The Kinks - Mindless Child of Motherhood

You may have heard of this group, The Kinks. They released a record or two in their day. And then some. In fact, they continued to release good quality records well past that of many of their contemporaries who began to buckle under the pressure of touring, taxes, unscrupulous managers and the unbearable heaviness of the impending 1970s. 

Mindless Child of Motherhood appeared as the Flip-Side of the certifiable hit Lola in these United States of America on Reprise Records in July of 1970. In the band's native UK, the Dave Davies composition was billed as The Kinks Featuring Dave Davies and was released on Pye Records as the Flip-Side to Drivin' which was released during the Summer of 1969. 

The terribly under appreciated little brother puts forth a wonderful vocal performance and I could make a strong argument that this song is better than the A-Side of the UK release. Mindless Child Of Motherhood feels exceptionally personal. And as such, often feels like we are seeing too much into the life of the singer. The listener a muted observer to the painful tragedy unfolding in front of them.

Until next time, we'll see you On The Flip-Side!

The Kinks - She's Got Everything

Here is a peculiar single from The Kinks. The single Days/She's Got Everything was released in the Summer of 1968 both in the UK (on Pye Records) and the US on Reprise Records as a desperation move by management. The previous single, Wonderboy, had bombed and Ray Davies had not yet completed his work for the album, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society. Days is an unlikely candidate for an A-Side, for sure. A good track, but more of an album track than a lead single. But it is the Flip-Side we are looking at today (of course we are).

The Flip-Side of the single was a song recorded more than two years prior, in the Spring of '66. The Ray Davies composition, She's Got Everything, was recorded during the sessions for the album Face To Face. Why the tremendous She's Got Everything was left off that fine album is up for debate. Some have said it was too dated for 1966. It was certainly dated (in a good way) by the time it saw the official release in June of '68. Rock at the time was getting hard and heavy and She's Got Everything is light and poppy. doot do-do, doot do-do-do. Thank goodness Ray decided to reach into the way-back machine for this one.

On a side note, I just picked this one up on a road-trip through Kentucky. Who woulda thunk?

Until next time, we'll see you On The Flip-Side!

Song of the Week: "Picture Book", The Kinks

Listen - The Kinks perform Picture Book

So it is, The Kinks make it into the vaunted category of getting two write-ups here On The Flip-Side. The first being the way cool Act Nice And Gentle.

Flip-Side's Rocky Mountain HQ hosted two visitors this past week. Both our visitors talked about The Kinks while in Flip-Side company. One even made me try to remember how to play Victoria on guitar. Thus we've been feeling quite kinky recently.

Today's SOTW is from the album that many consider to be the best work of the band, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society. I'm more partial to Something Else, but I don't argue this point too strongly. It's like asking who you rather see in a skimpy bathing suit, Jennifer Aniston or Elizabeth Hurley. In other words, you can't go wrong with either. Our SOTW is Picture Book, the lovely little song with a ton of restraint and the infamous Ray Davies sardonic social-commentary wit in full force.

Picture book, your mama and your papa, your fat old Uncle Charlie out cruising with their friends. Picture book, a holiday in August, outside a bed and breakfast in sunny southend. Picture book, when you were just a baby, those days when you were happy, a long time ago.

Village Green was a huge success and a huge failure when it was released in '68 ('69 in the US). The critics generally loved it. The record buying public ignored it. Reportedly only a paltry 100,000 copies sold across the globe in it's first pressing. But time and word of mouth has made it The Kinks most successful album ever.

Picture Book, incidentally, was given new life a number of years ago for a clever digital picture ad campaign produced by HP.

Here is a bonus video of the boys (less Pete Quaife) performing the title track as recorded in '73.