky groove (love that drumming from Avory), fuzzy rhythm & fiery lead guitars and the cheesy organ carrying the vocal melody that drew me in. It could come across as a parody but I think it’s really good.
• “Completely (Instrumental)” – They’ve played the blues before, but never a slow 12-bar blues like this one. Features strong lead guitar, harmonica & organ.
• “Moments” – Not the catchiest song they’ve done, with no verse/chorus structure, but the subtle arrangement won me over. I love the tasty, George Harrison-esque lead guitar.
• “Animals In The Zoo” – Blues-based but not a straight blues tune, with a loose, slightly ragged groove. Strong social commentary about how “the good guys lose & the bad guys win, that’s why you’re looking out and I’m looking in.” Has a great hook at “You look at me and I look at you.” Similar to “Apeman” but slower.
• “Helga (Instrumental)” – I love the haunting acoustic (nylon string?) guitar, tinkling piano & wordless vocals.
• “Willesden Green” – Not really one of my favorites, but notable for being the only Kinks song not sung by someone named Davies. John Dalton handles the Elvis Presley-inspired vocals on this fun yet inessential country-blues shuffle.

Their first release after signing a new worldwide contract with RCA Records was Muswell Hillbillies (1971), possibly their most American sounding album even though the lyrics are still based in England (the title is a nod to the London suburb where they grew up, Muswell Hill). I’ve always enjoyed this record whenever I played it, yet the majority of the songs never stuck with me. The overall vibe was warm & inviting but it took until this week to realize it’s another fantastic record that ranks up there with their best. The addition of a horn section headed up by trumpeter Mike Cotton is notable, since they would play a major part in The Kinks’ live performances over the next few years. There’s actually not a bad song here, but I’m leaving a handful of them off my lists of highlighted songs because I didn’t think they measured up to the others.

The Essentials:

♪     “20^th Century Man” – Probably the most well-known song from the album, and also the longest. In nearly 6 minutes, Ray bemoans the state of the modern world (“the age of machinery…too much aggravation”) as he sings in a slightly detached semi-mumble. Country elements mingle with bluesy rock, and Dave delivers some nice slide guitar work. The steady, stomping arrangement is deceiving, as this is one of their most complex songs, as well as a statement of intent: “I’m a 20^th century man but I don’t want to be here/die here.”

♪     “Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues” – I’m not sure why he pronounces it as “skits-o-freena,” but the loose New Orleans-style horn arrangement & his conspiracy theory lyrical content eventually helped this boozy barroom blues to burrow under my skin. Reminds me a bit of Simon & Garfunkel’s “America” with lines like, “The milkman’s a spy & the grocer keeps following me.”

♪     “Skin And Bone” – A stomping rockabilly blues that sounds at times like John Lee Hooker covering the old standard, “Shortnin’ Bread.” I love the guitar work (lead & slide) as well as the funny story about “Fat Flabby Annie” who loses so much weight that “you can’t see her walk by.”

♪     “Muswell Hillbilly” – The brilliant chiming circular lead guitar pattern is the key to this song’s greatness, as are Ray’s strong lead vocals. Focuses on the plight of the working class in modern England, with a Brit dreaming of America (“I’m a Muswell hillbilly boy, but my heart lies in old West Virginia”). This album closer forms a perfect pair of bookends with “20^th Century Man,” the two longest & strongest songs here.

Other Notable Tracks:

• “Holiday” – An acoustic-based blues shuffle with Ray singing in a muffled & slightly affected voice. Reminds me of some early Tom Waits songs. Nice piano, accordion & mandolin.
• “Alcohol” – A dramatic, slow & sparse blues with Ray singing faster in the verses & slower in the choruses (“Oh, demon alcohol, sad memories I cannot recall”). The Music Hall influence, which has pervaded so many Kinks songs, returns here in boozier form. I like the sparse percussion & New Orleans funereal horns.
• “Have a Cuppa Tea” – A sing-songy Music Hall tune with lovely piano. Catchy at “Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah Rosie Lea.” It’s bouncy & fun, and does for tea what “Harry Rag” did for cigarettes.
• “Holloway Jail” – A dark folk-blues (about someone whose woman led a life of crime & ends up in prison) with stellar fingerpicked acoustic guitar. The band kicks the song into a higher gear at the second verse but it retains its classic blues structure (with cool electric guitar vamping).
• “Oklahoma U.S.A.” – A pretty ballad about a woman dreaming of a fantasy Hollywood life, with just acoustic guitar, accordion & keyboards. Points to the incredible “Celluloid Heroes,” to be discussed shortly.
• “Uncle Son” – Clearly influenced by The Band, with a slow semi-shuffle groove, loose harmonies, pretty acoustic guitars & organ mirroring the vocal melody.

