Kinks Night

[john poole]

It's Kinks Night tonight on BBC4 (and on i-Player shortly afterwards)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012ht1t
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012ht1w

[Adam Blake]

Treats, treats!

[Des]

BBC standards have certainly dropped since Civilisation. 'Pop' music, dear dear dear.

[AndyM]

Yay!

[will vine]

BBC standards have certainly dropped since Civilisation. 'Pop' music, dear dear dear.

Dave Davies' overlong documentary was a masterclass in coherence and editing that Lord Clark would have roundly applauded. Somewhat unimaginative however was his headgear. I swear it's the same wacky item that Steve Winwood chose to wear for his recent documentary.

[judith]

I can't view the documentary from here and I'm really curious - what did he (and Steve Winwood) have on his head, Will?

[will vine]

I can't view the documentary from here and I'm really curious - what did he (and Steve Winwood) have on his head, Will?

When I saw your name following up my posting Judith I feared that I was going to read a straightforward rejection of my comments, which were highly sarcastic and easy to misinterpret in print. The documentary was a history of the Kinks from the younger brother's point of view and there really wasn't much substance to it. He reaffirmed his place in history as the provider of that guitar sound and that riff, confessed to over indulgence, and claimed to have found some sort of not well explained spiritual path, emphasised by constant shots of him walking over the timeless Exmoor landscape.
As to the headgear. Well, it was just a tallish, shapeless wooly hat with a long tassle hanging down. Steve Winwood was coincidentally wearing something very similar in his recent documentary and he too was shown striding out across an open landscape in several scenes.Both men also, as far as I can remember, were wearing overlong coats. It's as if they wished to convey a continuation of the non-conformity of their youth whilst at the same time saying "I've moved on. I'm older and I'm wiser." Not many blokes round our way dress like that.

[judith]

:)
The sarcasm went swoosh over my head (as it often can do on the forum). I've gone back and read up on "Lord Clark" and I think I get it now.

I'm wondering if the headgear is the knitted woolen hat originating in Peru which has flaps that cover the ears?

[Adam Blake]

Veering away from headgear, I've now watched two of the programmes and the Alan Yentob documentary on Ray - "Imaginary Man" - is well worth watching. Even for seasoned fans who know the stories it's an enjoyable film. Ray is his usual enigmatic and diffident self, there is at least one belly laugh (Ray standing on Waterloo Bridge saying "all these people trying to avoid me, oh no it's Ray Davies hanging around Waterloo bridge again") and the footage of him playing his songs on an out of tune piano in a ruined Hornsey Town Hall building is delicious.

"The Kinks At The BBC" plots the rise and and fall quite adequately, but no surprises for fans.

[john poole]

I enjoyed the Dave Davies documentary too, certainly not "overlong" for me, although as usual Julien Temple's use of clips of the likes of Punch & Judy every few seconds became more than a little annoying.

[Des]

I was bored after half an hour. Very irritating editing.

[garth cartwright]

Didn't watch the DD doc' as I couldn't imagine he had much to offer and I can't stand Julien Temple's music doc's. Did watch the Kinks doc' that began with a version of Slim Harpo's Got Love That You Want It that made The White Stripes look like Cream - once Ray grew out of his blues fixation he (and band) improved immeasurably.

As noted, no surprises and Dave's comments were spectacularly dull or just dumb. Ray was suitably droll but this did not change my opinion that The Kinks are a band best listened to rather than watched.

[AndyM]

The Kinks are a band best listened to rather than watched.

Two words: Mick Avory.

[Adam Blake]

It's hopeless, Andy. He prefers Aerosmith...

[AndyM]

It's hopeless, Andy. He prefers Aerosmith...

Somebody has to....

Anyway, sometimes a Kinks cover version showcases the REAL lookers....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQIzVbJwIVo