Ray Davies by Kitts, Thomas M.;

Short description:

Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else is a critical biography of Ray Davies, with a focus on his music and his times. The book studies Davies’ work from the Kinks’ first singles through his 2006 solo album, from his rock musicals in the early 1970s to his one-man stage show in the 1990s, and from his films to his autobiography. Based on interviews with his closest associates, as well as studies of the recordings themselves, this book creates the most thorough picture of Davies’ work to date. Kitts situates Davies’ work in the context of the British Invasion and the growth of rock in the '60s and '70s, and in the larger context of English cultural history. For fans of rock music and the music of the Kinks, this book is a must have. It will finally place this legendary innovator in the pantheon of the great rock artists of the past half-century.

Long description:

Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else is a critical biography of Ray Davies, with a focus on his music and his times. The book studies Davies’ work from the Kinks’ first singles through his 2006 solo album, from his rock musicals in the early 1970s to his one-man stage show in the 1990s, and from his films to his autobiography. Based on interviews with his closest associates, as well as studies of the recordings themselves, this book creates the most thorough picture of Davies’ work to date. Kitts situates Davies’ work in the context of the British Invasion and the growth of rock in the '60s and '70s, and in the larger context of English cultural history. For fans of rock music and the music of the Kinks, this book is a must have. It will finally place this legendary innovator in the pantheon of the great rock artists of the past half-century.

Thomas M. Kitts, Professor of English and Chair of the Division of English/Speech at St. John’s University, NY, is the co-editor of Living on a Thin Line: Crossing Aesthetic Borders with The Kinks, the author of The Theatrical Life of George Henry Boker, articles on American literature and popular culture, reviews of books, CDs, and performances, and a play Gypsies. He is the book review editor of Popular Music and Society and the editor of The Mid-Atlantic Almanack.

Table of Contents:

Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter One – Not Like Everybody Else: The Shaping of Ray Davies, Part I Chapter Two – Something Better Beginning: The Shaping of Ray Davies, Part II Chapter Three – You Really Got Me: Finding a Sound and a Theme Chapter Four – A Well Respected Man: Satirist, Ironist, and Social Commentator Chapter Five – Waterloo Sunset: The Romantic Imagination of Ray Davies Chapter Six – The Village Green Preservation Society: Time, Place, Identity Chapter Seven – Arthur: World Wars and Class Culture Chapter Eight – A Long War from Home: Competing Identities Chapter Nine – Here Comes Flash: The Rock Musicals Chapter Ten – Juke Box Music: Alienation and Love Chapter Eleven – Think Visual: TV, CD, and Stage Chapter Twelve – 20th Century Man: The 1990s and Beyond Conclusion Appendix A – My Top Ten Favorite Twenty Kinks/Davies Songs Appendix B – My Top Ten Favorite Kinks Albums Notes Bibliography Index