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AA you categorically must try to get an interview with Ray and Dave, or try to push a colab with Carl to get an interview on the lotus eaters with them. It would be gold.
From Ray Davies’ wikipedia, “When Davies was still a small child, one of his older sisters became a star of the dance halls, and soon had a child out of wedlock by an African man, an illegal immigrant who subsequently disappeared from her life. The child, a daughter, was ultimately raised by Ray's mother.” Well that’s going to have an impact.
He also lost an older sister Rene who dropped dead of a heart problem in her early 30's. I think around the time of his birthday. She had given him his first guitar.
Thank you for this! I am a singer and perform Beatles and Kinks among others but have always held the "unpopular opinion" that the Kinks songs had more to say. 'Shangri-La' and 'Powerman' are two of my favourites, but the tremendous easy access upfront nostalgia of 'Victoria' and 'Picture book' are equally impressive. I always felt that 'Sunny afternoon' and 'Waterloo Sunset' evoke a powerful snapshot of nostalgia through the music structure too. I always found it fascinating that they effectively invent the modern rock guitar sound by taking a stanley knife to an amp in 'you really got me' then obviously spend the rest of their career exploring reactionary themes. Once again thank you for taking the time to cover the Kinks through this lens, the Kinks are always overlooked even by music die hards who spend so much time digging into the Beatles, Bowie, Stones and so on.
AA, from the bottom of my heart thank you for this deep lore. I love "Living on a thin line" but never paid attention to these other songs you have provided context to.
It is so cathartic to hear someone express their appreciation for the Kinks, especially Preservation Society. Listening to the album, it's almost shocking to hear someone so talented focus their songwriting on the supposedly mundane. It is truly a gem. I've always found the mixing of their earlier albums very harsh, but it seems to fit Ray's vocals well enough.
"In a dark and misty house, where no Christian man has been, wicked Annabella mixes a brew that no one's ever seen. Relatives have passed her by, too scared to even say hello...she's in perpetual midnight, she shuts out the day....and goes about her sinful way"
Superb stream - so glad you singled out 'Shangri-La' for particular attention. There has been no better commentary on British class and society - settling for a suburban 'kingdom to command', your reward for the years of 'the lavatories in the backyard' because you're 'conditioned that way'. Both affectionate and sardonic, it's arguably their best track.
I missed this stream but you and I agreed on Shangri-La. It makes me think of my grandparents and even my parents when they were small children that song: "Gone are the lavatories in the backyard" - My mum and dad had outdoor bogs until the early-to-mid sixties. They were both born in 1951.
@@vaseofflowers4619 Absolutely, both my sets of grandparents had the outside lavatory and kept them, even when they eventually got an inside bathroom. The Kinks captured that world so eloquently. There is a Part 2 Deepest Lore on the channel at the usual DL time this week I think.
@@LadyOfShaIott The Kinks have been a favourite of mine since I was a teenager. I bought my CD copy of Village Green back in 1993 from a local second-hand record shop. It's still in good knick 30 years on and I treasure it.
@@vaseofflowers4619 Me too, I loved them. I inherited a fair bit of their vinyl from my late father and his brothers. Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur and so on. They were reaching out to a past that was long gone. The Kinks, along with The Smiths, are my favourite group. The Smiths had a similar yearning for the past.
Davies absolutely pillories centralised bureaucracy throughout the Muswell Hillbillies album. 'Here Come the People in Grey' is a fantastic track. Whole album is a masterpiece. The originally unreleased song 'Lavender Lane' which was eventually included on a re-release saw it all coming. Great stream!
Great stuff. I've never really explored The Kinks in the same way that I have with The Beatles, The Stones or The Velvet Underground, but I've always been aware that there's something truly great there. Lola is probably one of my favourite songs. Village Green Preservation Society is stunning. I feel a deep dive coming on. Also, the wife will be complaining about the weeks long Kinks-centric soundtrack around the house. Maybe it'll make a welcome change after my attempts to convert her to Wire.
I feel it's no wonder we got spoon fed beatles etc. Thankful for being directed to the kinks AA. Hard to listen to lots of lyrics through these ages, but these are a breath of fresh air.
I grew up in the early 90s and roughly in 92 started watching British comedies like Are you being Served? Benny Hill and later Last of the Summer Wine and got into The Kinks around the mid 2000s and They'll make you appreciate those shows even more. God Save The Kinks! Donald Duck and strawberry jam For this 20th century ape man.
All the songs: 11:56 Dead End Street (1966) 18:33 Where Have The Good Times Gone (1965) 23:04 Mr Pleasant (1967) 26:46 Afternoon's Tea (1967) 32:15 Autumn Almanac (1967) 38:34 Do You Remember Walter - The Village Green Preservation Society (1968) 43:16 Big Sky - The Village Green Preservation Society (1968) 48:06 Brainwashed - Arthur (1969) 52:03 Shangri La - Arthur (1969) 58:28 Nothing To Say - Arthur (1969) 1:03:00 Power Man - Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneyground (1970) 1:08:43 Top Of The Pops - Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneyground (1970) 1:13:40 20th Century Man (1971, placeholder, not in the video) 1:16:36 Acute Paranoia Schizophrenia Blues - Muswell Hillbillies (1971) 1:20:50 Here Come The People In Gray - Muswell Hillbillies (1971) 1:27:01 Maximum Consumption - Everybody Is In Show-Biz (1972) 1:32:58 Money And Corruption - Preservation Act 1 (1973) 1:40:34 Ordinary People - Soap Opera (1975) 1:46:21 Prince Of The Punks - Sleepwalker (1977) 1:50:58 Black Messiah - Misfits (1978) 1:56:47 Give People What They Want - Give People What They Want (1981) 2:02:12 Young Conservatives - State Of Confusion (1983) 2:08:24 Living On A Thin Line - Word of Mouth (1984) regards from Switz
I was thinking that Lola is not very reactionary, it's often held up as an early lgbt anthem, but re-reading the lyrics it is actually a reassertion of being straight.
