Ray Davies "Americana" - Printable Version +- Music Discussion (https://www.music-discussion.com) +-- Forum: Music Discussion (https://www.music-discussion.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4) +--- Forum: Rock/Classic Rock/Prog Rock/Blues (https://www.music-discussion.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=10) +--- Thread: Ray Davies "Americana" (/showthread.php?tid=18050)

Ray Davies "Americana" - CRAZY-HORSE - 23-04-2017 Ray Davies "Americana" Spotify listen: ex-Kink Davies' first release in over a decade and hot off the heels of his Knighthood in the Queen's "2017 honours list"... all new songs on here, a concept album of sorts whereby all tracks detail/reminisce his various trips to the US over the last six decades... some vaudeville/jazz sounds on here, a little bit of rock also along with soft rock and ballad type material... music and lyrics are still very much in the Davies mold... a very good album that just gets better after repeat listens (three in all)... from the album: [video=youtube;9nfNWTaGicY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nfNWTaGicY[/video] Ray Davies "Americana" - CRAZY-HORSE - 23-04-2017 a short four and a half minute doco with Ray Davies discussing his fascination with Americana... [video=youtube;jtWAKml7wtQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtWAKml7wtQ[/video] Ray Davies "Americana" - Ruby - 23-04-2017 I also listened to this release – it’s grown on me. I think what I most like is the laid back approach … quite spare and chilled but with some nice industrial moments as in “Change for Change”, so not boring, and at the same time, I find the sounds to be sophisticated. IMHO, this really comfortable synergy seems to happen when people are one hundred percent at home in their musicianship skin which is what is so wonderful about mature ‘post career’ releases, if they can be called that – those that are past the perceived zenith, at any rate! Sounds like he really enjoyed making the album, and said what he wanted to – good for him. I'm not big on vaudevillian, but there isn't a lot of that, and I do like quirky; there certainly is that! Your linked track is great CH … this one too, for me … [video=youtube;bFG-buhIDEA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFG-buhIDEA[/video] Ray Davies "Americana" - CRAZY-HORSE - 23-04-2017 nice post again Ruby... yeh, I recall one track that began as Vaudeville but it moved on pretty quickly... a lot of UKers use that dancehall/vaudeville sound in their careers, especially those from London as that would have been the sound they grew up with...'you can take the boy out of London but you cant take London out of the boy'. also one problem I have always had with Davies is that he tends to sound 'flat'when he sings IMO, he has little variation in his vocals, this album is no different to that but it suits the sound. I know Ray and Dave were talking a year or two ago about a possible reunion to commemorate their 50th Anniversary as a band but they then started arguing again and it was put on hold, im wondering if some of the tracks were written for a possible Kinks album, I guess we'll never know?!? Ray Davies "Americana" - Music Head - 27-04-2017 courtesy of Spotify glad this one came up for me thanks CH will probably not even chart here I believe the Kinks were my #2 group from the Invasion and I have most of their albums Muswell Hillbillies is one of my favorites and this fits in with that title track [video=youtube;LlmomFOkprw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlmomFOkprw[/video] Ray Davies "Americana" - CRAZY-HORSE - 27-04-2017 i only have four or five Kinks albums MH, Muswell Hillbillies isn't one of those, maybe I should invest in it at some point. looking at Wiki, Ray's solo material hasn't even done very well in the UK, but I think this new one just might if only for the following two reasons: 1: he recently got Knighted by The Queen 2: "retro" is "in"