The fifth year of FNJ opens with a song that doesn't come to mind as often as it should when discussing the all-time great pop songs, by a band that doesn't come to mind as often as it should when discussing the all-time great rock and roll bands. I don't know that the song or the band are what one would call underrated--and a large part of it might be that like the Jam or Oasis they are quintessentially an English band and not as readily remembered here in the States--but their influence far supersedes their name recognition.
The Kinks were formed in 1964 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies (the seventh and eighth children of their parents--after six girls) in Muswell Hill (their childhood home), London, and have had a career full of ups and downs. Their first hit, "You Really Got Me," reached #1 in their native U.K. and the top ten here in the U.S.--and it would be hard to underestimate its influence on the heavy metal, punk, and alternative scenes that would follow it through the years. The band was banned for a number of years from performing in the U.S. because of the brothers fighting on stage (as well as fighting between Dave Davies and original drummer Mick Avory). From the mid-sixties through the early seventies the band saw a great deal of success before falling out of popularity until the late seventies when they had a resurgence through the mid-eighties. The band would have little success until their breakup in 1996. Since then, the two brothers have performed solo, though last year Ray Davies spoke of a reunion that may include a tour. Through the years the Kinks sold over 50 million records, having five top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and nine albums make the top 40 on the Billboard 200, as well as having 17 top twenty singles and five top ten albums in their native U.K. Over the course of their career, the Kinks released 24 studio albums, 4 live albums, and two compilations. They've been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the U.K. Music Hall of Fame. They were ranked 65th on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artist of All-Time, and count Pete Townshend of the Who, the Jam, the Pretenders, Oasis, Blur, the Clash, and the Ramones as bands who were both fans of, and influenced by, the music of the Kinks.
Fun Fact: Rod Stewart went to the same school as the Davies boys and was the lead singer of their band the Ray Davies Quartet for a couple of gigs before forming his own band called Rod Stewart and the Moonrakers while they were in secondary school (similar to our high school).
"Waterloo Sunset" was released in 1967 on their somewhat oddly titled album Something Else by the Kinks. It would reach #2 on the U.K. charts...but, although it was released as a single in the U.S., it never charted (whoa--decided lack of cool kids here in the states!). The song was ranked #42 on "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time."
The dean of American rock critics, Robert Christgau, has called "Waterloo Sunset" the "most beautiful song in the English language" (a case could be made). Pete Townshend has called the song "divine" and a "masterpiece." emaycee freely admits to being very late in discovering "Waterloo Sunset" (never heard it until the Rolling Stone 500 list was released, but in fairness, it was a) originally released when I was eight, and b) not a hit here in the states of any sort), but it didn't take long after first hearing it to fall right in love with it. There's a bit much to the song to describe in a paragraph, but suffice it to say that it combines the best of what the brothers do--lyrics of introspection, a chronicle of England, and understated vocals with a beautiful melody (courtesy of Ray), and an otherworldly guitar with complementary backing vocals (courtesy of Dave Davies, with an assist from Ray's first wife on the background vocals). I should also mention that the song is--in something of a rarity for a pop single--a song about a perfectly content introvert who's perfectly content to watch a beautiful sunset...and it's the kind of song that the more you listen, the more you appreciate its greatness. In the end, this year will feature fifty-one more songs that I truly love...but none of them will be close to the artistic genius that the Kinks have imbued in "Waterloo Sunset."
Lyric Sheet: "People so busy, makes me feel dizzy/Taxi light shines so bright/But I don't need no friends/As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset/I am in paradise..."
Enjoy:
Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee
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