I still hold Waterloo Sunset to be one of the most wholesome (overused term but still applicable) 60s rock songs in existence. I've always interpreted it as a sort of sulky, shut-in boy lamenting how his sister (Julie) is growing up faster than he'd like her to, and steadily running off with her boyfriend Terry. As well as lamenting urban modernity in general, with the line about "people so busy, makes me feel dizzy" and how they swarm around "like flies". He comes to a kind of peace with all this though, as he kinda has to, by just gazing at the Waterloo sunset. And the whole theme of nostalgia and trying to hold onto the fading past is also captured well in Village Green as you mentioned, but even on a more personal level in "Walter", another highly underrated track about a man missing his old mate from childhood, "isnt it a shame the way our little world has changed?" It's strange I never noticed just how prevalent this theme of preserving the past is in their catalog Edit: Glad to hear you got to Walter as well!
The music business tolerated them, but they didn’t promote them like other bands. If the The Kinks were formed today, they would probably get cancelled today because they aren’t ‘on message.’
I allways thought Ray was not really despising the characters he described, like A Well Respected Man or Mr. Pleasant, but just more ironically saw the humour of them pretending to be someone else though still going through the pain everyone goes. From Lola Get Back In (The) Line is the most devastating one I would say. The song which describes Ray the most is for me one of the shortest songs of Soap Opera: (A) Face In The Crowd. It shows his ultimate inner battle. Everyone knows he stands out, but still he sees himself as a Face in the Crowd. Anyway, thanks for this episode. Very enjoyable to listen to!
Can’t wait to listen to this. I often think about the Kinks and how they started out bigger than the Beatles in ‘64 before being swiftly over taken and eclipsed commercially… what was it about those two bands which was so different… especially when you look at the way Paul Mcartney in particular lived his life outside of the music industry- and the sheer respect for tradition in his songwriting- but somehow he never came across as reactionary whereas with the Kinks it is blatantly there… I wonder if the kinks had been as big as the Beatles commercially if we might have a completely different cultural outlook today… hard to argue that Waterloo sunset isn’t right up there with blackbird or mother natures son or any other of the great Beatles records… timeless in the exact same way… yet the kinks constantly came back to railing against THEIR time… being OF their time and in it… crazy if you think about it that of the two bands it was the kinks who were singing about the world around them. Notice I don’t mention Lennon who whilst also a musical genius, has at this point become a symbol and a weapon of the establishment… going back to the sixties though what a crazy mixed up time..
There seems to be a lot of Beatles vids in the conspiracy theory areas of eg rumble but not watched them yet. They didn't seem that important compared with all the other stuff. I just assumed they were picked for promotion.
@@frosksdeadteeth5163 I mean there could well be an element of astro-turfing with the Beatles I don’t really know enough about it, but as a (novice) amateur musician I have to say that their music is sublime every single member of the Beatles was incredible and Lennon, Mcartney and Harrison wrote the most amazing songs…Harrison being Dave Davies opposite number in the kinks of course but again- put “living on a thin line “ (chuffed to see AA play one of my all time favourite songs!) up against any of Harrison’s songs and it is just as good if not better- especially if you consider the profundity of the lyrics it’s almost certainly better. I’ve listened to the AA stream now and what occurs to me having listened to that is that the Kinks chose their path and weren’t even really aiming to be the Beatles… even if the face of panning from critics they just kept on doing their thing and repeating their authentic message… brave in the true sense of the word. I’ve always enjoyed the kinks but have a renewed interest in them now!
The Who, especially by the time they got to Who's Next, were another british invasuon band railing against the times. "Won't Get Fooled Again" is one of the most blatant middle fingers to the cultural revolution in the 60s. It came from a lot of places you wouldn't expect. Leonard Cohen despised the cultural revolution, Frank Zappa notoriously hated hippies, and Steely Dan wrote scathing rebukes most notably in "Only a Fool Would Say That" & "Kid Charlemagne". Bob Dylan, the chief hero of the cultural revolution at one point, was extremely critical of it. The Kinks were the most consistent and uncompromising though.
As far as the Beatles, Lennon was clearly a true believer. George got heavy into Buddhism and seemed to be a proponent of the cultural revolution. Paul always struck me as apolitical, primarily just wanting to make really great music and obsessed with the art of song. A lot like his primary contemporary, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Most of The Beatles experimentations were forwarded by McCartney. His solo work, especially his self titled McCartney series, were often very experimental in that vein.
Great stream. Been looking forward to a deep dive on them for quite a bit. You did a stream a while back and went through a few songs of theirs, the analysis of 'Autumn Almanac' stood out, whet my appetite for this eventuality.
The Kinks aren't a conservative band. I have done extensive research on the band for my blog and my book and Ray Davies himself has said he's a socialist and grew up with those politics and I remember seeing Dave Davies saying he likes Bernie Sanders. Ray Davies has spoken out against new Labour. Multiple Kinks songs have socialist/general left wing themes whether it's about anti-consumerism (Dedicated Follower of Fashion), anti-imperialism (Victoria), economic inequality (Dead End Street), anti-war (Some Mother's Son), the rat race/keeping up with the Joneses (Shangri-La), and egalitarianism in general (Supersonic Rocket Ship). The Kinks' "Father Christmas" in general is a socialist song.
Do more of these. This is such a mellow and lovely listen, educational, thought-provoking, melancholic and entertaining. You serve the best cocktails in our scattered community.
Great band I remember the British invasion music wise into the United States. Being in high school in the 60s in San Francisco was a blast music wise. Blessings
Loved the video montage at the end. Need more of that. I have no idea of the bravery of our ancestors, none of their heroics were ever recounted. Nightmare scenario.