For their next release, Everybody’s In Show-Biz (1972), they paired 10 new studio recordings with a selection of performances from two nights at Carnegie Hall in March ’72, originally issued as a 2-LP set but now available on a single CD. The majority of the new songs have always been overshadowed by “Celluloid Heroes,” which I’ll discuss more below, so it took until this week to finally get acquainted with them. It’s fitting that a collection of songs addressing the various downsides of life on the road would be combined with a live record that showcases them as a tight-but-loose rock & roll machine. Nearly half of the 11 live songs are from Muswell Hillbillies, and based on the audience reaction throughout the performance, that album was already a fan favorite. It’s worth noting that Ray was becoming more animated on stage at the time, opting to be a performer as much as a singer & musician. In his own way, he was embracing the glam rock trend (which was hot at the time) without altering the band’s musical style. Of the live tracks, “Brainwashed” (originally from the Arthur LP) benefits from the beefed up arrangement, with rumbling bass, chunky riffs, rolling drums & blasting horns. “Top Of The Pops” has them sounding like a ‘70s arena rock band, years before they would actually become one. The 5-song Muswell Hillbillies “suite” is broken up by an impromptu version of “Banana Boat Song,” with Ray getting the crowd to participate in the call-and-response of “Day-O” that would become one of his trademarks. I like how he introduces his brother as “Dave ‘Death Of A Clown’ Davies” (in a nod to Dave’s hit single that didn’t lead to his expected solo career), and the way he adopts an American accent to impersonate Johnny Cash. It’s nice to hear him being so playful, so even though many of his songs about rock stardom focus on the negative aspects, he could still shine while he was on stage. Here are my highlights from the studio portion of Everybody’s In Show-Biz

The Essentials:

♪     “Celluloid Heroes” – A contender for best Kinks song of all time, and for many years it was my undisputed favorite (it’s still in my Top 5). A maudlin yet upbeat tale of old Hollywood royalty, as observed on the Walk Of Fame “along Hollywood Boulevard.” Gorgeous music, affecting vocals & a brilliant melody make its 6:20 running time fly by.

♪     “Sitting In My Hotel” – A slow, mournful piano ballad with tender high vocals addressing his feelings of isolation as a rock star. I love the up & down melody at “If my friends could see me now I know they would smile” as well as the vocals in the chorus (“Seven stories high, looking at the world go by”). After the full band joins in, Mike Cotton’s soaring trumpet plays a similar role to the flugelhorn on The Beatles’ “Penny Lane.”

Other Notable Tracks:

• “Here Comes Yet Another Day” – A funky song with a blasting horn arrangement that’s similar to the work The Band did with Allen Toussaint earlier that year. About the tedium of being on the road: “Here comes a new day/a new stage, tune up start to play, just like any other day.”
• “Unreal Reality (The Real Thing)” – After a 45-second fanfare intro, it turns into a straightforward rocker with piano & horns. Seems to be about the strange feelings associated with rock stardom (“That house is so big that it reaches right up to the clouds”; “Look at that lady she got silver all over her face, Is she a human being or a creature from outer space?”)
• “Hot Potatoes” – A slow acoustic bluesy shuffle, with Ray & Dave alternating lead vocal lines & harmonizing with each other. Silly lyrics but a catchy tune (“La la-la-la la la, potatoes, boiled, French fried, any old way…”).
• “Motorway” – A fast, country-tinged song about terrible rest-stop food. Although it becomes more electric in the second half, the chorus (“Oh, that motorway livin’”) is straight-up country music. It’s nice to hear them doing this kind of song.
• “You Don’t Know My Name” – Dave wrote & sang this country-rock tune that fits in nicely with the overall theme of the album. The flute line was a strange but pleasant surprise.

During their banishment from American stages, The Kinks’ star lost some of its luster here, and many of their best songs (both singles & worthwhile album tracks) were mostly unknown to U.S. fans. The majority of those songs eventually appeared on CD reissues, but for many years there was only one place to find them: The Kink Kronikles (1972). This 28-song, 2-LP set gathered the cream of the crop from their 1966-1970 output, and has been an essential part of my Kinks collection even in the years since I acquired these songs elsewhere. Any Kinks collection that includes “Victoria,” “The Village Green Preservation Society,” “Waterloo Sunset,” “David Watts,” “Autumn Almanac,” “Sunny Afternoon,” “Apeman,” “Lola” and “Days” could easily be mistaken for a “greatest hits” but the intention of Reprise Records at the time was to expose these under-heard gems along with some actual rarities like single-only releases and b-sides. Anyone who owns the most recent expanded CD reissues could probably skip The Kink Kronikles, although they would be missing a handful of excellent songs (5 of these tracks don’t appear on any other CDs I own, 3 of which I’ll discuss below). Also, the 8 pages of detailed & informative liner notes by John Mendelsohn are the perfect accompaniment to all this amazing music.

The Essential:

♪     “She’s Got Everything” – Sounds like a throwback to their earlier beat group sound, and I love those “doo-doo-doo” backing vocals, splashy cymbals & that awesome drum-free guitar riff. It’s bright & fun (“I got a girl who’s oh so good…”) and includes an absolutely scorching guitar solo from Dave.

Other Notable Tracks:

• “King Kong” – Now available as a bonus track on the expanded Arthur CD (which I don’t own…yet). It’s a stomping, psychedelic rocker with a funky cowbell-heavy groove and lyrics about wanting to be someone else (“Little man’s weak and big man’s strong, everyone wants to be King Kong, oh yeah”).
• “Mindless Child Of Motherhood” – Also an Arthur bonus track, this one is sung by Dave on top of a rumbling bass line & chugging guitars. His voice occasionally sounds strained but it’s an effective way of conveying the pleading nature of the lyrics (“How long must I travel on, to be just where you are?”).

You know an artist is special when even their transitional periods yield a bumper crop of memorable songs, and after spending a lot of time with these four releases this past week I have an even greater respect & admiration for everything The Kinks accomplished during this era. It helped confirm my main reason for starting this blog: getting to know the lesser-played albums in my collection. Not all of them will be classics, but in the process of learning all of these long-forgotten songs it allows me to become a bigger fan. Hopefully my enthusiasm helps to lead some of my readers towards new discoveries as well. Please let me know what you think of these albums, whether they’re brand new to you or you’ve owned them for years. Thanks.