The Kinks' "Face to Face"
In honor of Dave Davies' birthday, the album of the week is the Kinks' "Face to Face" from 1966. This Music Monday, let's take a deeper look at some fun facts and behind the scenes drama surrounding the album.
The album marked the band's shift from beat music
The Kinks instead drew heavily from baroque pop and music hall instead of the original style that launched them into fame.
It is the band's first album that consists entirely of Ray Davies compositions
Davies' songwriting style was starting to become observational and satirical with tunes commenting on English culture, social class and the music industry. Previous albums included covers from the likes of Chuck Berry and Sleepy John Estes.
A concept album?
"Face to Face" has also been regarded by critics as one of rock's first concept albums, with Ray Davies’ creating a number of vivid character portraits. Ray originally attempted to bridge the songs together with sound effects, but Pye Records refused. The frontman was also in conflict with Pye over the album art as he felt the psychedelic theme to be inappropriate.
The song 'Rosy Won't You Please Come Home' was inspired by Rosy Davies, the sister of Ray and Dave Davies
Rosy and husband, Arthur Anning moved to Australia in 1964, devastating Ray Davies causing him to break down on the beach after a gig: "I started screaming. A part of my family had left, possibly forever. ... I collapsed in a heap on the sandy beach and wept like a pathetic child".
Rosy and Arthur would also inspire the Kinks' 1969 concept album, "Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)".
Bassist Pete Quaife temporarily quit the band due to an injury
Before the June–July 1966 recording sessions Quaife quit the Kinks for a short period. John Dalton, his replacement, played on merely one track: 'Little Miss Queen of Darkness'.
Two songs on "Face to Face" were first recorded and released by other British bands prior to the Kinks
Although written by Ray Davies, songs 'A House in the Country' and 'Dandy' were first released by The Pretty Things and Herman's Hermits respectively with the later peaking at No. 5 in the U.S. and No. 1 in Canada.
Dave Davies' solo project
The unreleased song 'Mr. Reporter' was recorded in 1969 for Dave Davies' solo album that was later abandoned. The song was eventually released as a bonus track on the 1998 Castle CD reissue of "Face to Face".
Comentarios