I'm glad you mentioned the "angry young men" who I'm sure influenced Ray Davis. His barbed criticism of the class/caste system had as much influence on me as those writers. There's a film called Nothing but the Best, written by Frederic Raphael, which enjoyably pokes fun at the clash of the upper classes and an upwardly mobile social climber. There's a scene where a band plays at an upper class ball and it reminded me of how the Kinks started out. Also, nice to have a break from the Beatles obsession which bores me to death, although this points out how much more witty were Ray's throwback songs compared to McCartney's gruesome "granny" songs.
This is possibly my favourite video on the internet. Please more content like this 🙏🏼 Also, if you want to talk about Reactionary artists listen to John Lydons (Public Image Ltd) new song “Being Stupid Again”. It appears John Lydon, Morrisy and Noel Gallagher may have swallowed one or two red pills!
“"You can laugh, but Black Sabbath are something like the John Milton of rock ‘n’ roll: “You turned to me with all your worldly greed and pride/But will you turn to me when it's your turn to die?” The Christianity running consistently throughout their songs is cruel and bloodthirsty in the way that only Christianity can be (which is to say, lopping off heads with feverish pleasure, clad all the while in the raiment of righteousness and moral rectitude). “Electric Funeral” is their picture of atomic war as the Second Coming"” - lester bangs
Believe it or not, there was a time before the Beatles were lionized in the modern state religion, where The Kinks were more or less on even footing with the Stones, Beatles, et al, and for my money its The Kinks all day.
It's interesting how the left used to be compatible with these deeper criticisms of modern society these days, although most leftists frame themselves as rebels, their social criticism needs to be funneled into specific, pre-approved channels (colonialism, patriarchy, whypipo, etc). More general and fundamental criticisms are now branded right wing and traitorous. Morrissey is exemplar here: always fiercely himself, yet adored by the 80s/90s urban elite, until he was branded evil and outcast. Also Romanticism is relevant here, since putting art before (conformist) politics is now strictly reactionary. You get this all the time from leftists, how it's impossible to just make good art without it oppressing black people or whatever.
Fantastic stream, I'm a big fan of the Kinks work. I honestly don't think there's a bad album of theirs, perhaps with the exception of 'UK Jive' which is a little bit shitlib, especially on 'Down all the days' (you could say it's their 'Black Tie White Noise'). Side one in particular to Muswell Hillbillies is just so dark, and to wrap the album up in an American style as a meta commentary on increasing American influence is a stroke of genius. And I never tire of listening to Arthur.
Great to hear a deep dive into these lesser known Kinks tracks, some of which I would play on my mobile speaker during sunny day ramblings of the lockdown years. I had myself suspected it appropriate of a scathing Romantic defence of traditional England 🏴
Please do more of these discovery videos. in 40 years I never heard of them, and now I'm getting the discography. Plus, I'm putting the word out with thin line and young conservatives. Even 25-ish people seem to like them! There is hope.
the kinks have exactly nothing whatsoever to do with punk (which is mainly sh*te anyway), the Who were proto punk (but vastly more talented than every punk band combined), and to a lesser degree the stones as well.
The Kinks proto-punk? Village Green Preservation Society Vs Anarchy In The UK. (Preserving the old ways from being abused Vs I wanna' destroy passer by ...get Pissed Destroy). Hmm...
You assume that the critics disliking the kinks later material is just that they don’t understand what the kinks are trying to do… we know the glowies were not above paying off critics…
There is no other music entity like The Kinks with the greatest storytelling through Ray Davies and Dave Davies brilliant original song writing. This particular Podcast is spot-on. My only challenge here is not all of the close to 700 songs are reactionary. But honest, insightful historical reality of those experiences from within the forever lead British Empire. Yet, such beautiful gems like “You Can’t Stop The Music” to “Waterloo Sunset” to “Celluloid Hero’s” are certainly not reactionary. But “Here Come Those People in Grey” to “Deadend Street” support this Podcast Theme”. But “Come Dancing” is about time lost. The Arista Records “Come Dancing” song is all about love of the Davies brothers sister who died when dancing at the venue. These recordings set the means for the ability for The Kinks to become Arena Rockstars and become extremely popular music artist again. The RCA Recordings are nostalgic about so many of their growing up years. Thematic and so well presented. So The Kinks music represents many music themes and periods. No other music artist have achieved this deep and well respected offering that will memorialized for many years to come. God Did Save The Kinks for all of us to enjoy!
I used to think that Ray Davies was a bit of a knob. I always considered his brother Dave the more innovative. The slashing of his speakers in a fit of rage bringing forth the raw dirty dirty sound of the distorted guitar to vinyl for the first time establishing him as an icon amongst rock guitarists for nearly 60 years now. But this video has changed my mind! I shall listen to the band with new purpose. If the bottom falls out of the DR scholarly commentator gig, AA, I am sure you could find a place writing for MOJO magazine or the like with work like this.
I used to listen to them a lot. Since English is not my first language, I read the lyrics and thought I must have been misinterpreting something, or reading too much into it
I like this perspective. I liked the kinks but I was a seventies teen, not a hippie boomer. I liked them while despising Peter Paul and Mary, Pete Seeger and csny. Still, because I was a bit of a punk and a seventies kid I had never explored their early music. So this is educational .
Great analysis. Examine reactionary element of "avant-garde" bands like Mr. Bungle, Fantomas and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, all of which have dadaist and surrealist influences. Their lyrics are mostly hard to understand, but Evola was a dadaist artist, so ...
