Oh, my poor rheumatic back....

DAVIES & DICKENS

Ray Davies of The Kinks is an English rock ‘n’ roller while Charles Dickens was a writer from the Victorian era. Yet, according to Bill Glahn, editor of Live! Music Review, a case could probably be made that Ray Davies is the Charles Dickens of rock ‘n’ roll.

An interesting comparison of two of Britain's greatest writers.

Via (bigO)

Happy Birthday Ray!

Please enjoy this short film, in honor of Ray Davies' birthday.

Ray Davies - Working Man's Cafe - Bonus Footage Preview from New West Records on Vimeo.

Bonus:

Here are some links to some previous Ray Davies posts.

-It's Ray's Birthday, Have Another Drink

-Ray Davies

-One Of Music's Finest Songwriters And Social Critics

-“I’ve only written about 200 good songs. The rest are B sides."

"I wanted to get in touch with my songs again"

-Ray Davies, on performing stripped-down versions of Kinks tunes on his latest tour.

"The Kink’s English"

A Kinky Conversation betwixt Ray Davies and Weekender editor Michael Lello.

Ray recently completed his chorale album and tour, is in the midst of a stripped down solo tour, and is working on a new collaboration album of Kinks classics with special guests (a long list of established and new artists from both sides of the Atlantic).

Still, Kinks fans long for the band to reunite. Ray says he is open for a Kinks reunion, but says it’s up to his brother Dave Davies.

Dave has replied,

"If Ray replies to my emails and addresses the outstanding business and creative issues we have then anything is possible- it is very much up to Ray -

The old tapes are out takes of earlier Kinks albums-RD is thinking of repackaging- and recently he rarely consults me on these issues also – There are NO new recordings of Kinks material-

thanks

Dave Davies – The Kinks"

Personally, I don't see a reunion happening anytime soon.

David Russell Gordon Davies

Guitarist Dave Davies turns 63 today.
Davies, along with older brother Ray, was a founding member of British rock band The Kinks.
Although Dave Davies played a largely subordinate role to his brother, he would make occasional contributions on the Kinks' records as lead vocalist and songwriter.
Dave was responsible for the signature distorted power chord riff on The Kinks' first hit, "You Really Got Me"and in 2003, Davies was ranked 88th in Rolling Stone magazine list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

On 30 June 2004, Dave Davies suffered a stroke, but by 2006, he had recovered enough to be able to walk, talk and play guitar, and will return to touring in this year.

“I’ve only written about 200 good songs. The rest are B sides.”

Throughout the years, Ray Davies has proved to be one of rock music's most talented and prolific lyricists.His songbook is one of rock’s greatest treasures.

Raymond Douglas Davies was born on June 21, 1944 in Muswell Hill, London, ENGLAND.
Davies is best known as the chief songwriter-singer and guitarist for The Kinks, one of the most influential bands of the '60s British music scene.
Davies' songwriting has often been called more mature, sophisticated, and subtle than that of many of his peers.

Observing light, life and human nature with superhuman focus is Davies’ stock-in-trade. His best songs feel photorealistic and sound suspended in time. They are sometimes nostalgic and beautiful, and other times they are cynical and brutal. Davies himself is just as contradictory: combative and sensitive, a shy, self-examining middle-class hero from north London who’s had no problem indulging in rock ’n’ roll excess and showmanship. He’s often called a creative genius and a control freak, which are both compatible and necessary traits for the life he’s led.~Ira Kaplan





The Kinks (formed with younger brother Dave Davies) first gained prominence in 1964 with their third single, the hit "You Really Got Me".The band's early hard-driving singles set a standard in the mid-1960s for rock and roll, while albums such as Face to Face, Something Else by The Kinks, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur, Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One and Muswell Hillbillies are highly regarded by fans, critics, and peers, and are considered amongst the most influential recordings of the sixties rock era.
Ray Davies spent the early Seventies composing a series of concept albums (Preservation, Soap Opera and Schoolboys in Disgrace) that made for entertaining stage theater.

Since the demise of the Kinks in the mid-90s (reunion rumors persist), Ray Davies has embarked on a solo career as a singer-songwriter.His new songs provide a striking contrast to anything he's written before. While he has long been known as the great chronicler of British working class woes, this time American workers have earned his gaze. The inspiration came from his U.S. tours over the last decade.Davies got the see a darker side of this country directly, when he became a victim of violence a few years ago. He was shot during a robbery in New Orleans, where he was living at the time.

In 1994 Davies published his "unauthorized autobiography", X-Ray.

Ray also runs a a week-long, residential songwriting course.My friend Bill Richard attended one of these workshops a while back (the thought of this, for me, conjures up images of Kramer at the Yankees' Fantasy Camp).Bill has some great photos from the experience.
Most recently, Ray Davies has completed The Kinks Choral Collection, a collaboration with the Crouch End Festival Chorus, to be released this month.
I've posted a few videos below for your enjoyment.There's a couple of solo performances, and one with the Kinks.

____________________________________

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAY!

One Of Music's Finest Songwriters And Social Critics

Ray Davies: Life's Great Balancing Act, the Possibility of a Kinks Reunion and More

A fantastic article (by Chris Parker) on the man behind the Kinks.

Via Nashville Scene

In other Kinks news, the December 8 release of Picture Book, a six-disc box set that tacks rarities, live cuts and demos onto the typical array of classic singles and fan favorites. More than 130 tracks made the final tracklisting, which is backed by a 60-page booklet.

"Breeze blows leaves of a musty-coloured yellow..."

The Summer has faded and Winter's chill is on the horizon.
It is now officially Autumn.

Autumn is my favorite of the seasons, I love the colours, the crispness in the air, and the harvest.

I'm sure that as the days wear on, I will post more musings on the Fall.It is, to me, a magical time of both hope and melancholia.

Ray Davies has a brand new web site

"I put my pants on one leg at a time like the rest of you boys and girls but the difference is once my pants are on I write songs." ~ Ray Davies


The Kinks' Ray Davies has a brand new website online as of July 4th!
You'll find the latest news, tour info, photos, a video blog, and more.
So stop by this Working Man's Cafe, and see what's on the menu.


Here's an album review from the old blog, in case you'd missed it.

Ray Davies

A Well Respected Man

It's Ray's Birthday, Have Another Drink

Have Another Drink and say Happy Birthday to Raymond Douglas Davies! Born June 21st 1944.
Ray Davies is best known as the song writer and lead singer for British rock band The Kinks. He currently pursues a solo career.
A great many artists have cited him as a major influence.
"He invented a new kind of poetry and a new kind of language for pop writing that influenced me from the very, very, very beginning."~Pete Townshend

Here's a Kinks tribute from GUGUG.