My Ray Davies Review

[dedicated_follower]

I was lucky enough to see Ray Davies at the Gateshead Sage theatre on Tuesday night (15th May). This man is a giant of British music when it comes to music writing, playing and performing. This was the tenth concert of his current British tour of twenty venues. Having bought the tickets on the 7th June last year it has been a long wait as the initial performance date of the 6th November 2007 was postponed due to his health at the time. There were no signs of any ill health last night though. His performance was phenomenal.

I feel a great affinity and warmth to Ray. It is based on the wonderful music he has produced over the years and hours (years) of pleasure this has given me.

Ray came on to the stage on his own and started singing “I’m Not Like Everybody Else”, a Kinks fans anthem. During his singing the rest of the band joined him and began playing. This particular group of musicians includes, Milton McDonald on lead guitar, keyboard player Gunnar Frick (up the Gunners, surprised Ray didn‘t use the link for his beloved Arsenal) bass guitarist named Dick and a drummer named Toby. First time I have seen him with a drummer whilst touring solo (as a Kink).

I am tempted to review each of the songs played, but I know not everyone is such a keen a fan as myself. Some of the highlights then.

Ray played three tracks from his latest album, from last year, and mixed these with all his well known work and the odd album track. He even played one new song which he said will be on his new album yet to be released. At some of his earlier concerts he had actually played two, but not at the Sage.
The Tourist which was a single release last year gives him and the band a chance to really rock. The quiet melody and vocals build up to a crescendo in the middle and at the end. The volume was quite loud and this thumped out strongly. In contrast this was followed by Celluloid Heroes. This is a wonderful song and was one of the highlights of the concert. The words are so clever, who else would use Bela Lugosi, Rudolph Valentino, Greta Garbo and others in a song which is primarily about the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

Ray encouraged everyone to sing along and I did that throughout apart from the new track, No One Listened (which is about his experience with the health service and legal matters surrounding his shooting incident in the USA) and A Long Way From Home. The latter is an old track, but one I have rarely heard and certainly not at a concert. He explained it was about Dave Davies and his lifestyle, and a sort of precautionary tale.

He played all the really big hits about a dozen of them, much to everyone’s enjoyment and had four encores. This Gateshead crowd was emanating its love for the man and you could see from his reaction that he was loving every minute and didn’t really want to go.

Days was one of his encore songs and I thought that went down particularly well. Almost everyone singing along. He normally finishes off with YRGM and Waterloo Sunset, but couldn’t resist coming back on stage for one more song Victoria which had everyone in ecstasies. What a truly fantastic artist, what a brilliant concert.

Ray sang Where Have All The Good Times Gone. On the basis of this concert, nowhere, they are still here!

[rictified]

I think he is one of the best songwriters going and always loved the Kinks. I'd love to see him come to Boston with a band like that.

[royclough]

To think Jim some record company executives at Pye wanted to ditch them after their second single You Still Want me allegedly only sold 127 copies but someone else decided to release a third single and if that did not do anything the recording career was over certainly with Pye.

Of course that third single was You Really Got Me

[einar]

Thanks Jim for the lengthy Who and Kinks (eh, Ray Davies) reviews. Of those two 60's 1st division acts, I always preferred Kinks, by far (or Davies vs. Townsend). For one thing, I never fancied line-ups of 4 members, where one of them did about nothing but sing (Who/LedZep). I agree with Lou Reed:"Nothing beats two guitars, bass and drums".

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

I like them both...in their own particular styles they cannot be beat.

Yes, Jim, reviews are great!

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

And Long Way From Home is a particular favorite of mine. I spent the better part of my life writing songs (and I'm no Ray Davies) and I know that the simple ones are the hardest to come up with, and the ones to go for. Anyone can build a complex beast, but the real artists know how to write an excellent "simple" song.

Anyone who doesn't believe that, try to write a Hank Williams-style song, 3 or 4 chords and easy verses and chorus. Then ask yourself, is it anywhere near as good?

Ray deserves legendary regard.