I recently read through the lyrics of their self titled first album. Some dark stuff in there. Still one of my favourite albums but jeez, ignorance is bliss, as they say 😂
i'd just like to mention that Academic Agent seems to be grasping at strings a bit when it comes to his view on the song "nothing to say." saying that it is about loosing friends, when the lyrics are between father and child 57:46 , as well as being a pretty blatant metaphor for post British imperial British relations with former colonies, something that is made crystal clear with the last lines 1:01:17 " How's the trade union? nothing to say. how's your independence? nothing to say." the fact that Academic Agent twists the song to be about loosing friends is also a bit strange.
You are so right, although I'd say "conservative", rather than "reactionary", but I'm only a few minutes in, having already watched your brilliant sequel video. I was also very grateful that you featured Set Me Free, the song that made me a want to be a musician.
The Kinks Are the Village Green has to be one of my favorite albums of all time. And to think I bought it on a Whim because it was mentioned in 1001 Albums you must hear before you die.
@@AcademicAgent When it is easy to place an artist’s politics, then more than likely he is an artist not worth bothering with. No one who played in The Fall was ever in any doubt as to who commanded the group. Smith ruled with an iron grip, and was ruthless in expelling members who no longer served him well. And there were very many ex-members. So from that perspective at least, we can say that he understood and embodied hierarchy and inequality. More trivially, he was not afraid to drop the occasional n-word. See the terrific line, “Where are the obligatory n--rs?” from “The Classical”.
I think they're neither Left or Reactionary. Artists at the end of the day, leaning into the social-cultural way of things. PS: That closing montage was bloody Brilliant !
In the late 80s I would lay on my bed with my 2yr old son and sing the chorus of Mr. Pleasant as a lullaby to him. When I thought he was asleep, I’d get up and he’d go “more People Say”. Many nights I fell asleep before he did.
So many parts of their songs were clearly ripped off by later bands. AA, did you ever see that clip of Mr Pleasant where they're accompanied by the Hairy Cornflake on Trombone? I'm sure it's still on here. Thanks for the stream
@@shannonm.townsend1232 late 60s isn't the early stuff i always thought that the late 60s work was uniquely heavy in reactionary themes doesn't mean there can't be elsewhere but the late 60s certainly had quite the streak
bands werent allowed to put their singles on LPs back then- coz the record company wanted more cash. so ya get songs such as hey jude and jj flash never being on any album.
AA you categorically must try to get an interview with Ray and Dave, or try to push a colab with Carl to get an interview on the lotus eaters with them. It would be gold.
That would be absolutely amazing.
Do it. This has to happen
I think Ray would be interested this kind if analysis.
Yes, the lotus eater podcast needs more subversive browns on their show, of course.
"You're listening to Reactionary Radio... next up it's The Schmitts with Friend/Enemy in a Coma"
That's excellent. Bravo.
I'm glad you worked out the kinks.
Underrated post
From Ray Davies’ wikipedia, “When Davies was still a small child, one of his older sisters became a star of the dance halls, and soon had a child out of wedlock by an African man, an illegal immigrant who subsequently disappeared from her life. The child, a daughter, was ultimately raised by Ray's mother.”
Well that’s going to have an impact.
Blimey.
"star of the dance halls" is such an interesting euphemism for [redacted].
Toll paid in full.
He also lost an older sister Rene who dropped dead of a heart problem in her early 30's. I think around the time of his birthday. She had given him his first guitar.
I missed this stream and I'm pissed off about it as The Kinks are a favourite of mine.
Used to own a pub with a jukebox and hearing "Autumn Almanac" has literally caused a huge sequence of flashbacks. All of them joyous.
That song approaches perfection. I got it on a Kinks compilation cassette from Woolworths first.
That is one of my favorites though there are so many. I also love 'Sitting in my Hotel'
‘I’ve never heard a Kinks song that I didn’t like’ David Bowie
Thank you for this! I am a singer and perform Beatles and Kinks among others but have always held the "unpopular opinion" that the Kinks songs had more to say. 'Shangri-La' and 'Powerman' are two of my favourites, but the tremendous easy access upfront nostalgia of 'Victoria' and 'Picture book' are equally impressive. I always felt that 'Sunny afternoon' and 'Waterloo Sunset' evoke a powerful snapshot of nostalgia through the music structure too. I always found it fascinating that they effectively invent the modern rock guitar sound by taking a stanley knife to an amp in 'you really got me' then obviously spend the rest of their career exploring reactionary themes. Once again thank you for taking the time to cover the Kinks through this lens, the Kinks are always overlooked even by music die hards who spend so much time digging into the Beatles, Bowie, Stones and so on.
Powerman is great. I also liked apeman
@@OwenGilmoreOG - Apeman was on in my local pub the other day and I sang along loudly. But I'd been listening to it a lot anyway of late
AA, from the bottom of my heart thank you for this deep lore. I love "Living on a thin line" but never paid attention to these other songs you have provided context to.
Deep Lore never disappoints. Like a good documentary, interesting story trumps surface subject matter
It is so cathartic to hear someone express their appreciation for the Kinks, especially Preservation Society. Listening to the album, it's almost shocking to hear someone so talented focus their songwriting on the supposedly mundane. It is truly a gem.
I've always found the mixing of their earlier albums very harsh, but it seems to fit Ray's vocals well enough.
"In a dark and misty house, where no Christian man has been, wicked Annabella mixes a brew that no one's ever seen. Relatives have passed her by, too scared to even say hello...she's in perpetual midnight, she shuts out the day....and goes about her sinful way"
Superb stream - so glad you singled out 'Shangri-La' for particular attention. There has been no better commentary on British class and society - settling for a suburban 'kingdom to command', your reward for the years of 'the lavatories in the backyard' because you're 'conditioned that way'. Both affectionate and sardonic, it's arguably their best track.
