Other Peoples Lives by Ray Davies

Other Peoples Lives

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Other Peoples Lives

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Audio CD (February 21, 2006)

Label: V2 Ada

Reader Reviews
It was with great trepidation that I purchased the new Ray Davies album, Other Peoples' Lives. I was purchasing an album from my hero. A person whose lyrics I have listened to since I was 16 and the Kinks became my favorite group (in 1979). I was petrified that I would hear the talking songs of of "London Song" or "Artsy Fartsy" from Story Tellers. If he truly had more creativity left, why did he wait 13 years from Phobia (which itself was an uneven album)? My fears were unnecessary. Davies has not lost it. In fact, since I purchased it on March 21st, a day has not passed where I have not listened to the whole album at least twice. As a former Kinks fan, I was looking forward to hearing Ray's british voice and catchy riffs. Most importantly, I wanted to hear his current view of life and our society. He did not disappoint. The songs Morning After, All She Wrote and Out of My Head are among his most melodic. It has always been Ray's lyrics that made me such a huge fan. Once again, I spent hours pouring over the lyrics to learn where Ray's perspective is. His wit associated with tourism "The Tourist" or our 24/7 News feeding frenzy "Other Peoples' Lives" shows the keen insight I had been used to. My favorite song however is quite surprising, "Stand Up Comic". Surprising in that part of the song is a "talking song" that I did not like on Storytellers. But the words where he acts like he is in the audience and supportive all that is going on, but when you hear what he is saying, you hear the disdain in his voice. "The Comic says bollocks and everybody laughs.." Its true, all a comic has to say is bollocks and people laugh. Is it funny? "All you wide boys standing in a row...The mob says follow so you go." Another jab at being like everybody else. If the mob thinks its funny and says to go - people go. As Ray said 40 years ago, " I'm Not Like Everybody Else". Thank G-d.

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