| September 29th, 2005 09:03 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
29 September 2005 20:58
Ray Davies, Royal Albert Hall, London
Kinks frontman back with a performance to cancel his past sins
By Nick Hasted
Creative giants from the 1960s, such as Dylan and the Stones, have reclaimed their kingdoms this year. One of their few real peers, Ray Davies, though, remains in the shadows.
"Waterloo Sunset" is just the peak of one of pop's most deathless songbooks, while his band, The Kinks, are arguably second only to the Beatles for their seismic impact on the 1960s. But since The Kinks dissolved a decade ago, Davies's instinct for prevarication has seen a promised solo album suffer Godot-like delays. Early next year, it may really arrive. In the meantime, we have to make do with great pop nights like this.
"Welcome to London," Davies, who fronted The Kinks for nearly 40 years, says a couple of songs in, still stick-thin, awkward and strangely ageless. He has begun with "I'm Not Like Everybody Else", the anti-anthem to his own twisted nature that he hid on a B-side in 1966, but now regularly roars at the start of any of his gigs.
His very decent band then help him stitch together the 1960s classic "Till The End of the Day", and the new "After the Fall".
These musicians will never be The Kinks, largely because they lack the goading presence of Ray's nemesis and necessary foil, Brother Dave. They do, though, give supple force to his songs. A faint reminder that, almost in passing, The Kinks helped invent heavy metal.
Davies's creative heartland, though, is a darker, lonelier place. An emission of old North London suburbs that may now exist only in his memory. His recent "Yours Truly, Confused, N10", and the vintage "Twentieth-Century Paranoid Schizoid Man" share a sense of clammy fear at the world beyond his door. In the latter's memorable phrase, refusing the whole 20th century: "I don't want to die here."
Such emotions are balanced, though, by a love for the people of his past far deeper than nostalgia. In "Oklahoma, USA", from 1971's last masterpiece, Multiple Hillbillies, he imagines his sister dreaming of Hollywood while buried in Muswell Hill. Sung solo, the melody and lyrics are bone-china delicate and lavender soft. It's a song and performance to cancel all of Davies's sins.
An acoustic medley from that other mislaid Kinks classic , 1968's Village Green Preservation Society, reinforces the feeling of an English dreamland. Not that Davies has ever been soft. "Are you the guy that heckled Dylan?" he silences one insistent Albert Hall drunk.
More breathtaking, forgotten gems are remembered and lovingly resurrected, right back to 1964's "I Go To Sleep". By the time he gets to "Days", taken a cappella like a hymn, the wonders are overwhelming. By "Waterloo Sunset", it's a surprise the roof is still on.
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| September 29th, 2005 09:21 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Ray thanks The Days
By GISELLA FARRELL
Sun Online
SIXTIES legend Ray Davies may have been around a few years with his band The Kinks, but last night he lifted the roof of the UK’s poshest music venue.
London’s Royal Albert Hall has played host to many iconic musicians over the decades, including The Beatles, Elton John, Frank Sinatra and Robbie Williams – and Ray fitted in those ranks perfectly.
From the moment he strolled on stage in his skinny black jeans and red shirt (a tribute to his team Arsenal), Ray’s wiry figure generated energy.
The hugely successful star may be 60-something but his gravelly voice hasn’t lost a thing and he responded to heckles from the crowd for 'more rock 'n' roll' admirably, throwing himself into an amazing set.
Ray treated us to a few new songs from his forthcoming solo album Other People's Lives, but the set list was mostly favourite Kinks tracks, including Till The End Of The Day, Dead End Street, Autumn Almanac and Dedicated Follower Of Fashion.
When the band began the famous chords of the anthemic Sunny Afternoon it was an honour to be there listening to a icon of our times, as the audience joined in for the chorus.
Swapping between fantastic solos on his electric guitar and clever fingerwork on his acoustic, Ray couldn’t sit still as he swung around the stage like a Mick Jagger, telling his fans: "I’ve not changed that much, you know."
Despite Ray giving the concert 'an American flavour' it felt like pure British rock – with North Londoner Ray calling out for tequila in his inimitable accent, telling us we 'weren't drunk enough'
The new songs are melodic storytelling numbers but are generally softer than the original Kinks material – still, Ray proved his genius for songwriting is still very much alive with his witty, satirical trademark lyrics.
Towards the end of the gig Ray went 'off piste' with a medley of classic tunes, leaving his talented band rolling their eyes and mouthing 'he's had a drink' at each other – but they still kept up – they must be well used to it with Ray.
"My new band are great", cried Ray. "But I’ll never forget my old band, they are part of my life … and death, and here’s a tribute to them."
So many great musicians are reluctant to play their back catalogue, but one of the most influential and successful songwriters of all time had no such reserve, and treated us to a finale of Kinks classics I would never forget.
A memorable version of the Days, dedicated to tragic singer Kirsty McColl, silenced the majestic building as Ray sang the haunting tune unaccompanied.
Indeed, Ray couldn’t quite bear to finish, running back on stage again and again as The Royal Albert Hall erupted and people left their seats to dance on the floor.
The finale of Lola, You Really Got Me and much-loved Waterloo Sunset topped off an amazing night with a man we hope will go on and on…
[Edited by Ten Thousand Motels] |
| September 29th, 2005 09:27 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
KINKS CLOSE TO REUNITING?
THE KINKS frontman RAY DAVIES has hinted he could be ready to reconcile with his former bandmate brother DAVE and reform the band.
The WATERLOO SUNSET rockers split in 1997 when relations between the rocker sibblings broke down.
Guitarist Dave recently revealed he'd love to reunite, insisting, "I'd love (a reunion). I can't think of anything better. But it's up to Ray."
And Ray is prepared to patch up his rift with Dave and record again - if they can make relevant music.
He says, "If me and my brother sat down and played together and if we felt that any of the music that came out of that was relevant and had a reason to it, then we'd make another record. I wouldn't do it for a golden oldies tour though."
He even suggests their tempestuous relationship helps fuel their creative process: "I think sibling rivalry never goes away. That's the pleasure and the pain of it. I think it's a part of what gives the edge to our music."
29/09/2005 17:40
contactmusic
[Edited by Ten Thousand Motels] |
| September 30th, 2005 04:24 AM |
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| Voodoo Scrounge |
It would really be great to see the two brothers back together again. I really love the Kinks |
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