I missed this stream but you and I agreed on Shangri-La. It makes me think of my grandparents and even my parents when they were small children that song: "Gone are the lavatories in the backyard" - My mum and dad had outdoor bogs until the early-to-mid sixties. They were both born in 1951.
@@vaseofflowers4619 Absolutely, both my sets of grandparents had the outside lavatory and kept them, even when they eventually got an inside bathroom. The Kinks captured that world so eloquently. There is a Part 2 Deepest Lore on the channel at the usual DL time this week I think.
@@LadyOfShaIott - What's DL time?
@@LadyOfShaIott The Kinks have been a favourite of mine since I was a teenager. I bought my CD copy of Village Green back in 1993 from a local second-hand record shop. It's still in good knick 30 years on and I treasure it.
@@vaseofflowers4619 Me too, I loved them. I inherited a fair bit of their vinyl from my late father and his brothers. Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur and so on. They were reaching out to a past that was long gone. The Kinks, along with The Smiths, are my favourite group. The Smiths had a similar yearning for the past.
Davies absolutely pillories centralised bureaucracy throughout the Muswell Hillbillies album. 'Here Come the People in Grey' is a fantastic track. Whole album is a masterpiece. The originally unreleased song 'Lavender Lane' which was eventually included on a re-release saw it all coming. Great stream!
Great stuff. I've never really explored The Kinks in the same way that I have with The Beatles, The Stones or The Velvet Underground, but I've always been aware that there's something truly great there.
Lola is probably one of my favourite songs. Village Green Preservation Society is stunning.
I feel a deep dive coming on. Also, the wife will be complaining about the weeks long Kinks-centric soundtrack around the house. Maybe it'll make a welcome change after my attempts to convert her to Wire.
I feel it's no wonder we got spoon fed beatles etc. Thankful for being directed to the kinks AA. Hard to listen to lots of lyrics through these ages, but these are a breath of fresh air.
You've convinced me. I'm a kinks fan now.
This was great. I've never taken any notice of The Kinks or that genre really. Please do a deepest lore on Morrissey one day.
Morrissey. Yes, please.
Morrissey is a miserable creep.
I grew up in the early 90s and roughly in 92 started watching British comedies like Are you being Served? Benny Hill and later Last of the Summer Wine and got into The Kinks around the mid 2000s and They'll make you appreciate those shows even more.
God Save The Kinks! Donald Duck and strawberry jam
For this 20th century ape man.
All the songs:
11:56 Dead End Street (1966)
18:33 Where Have The Good Times Gone (1965)
23:04 Mr Pleasant (1967)
26:46 Afternoon's Tea (1967)
32:15 Autumn Almanac (1967)
38:34 Do You Remember Walter - The Village Green Preservation Society (1968)
43:16 Big Sky - The Village Green Preservation Society (1968)
48:06 Brainwashed - Arthur (1969)
52:03 Shangri La - Arthur (1969)
58:28 Nothing To Say - Arthur (1969)
1:03:00 Power Man - Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneyground (1970)
1:08:43 Top Of The Pops - Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneyground (1970)
1:13:40 20th Century Man (1971, placeholder, not in the video)
1:16:36 Acute Paranoia Schizophrenia Blues - Muswell Hillbillies (1971)
1:20:50 Here Come The People In Gray - Muswell Hillbillies (1971)
1:27:01 Maximum Consumption - Everybody Is In Show-Biz (1972)
1:32:58 Money And Corruption - Preservation Act 1 (1973)
1:40:34 Ordinary People - Soap Opera (1975)
1:46:21 Prince Of The Punks - Sleepwalker (1977)
1:50:58 Black Messiah - Misfits (1978)
1:56:47 Give People What They Want - Give People What They Want (1981)
2:02:12 Young Conservatives - State Of Confusion (1983)
2:08:24 Living On A Thin Line - Word of Mouth (1984)
regards from Switz
Thanks Internet Yeoman 07
This was fantastic, AA. I for one would warmly welcome another show in the same vein.
I have really grown in appreciation for AA of late. Cheers from deplorable Missouri !
I was thinking that Lola is not very reactionary, it's often held up as an early lgbt anthem, but re-reading the lyrics it is actually a reassertion of being straight.
thank god
Really how?
Ray is not straight
I still hold Waterloo Sunset to be one of the most wholesome (overused term but still applicable) 60s rock songs in existence. I've always interpreted it as a sort of sulky, shut-in boy lamenting how his sister (Julie) is growing up faster than he'd like her to, and steadily running off with her boyfriend Terry. As well as lamenting urban modernity in general, with the line about "people so busy, makes me feel dizzy" and how they swarm around "like flies". He comes to a kind of peace with all this though, as he kinda has to, by just gazing at the Waterloo sunset.
And the whole theme of nostalgia and trying to hold onto the fading past is also captured well in Village Green as you mentioned, but even on a more personal level in "Walter", another highly underrated track about a man missing his old mate from childhood, "isnt it a shame the way our little world has changed?"
It's strange I never noticed just how prevalent this theme of preserving the past is in their catalog
Edit: Glad to hear you got to Walter as well!
No it's about Ray in the hospital recovering from an emergency tracheotomy operation it's an "I'm glad I survived" song
you’ll find this carries over to Ray’s solo work, as well, particularly ‘working man’s cafe’ and ‘americana’
This was great, I didn't realise the Kinks had such a range of songs, I had only heard the hits.
The music business tolerated them, but they didn’t promote them like other bands. If the The Kinks were formed today, they would probably get cancelled today because they aren’t ‘on message.’
I allways thought Ray was not really despising the characters he described, like A Well Respected Man or Mr. Pleasant, but just more ironically saw the humour of them pretending to be someone else though still going through the pain everyone goes. From Lola Get Back In (The) Line is the most devastating one I would say. The song which describes Ray the most is for me one of the shortest songs of Soap Opera: (A) Face In The Crowd. It shows his ultimate inner battle. Everyone knows he stands out, but still he sees himself as a Face in the Crowd. Anyway, thanks for this episode. Very enjoyable to listen to!
face in the crowd might be my favorite of theirs, or do you remember walter...
