Squonk
Ray Davies is 67 today.
He was the lead vocalist and songwriter for "The Kinks".
Most probably unknown to most is the influence he has on rock music
From the Wiki
"The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the 1960s. Stephen Thomas Erlewine called The Kinks "one of the most influential bands of the British Invasion", and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website states that "Ray Davies is almost indisputably rock's most literate, witty and insightful songwriter." Artists influenced by The Kinks include punk rock groups such as the Ramones, The Clash, and The Jam, New Wave and heavy metal acts like The Pretenders and Van Halen and Britpop groups such as Oasis, Blur and Pulp. Pete Townshend, guitarist with The Kinks' contemporaries The Who, was particularly influenced by the group's sound: "The Kinks were ... quintessentially English. I always think that Ray Davies should one day be poet laureate. 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." Jon Savage wrote that The Kinks were an influence on late-1960s American psychedelic groups, "like the Doors, Love and Jefferson Airplane". Musicologist Joe Harrington has described The Kinks' influence on the development of hard rock and heavy metal: "'You Really Got Me', 'All Day and All of the Night' and 'I Need You' were predecessors of the whole three-chord genre ... the Kinks did a lot to help turn rock 'n' roll (Jerry Lee Lewis) into rock (Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, the Stooges)."
Bob-Dubery
His absence at the jubilee concert spoke of a distinct lack of imagination and sense of the country's musical heritage on the part of the organisers. Davies is a very English song writer. Not the only one, but most of the others didn't achieve the same level of popular fame and recognition.
Songs such as "Dedicated Follower of Fashion", "Sunny Afternoon", "Come Dancing" and the utterly fab "Waterloo Sunset" were not just great pop songs, they were pop songs with an English flavour. Davies is not just an songwriter who is an Englishman, he wrote songs about English things, songs with narratives set against a backdrop of 60s England.
Arno-West
He's a storyteller of note and The Kinks was a great band after the 60's. Their 70's stuff and live albums were killer. My favourite Kinks album will always be "The Village green preservation society". Do yourselves a favour and try and get hold of it.
Jack-Flash-Jr
=
?
Edit: It's an obvious choice but I love the footage in the clip.
joealien22
I could listen to the Kinks 'All day and all of the night'! ?
I love the sound that comes out of his 'little green amp'. Raw and gritty, the way a dirty tone should sound IMHO.
singemonkey
I've got that '67 album with Sunny Afternoon - what's it called now. Some wonderful little known tunes on there like "Most Exclusive Residence for Sale."
It also has this one called "Session Man" - which I'm totally convinced was a pot-shot at Jimmy Page. I know they got into a fight later about whether JP played the solo on "You really got me going" or whatever its called. This song convinces me that they weren't wild about each other from the get-go.
=
(Haha, the youtube user says this song is "dedicated" to the Kink's session players. With dedications like this, who needs character assassinations ?)
Bob-Dubery
A friend of mine in the UK who goes to lots of gigs tells me that Ray's voice is pretty much gone. Well so what? Macca has nothing left, and Elton John and Sir Cliff were struggling, but they still did the Jubilee concert.
joealien22
The growl in the solo of "You really got me" sparks something inside me. Apparently Dave Davies cut the speaker cone of the lil green amp with a razor and stabbed knitting needles in it to get that distorted/fuzzy sound. Although I recon he probably knocked it over somewhere or it fell off something.
Some of my favourite Kinks tunes
=
=
Squonk
Good Stuff
Seems like The Kinks have reached a lot more people than I thought ?
DaFiz
I was a pre-teen lad writing down the lyrics to songs on the radio and couldn't quite understand the concept of... "walk like a woman and talk like a man"
Ray taught me something new :-[
vic
Squonk wrote:
Good Stuff
Seems like The Kinks have reached a lot more people than I thought ?
indeed !
this one is also a very good song
=
Bob-Dubery
+1 Vic! That's a fine song.
Squonk
Good Stuff Vic
Kirsty MacColl did a decent version as well.
One of my favourites
Autumn Almanac
...I like my football on a Saturday,
Roast beef on Sundays, all right.
I go to Blackpool for my holidays,
Sit in the open sunlight.
This is my street, and I'm never gonna to leave it,
And I'm always gonna to stay here
If I live to be ninety-nine,
'Cause all the people I meet
Seem to come from my street
And I can't get away,
Because it's calling me, (come on home)
Hear it calling me, (come on home)...
Jack-Flash-Jr
Genuinely not trolling, just of interest (love the jump Ray does at the beginning):
=
