Byline: by Paul Cole & Jack Daniels
HE may be 63 now but Ray Davies is still sizing up the state of the world in songs that pack a pop punch.
With iron fist in velvet glove, he offers sharp social commentary wrapped in hummable hooks.
And his new solo album may well be the best he's made since leading The Kinks to worldwide fame.
Little escapes his keen eye.
Vietnam Cowboys bemoans the use of cheap foreign labour in the Far East while factories stand empty in Birmingham, and Morphine Song is a grim day in the life of the NHS.
On first hearing No One Listen is a song for anyone who ever got trapped in the automatic switchboard of faceless bureaucracy. "We've got you in the system, we'll get back to you," Davies sings. But delve deeper, and it's inspired by the lack of response he received from the Louisiana police after he was shot in 2004 while chasing handbag thieves.
The title track finds the Kinkmaster in search of old ideals in a world where the greasy spoon has been supplanted by the internet cafe in faceless shopping malls.
"It's really good to see us come so far but haven't we forgotten who we are?" he asks.
Musically, it's a delight. You're Asking Me is all 60s jangle but with a gritty edge, Imaginary Man is nostalgic pop and The Voodoo Walk is a swamp rock pastiche.
Best is Peace In Our Time, which tells the story of a frosty relationship in terms of war, as weary warriors yearn for an end to the conflict. But wait, what's that in the background?
The descending chords of Waterloo Sunset - one of pop's greatest love songs. Don't you just love him? PC
No comments:
Post a Comment