Can’t wait to listen to this. I often think about the Kinks and how they started out bigger than the Beatles in ‘64 before being swiftly over taken and eclipsed commercially… what was it about those two bands which was so different… especially when you look at the way Paul Mcartney in particular lived his life outside of the music industry- and the sheer respect for tradition in his songwriting- but somehow he never came across as reactionary whereas with the Kinks it is blatantly there… I wonder if the kinks had been as big as the Beatles commercially if we might have a completely different cultural outlook today… hard to argue that Waterloo sunset isn’t right up there with blackbird or mother natures son or any other of the great Beatles records… timeless in the exact same way… yet the kinks constantly came back to railing against THEIR time… being OF their time and in it… crazy if you think about it that of the two bands it was the kinks who were singing about the world around them. Notice I don’t mention Lennon who whilst also a musical genius, has at this point become a symbol and a weapon of the establishment… going back to the sixties though what a crazy mixed up time..
Beatles are were 100% a psyop, that's why
There seems to be a lot of Beatles vids in the conspiracy theory areas of eg rumble but not watched them yet. They didn't seem that important compared with all the other stuff. I just assumed they were picked for promotion.
@@frosksdeadteeth5163 I mean there could well be an element of astro-turfing with the Beatles I don’t really know enough about it, but as a (novice) amateur musician I have to say that their music is sublime every single member of the Beatles was incredible and Lennon, Mcartney and Harrison wrote the most amazing songs…Harrison being Dave Davies opposite number in the kinks of course but again- put “living on a thin line “ (chuffed to see AA play one of my all time favourite songs!) up against any of Harrison’s songs and it is just as good if not better- especially if you consider the profundity of the lyrics it’s almost certainly better. I’ve listened to the AA stream now and what occurs to me having listened to that is that the Kinks chose their path and weren’t even really aiming to be the Beatles… even if the face of panning from critics they just kept on doing their thing and repeating their authentic message… brave in the true sense of the word. I’ve always enjoyed the kinks but have a renewed interest in them now!
The Who, especially by the time they got to Who's Next, were another british invasuon band railing against the times. "Won't Get Fooled Again" is one of the most blatant middle fingers to the cultural revolution in the 60s. It came from a lot of places you wouldn't expect. Leonard Cohen despised the cultural revolution, Frank Zappa notoriously hated hippies, and Steely Dan wrote scathing rebukes most notably in "Only a Fool Would Say That" & "Kid Charlemagne". Bob Dylan, the chief hero of the cultural revolution at one point, was extremely critical of it. The Kinks were the most consistent and uncompromising though.
As far as the Beatles, Lennon was clearly a true believer. George got heavy into Buddhism and seemed to be a proponent of the cultural revolution. Paul always struck me as apolitical, primarily just wanting to make really great music and obsessed with the art of song. A lot like his primary contemporary, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Most of The Beatles experimentations were forwarded by McCartney. His solo work, especially his self titled McCartney series, were often very experimental in that vein.
The British Tea Ceremony footage was highly nostalgic
God Tier Deepest Lore. Always loved The Kinks ‘60s output. Thanks AA.
Definitely worth the wait. Fantastic stream👌
Great stream. Been looking forward to a deep dive on them for quite a bit. You did a stream a while back and went through a few songs of theirs, the analysis of 'Autumn Almanac' stood out, whet my appetite for this eventuality.
The Kinks aren't a conservative band. I have done extensive research on the band for my blog and my book and Ray Davies himself has said he's a socialist and grew up with those politics and I remember seeing Dave Davies saying he likes Bernie Sanders. Ray Davies has spoken out against new Labour. Multiple Kinks songs have socialist/general left wing themes whether it's about anti-consumerism (Dedicated Follower of Fashion), anti-imperialism (Victoria), economic inequality (Dead End Street), anti-war (Some Mother's Son), the rat race/keeping up with the Joneses (Shangri-La), and egalitarianism in general (Supersonic Rocket Ship). The Kinks' "Father Christmas" in general is a socialist song.
How thr hell have I never known ab this channel before today? Absolutely brilliant
Amen, and welcome to the fold! AA is always worth a re-listen, and the comments section is also worthwhile 😉
Do more of these. This is such a mellow and lovely listen, educational, thought-provoking, melancholic and entertaining. You serve the best cocktails in our scattered community.
I'd like to thank Mrs AA for slowing AA's output down so that I have a chance to watch it all.
I would love a stream on Morrissey/The Smiths.
I had never heard “Do you remember Walter” before, what a song. Great Deepest Lore
Great band I remember the British invasion music wise into the United States. Being in high school in the 60s in San Francisco was a blast music wise. Blessings
My mother has these albums on vinyl. Delightful stream and an enlightening perspective on beloved music. Plus a trip down memory lane. Thanks.
All I can think of "Living on a thin line" and the line, "there's no England now".
The last time I saw them they played that and it was truly a hi-lite of the evening.
Loved the video montage at the end. Need more of that. I have no idea of the bravery of our ancestors, none of their heroics were ever recounted. Nightmare scenario.
I'm glad you mentioned the "angry young men" who I'm sure influenced Ray Davis. His barbed criticism of the class/caste system had as much influence on me as those writers. There's a film called Nothing but the Best, written by Frederic Raphael, which enjoyably pokes fun at the clash of the upper classes and an upwardly mobile social climber. There's a scene where a band plays at an upper class ball and it reminded me of how the Kinks started out. Also, nice to have a break from the Beatles obsession which bores me to death, although this points out how much more witty were Ray's throwback songs compared to McCartney's gruesome "granny" songs.
