R is for Ray Davies

We took the Patco train from NJ to downtown Philly, and then hopped on the Market Street line and road it to the last station on the other side of the city. That is where the old Tower Theater in Upper Darby hosts a variety of concerts and shows. I told Marsha on the train that I hoped Ray would play a lot of songs off of his new album, because I enjoyed them so much. Besides, can't he be tired of playing "Lola" for the 1001 time?

I have been a fan of Ray Davies and The Kinks since 1970, and my appreciation for his work has only grown over time. Ray's songwriting, along with bother Dave's raucous guitar playing, has influenced generations of bands, from The Who to Blur. They are credited with inspiring heavy metal, punk, and much of today's Brit pop. So it was exciting to have Ray Davies put out a solo album after all this time.

We had great seats, about 10 rows back from the pit, among a few thousand other Kinks fans. Ray was as energetic as ever, opening up with a loud rendition of the punk flavored "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" (1966). He continued with a number of other old rockers, giving them a freshness and enthusiasm the belied the age of both songs and singer. The first group of tunes culminated with a searing rendition of "20th Century Man ". When it was over, Ray remarked with a little surprise in his voice, "I was angry, wasn't I?".

This is the age of machinery,

A mechanical nightmare,

The wonderful world of technology,

Napalm, hydrogen bombs, biological warfare

He then transitioned from "angry rocker to serious singer-songwriter" with an acoustic medley of songs from Village Green Preservation Society, including "Village Green", "Picture Book", "Animal Farm", and "Johnny Thunder". Somewhere along the way, Ray remarked that he is proud of all these old songs. I realized that instead of being tired of playing tunes from forty years ago, he feels about them like his children. They are a part of his life, indeed many are at least partly autobiographical, and they deserve their due.

Ray also played a number of songs off of his new album, Other People's Lives, including The Tourist and The Getaway (Lonesome Train), both inspired by his stay in New Orleans (before Katrina). He often added some commentary about individual songs, which he has often said are like little plays. He talked about how one of his older sisters inspired "Oklahoma, USA", from Muswell Hillbillies; searching to escape her dreary life at the movies.

All life we work but work is a bore,

If life's for livin' then what's livin' for.

Later, Ray performed "A Long Way From Home" from Lola, and talked about writing it as a warning to his brother Dave not to get to carried away with fame and fortune. The brothers always had a love-hate relationship and rivalry which carried over into their music. Certainly, one short coming of the show was the absence of Dave Davie's guitar and backing vocals. The band played well enough (and loud enough), but lacked Dave's unique sound.

You've come a long way from the runny-nosed and scruffy kid I knew
You had such good ways
. . .
Now you think you're wiser because you're older and you think
That money buys everything
And you think you need no one to guide you
But you're still a long way from home.

Ray talked about being turned down by every record label when they were first getting started. One music executive told them they sounded "too working class" and that the guitar sounded like a barking dog. He then broke into a blasting version of "You Really Got Me".

The show also included a number of sing alongs, something Ray has always done to draw the crowd into the show. Everyone joined in on "Set Me Free", "Sunny Afternoon", "Low Budget" and the encore, "Lola". Throughout the show, Ray played rhythm and acoustic guitars as well (or better) than ever. After the second encore he stayed a few moments to shake hands and chat with the fans up front. And we road home on the trains, ears still ringing with both the great old songs and the exciting new ones.

Here is my best recollection of the set list - I may have missed a few:
I'm Not Like Everybody Else
Set Me Free
Till the End of the Day
Tired of Waiting
All Day and All of the Night
20th Century Man
Village Green
Picture Book
Animal Farm
Johnny Thunder
Dead End
Sunny Afternoon
Things Are Gonna Change (The Morning After)
After the fall
Creatures of Little Faith
The Tourist
A Long Way from Home
Oklahoma, USA
London Town
The Morning After
My Next Door neighbor
The Stand-up Comic
Low Budget
You Really Got Me
Lola