This is possibly my favourite video on the internet. Please more content like this 🙏🏼
Also, if you want to talk about Reactionary artists listen to John Lydons (Public Image Ltd) new song “Being Stupid Again”.
It appears John Lydon, Morrisy and Noel Gallagher may have swallowed one or two red pills!
I wish AA would do commentary on Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. That would be a dream
“"You can laugh, but Black Sabbath are something like the John Milton of rock ‘n’ roll: “You turned to me with all your worldly greed and pride/But will you turn to me when it's your turn to die?” The Christianity running consistently throughout their songs is cruel and bloodthirsty in the way that only Christianity can be (which is to say, lopping off heads with feverish pleasure, clad all the while in the raiment of righteousness and moral rectitude). “Electric Funeral” is their picture of atomic war as the Second Coming"”
- lester bangs
@@oaa-ff8zj metal is like horror movies, the earlier you go, the more overtly moral it is
Believe it or not, there was a time before the Beatles were lionized in the modern state religion, where The Kinks were more or less on even footing with the Stones, Beatles, et al, and for my money its The Kinks all day.
The Kinks is one of my favourite bands. I really enjoyed this!
Dead End Street is my favourite Kinks song, thanks for playing the whole thing
Autumn Almanac is another favourite, I enjoyed the link between them.
'Phenomenal Cat' is one of my favourite Kinks tracks. It is from the same place as 'Something Happened to Me Yesterday' by the Stones.
It's interesting how the left used to be compatible with these deeper criticisms of modern society
these days, although most leftists frame themselves as rebels, their social criticism needs to be funneled into specific, pre-approved channels (colonialism, patriarchy, whypipo, etc). More general and fundamental criticisms are now branded right wing and traitorous.
Morrissey is exemplar here: always fiercely himself, yet adored by the 80s/90s urban elite, until he was branded evil and outcast.
Also Romanticism is relevant here, since putting art before (conformist) politics is now strictly reactionary. You get this all the time from leftists, how it's impossible to just make good art without it oppressing black people or whatever.
Fantastic stream, I'm a big fan of the Kinks work. I honestly don't think there's a bad album of theirs, perhaps with the exception of 'UK Jive' which is a little bit shitlib, especially on 'Down all the days' (you could say it's their 'Black Tie White Noise'). Side one in particular to Muswell Hillbillies is just so dark, and to wrap the album up in an American style as a meta commentary on increasing American influence is a stroke of genius. And I never tire of listening to Arthur.
I always loved Autumn Almanac. Thanks for choosing it.
'Mr Pleasant' has a venomous, cynical edge which half the black metal I Iisten to lacks. I can imagine that passing by many people though
Great to hear a deep dive into these lesser known Kinks tracks, some of which I would play on my mobile speaker during sunny day ramblings of the lockdown years. I had myself suspected it appropriate of a scathing Romantic defence of traditional England 🏴
The Great Lost Kinks Album has some real gems like " Lavender Hill "
This was a good essay. I await your takes on Rick Jagger and Paul McCarthy.
Thanks for your consideration of Big Sky, possibly my Kinks' favourite track!!!!
I'm so glad I found your channel 😊
Please do more of these discovery videos.
in 40 years I never heard of them, and now I'm getting the discography.
Plus, I'm putting the word out with thin line and young conservatives.
Even 25-ish people seem to like them!
There is hope.
They had great taste in guitars, I'll give you that.
Have always been fond of The Kinks. After I discovered punk rock I decided they were basically proto-punk.
Is not so much that the Kinks were punk before punk, but many of the punk bands directly descended from the Kinks.
@@aftonskyand in America the punks descended from Lou Reed and the velvet underground
the kinks have exactly nothing whatsoever to do with punk (which is mainly sh*te anyway), the Who were proto punk (but vastly more talented than every punk band combined), and to a lesser degree the stones as well.
The Kinks proto-punk? Village Green Preservation Society Vs Anarchy In The UK. (Preserving the old ways from being abused Vs I wanna' destroy passer by ...get Pissed Destroy). Hmm...
The Kinks are in no way punk. Sorry.
“Don’t want no Black Messiah to come and set the world on fire!” - outstanding!
You assume that the critics disliking the kinks later material is just that they don’t understand what the kinks are trying to do… we know the glowies were not above paying off critics…
There is no other music entity like The Kinks with the greatest storytelling through Ray Davies and Dave Davies brilliant original song writing.
This particular Podcast is spot-on.
My only challenge here is not all of the close to 700 songs are reactionary.
But honest, insightful historical reality of those experiences from within the forever lead British Empire.
Yet, such beautiful gems like “You Can’t Stop The Music” to “Waterloo Sunset” to “Celluloid Hero’s” are certainly not reactionary.
But “Here Come Those People in Grey” to “Deadend Street” support this Podcast Theme”.
But “Come Dancing” is about time lost.
The Arista Records “Come Dancing” song is all about love of the Davies brothers sister who died when dancing at the venue.
These recordings set the means for the ability for The Kinks to become Arena Rockstars and become extremely popular music artist again.
The RCA Recordings are nostalgic about so many of their growing up years. Thematic and so well presented.
So The Kinks music represents many music themes and periods.
No other music artist have achieved this deep and well respected offering that will memorialized for many years to come.
God Did Save The Kinks for all of us to enjoy!
I will do a second more general Kinks stream with less of a political emphasis
@@AcademicAgent what do you think about John Shuttleworth? 'Two margarines on the go, it's a nightmare scеnario.'
@@Carroty_Peg kind of like a more post-modern John Cooper Clark?
I used to think that Ray Davies was a bit of a knob. I always considered his brother Dave the more innovative. The slashing of his speakers in a fit of rage bringing forth the raw dirty dirty sound of the distorted guitar to vinyl for the first time establishing him as an icon amongst rock guitarists for nearly 60 years now. But this video has changed my mind! I shall listen to the band with new purpose. If the bottom falls out of the DR scholarly commentator gig, AA, I am sure you could find a place writing for MOJO magazine or the like with work like this.
I had a row last week with someone who saw the Kinks at the young communist league in the 60s.
My argument that Davies was on our side 😂
I used to listen to them a lot. Since English is not my first language, I read the lyrics and thought I must have been misinterpreting something, or reading too much into it
I like this perspective. I liked the kinks but I was a seventies teen, not a hippie boomer. I liked them while despising Peter Paul and Mary, Pete Seeger and csny. Still, because I was a bit of a punk and a seventies kid I had never explored their early music. So this is educational .
Great analysis. Examine reactionary element of "avant-garde" bands like Mr. Bungle, Fantomas and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, all of which have dadaist and surrealist influences. Their lyrics are mostly hard to understand, but Evola was a dadaist artist, so ...
Mr Bungle and Mike Patton especially would be an amazing analysis. Though I'm not sure what the politics of either are xD
@@HoubkneghteS That's maybe the point - what is needed is very radical approach which will transcend all current politics.
Evola was an Italian Dadaist, so.. probably a Futurist first.
I recently read through the lyrics of their self titled first album. Some dark stuff in there. Still one of my favourite albums but jeez, ignorance is bliss, as they say 😂
@@Eyeballkidd Yeah, lyrics are crazy. There is also one song by another crazy band from California - Grotus - call Kali Yuga. Interesting name.
i'd just like to mention that Academic Agent seems to be grasping at strings a bit when it comes to his view on the song "nothing to say." saying that it is about loosing friends, when the lyrics are between father and child 57:46 , as well as being a pretty blatant metaphor for post British imperial British relations with former colonies, something that is made crystal clear with the last lines 1:01:17 " How's the trade union? nothing to say. how's your independence? nothing to say." the fact that Academic Agent twists the song to be about loosing friends is also a bit strange.
hey can you do a Deepest lore on The Smiths too?
You are so right, although I'd say "conservative", rather than "reactionary", but I'm only a few minutes in, having already watched your brilliant sequel video. I was also very grateful that you featured Set Me Free, the song that made me a want to be a musician.
Eye opening, thank you! Somehow I'd made it this far in life only having heard Waterloo Sunset.
The Kinks Are the Village Green has to be one of my favorite albums of all time. And to think I bought it on a Whim because it was mentioned in 1001 Albums you must hear before you die.
Really enjoyed this one, thank you for uploading
My large group of loyal friends are not normies.
Life is good.
How did this brilliant band somehow pass me by?
Apeman is one of my favorites.
Great topic!
As an ex Corbynite and lapsed tankie, must say You Really Got the Kinks.
Underrated pun
If there’s a natural English reactionary heir to Ray Davies it is Mark E. Smith.
The best Kinks song is The Fall’s cover version of “Victoria”.
I love the Fall too; hard to place their politics
@@AcademicAgent When it is easy to place an artist’s politics, then more than likely he is an artist not worth bothering with.
No one who played in The Fall was ever in any doubt as to who commanded the group. Smith ruled with an iron grip, and was ruthless in expelling members who no longer served him well. And there were very many ex-members. So from that perspective at least, we can say that he understood and embodied hierarchy and inequality.
More trivially, he was not afraid to drop the occasional n-word. See the terrific line, “Where are the obligatory n--rs?” from “The Classical”.
When everything seems flat and homogeneous that’s when the Kinks stick out the most. Don’t fear the iron the oldest wrinkles always come back.
I recommend the compilation called “ Kink Size” where I found my love of their music with some B sides.
Victoria is my favourite Kinks song thus far. Sounds like an ode to the British Empire.
Lovely stuff although disappointed Plastic Man didn't make the cut.
Best AA radio yet
I think they're neither Left or Reactionary. Artists at the end of the day, leaning into the social-cultural way of things.
PS: That closing montage was bloody Brilliant !
God damn. Love the Kinks. Get in. :)
This was made for me. Many thanks.
"Mr. Pleasant" could be my father's epitaph and the same goes for many boomers. After all, the whole wide world was on their side.
Don't forget that Mr. Pleasant is at the bottom of his heart a good man doing his best
In the late 80s I would lay on my bed with my 2yr old son and sing the chorus of Mr. Pleasant as a lullaby to him. When I thought he was asleep, I’d get up and he’d go “more People Say”. Many nights I fell asleep before he did.
Man it sounds like black messiah was writen for the summer of love
Critics probably fell out of love with the kinks by order of the CIA
Brilliant stream
Great video AA, thank you!
This won't make numbers, but nevertheless it's an excellent deepest lore.
Ray literally said the Lola & Powerman album is about "the right for anyone to be gender-free if one so wishes"
So many parts of their songs were clearly ripped off by later bands. AA, did you ever see that clip of Mr Pleasant where they're accompanied by the Hairy Cornflake on Trombone? I'm sure it's still on here. Thanks for the stream
late 60s the kinks specifically were DEEPLY reactionary
Lola??
@@shannonm.townsend1232Lola is early 70s
@@user-hu3iy9gz5j so.. just the early Kinks were reactionary?
I think there’s a case to be made that Lola is reactionary if you think- as I do - that the protagonist is being made light of.
@@shannonm.townsend1232 late 60s isn't the early stuff i always thought that the late 60s work was uniquely heavy in reactionary themes doesn't mean there can't be elsewhere but the late 60s certainly had quite the streak
Brilliant stream. Thank you AA.
Thanks AA. Great Video!
bands werent allowed to put their singles on LPs back then- coz the record company wanted more cash. so ya get songs such as hey jude and jj flash never being on any album.