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- Date Released: November 24, 1971
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: British Invasion, Classic Rock
- Label: KOCH Records
This troubled 1972 masterpiece might just be the grandaddy of alt-country
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We Say...
The split personality that is Ray Davies' genius is never more apparent than on this 1972 classic. Though the Kinks' initial breakthrough was built on ruffled-shirt decadence and guitar distortion, Davies early on revealed a nostalgic yearning for a simpler England, the Village Green and the local pub. But the price paid is steep: none of the many characters in Muswell Hill seem able to escape the modern world. Beset by alcoholism, starvation, jail and "Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues," they take refuge in their dreams, and even those turn out badly. In "Holiday," the narrator lies on a beach only to be burnt by the sun, with the sea "an open sewer." In "Oklahoma U.S.A.," the punchline is "If life's for livin' then what's livin' for."
Unrelieved gloom? Hardly. Davies' affection for his characters and the Kinks' skill with a hook shines through. Despite the hard times amidst the omnipresent "People In Grey," his songs allow that a sense of community will grant a shoulder to lean upon, a friend to share a cuppa tea, a tune to hum. More than that, his "Muswell Hillbilly" can imagine the West Virginia he'll never see, the there of not-there, and the most powerful nostalgia of all. -
They Say...
How did the Kinks respond to the fresh start afforded by Lola? By delivering a skewed, distinctly British, cabaret take on Americana, all pinned down by Ray Davies' loose autobiography and intense yearning to be anywhere else but here -- or, as he says on the opening track, "I'm a 20th century man, but I don't want to be here." Unlike its predecessors, Muswell Hillbillies doesn't overtly seem like a concept album -- there are no stories as there are on Lola -- but each song undoubtedly shares a similar theme, namely the lives of the working class. Cleverly, the music is a blend of American and British roots music, veering from rowdy blues to boozy vaudeville. There's as much good humor in the performances as there are in Davies' songs, which are among his savviest and funniest. They're also quite affectionate, a fact underpinned by the heartbreaking "Oklahoma U.S.A.," one of the starkest numbers Davies ever penned, seeming all the sadder surrounded by the careening country-rock and music hall. That's the key to Muswell Hillbillies -- it mirrors the messy flow of life itself, rolling from love letters and laments to jokes and family reunions. Throughout it all, Davies' songwriting is at a peak, as are the Kinks themselves. There are a lot of subtle shifts in mood and genre on the album, and the band pulls it off effortlessly and joyously -- but it's hard not to hear Dave Davies' backing vocals and have it not sound joyous. Regardless of its commercial fate, Muswell Hillbillies stands as one of the Kinks' best albums.
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| 01. |  |
20th Century Man |
5:58 |
|
| 02. | |
Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues |
3:32 |
|
| 03. | |
Holiday |
2:40 |
|
| 04. | |
Skin And Bone |
3:39 |
|
| 05. | |
Alcohol |
3:35 |
|
| 06. | |
Complicated Life |
4:02 |
|
| 07. | |
Here Come The People In Grey |
3:46 |
|
| 08. | |
Have A Cuppa Tea |
3:45 |
|
| 09. | |
Holloway Jail |
3:28 |
|
| 10. | |
Oklahoma U.S.A. |
2:39 |
|
| 11. | |
Uncle Son |
2:34 |
|
| 12. | |
Muswell Hillbilly |
4:58 |
|
| 13. | |
Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks: Mountain Woman |
3:08 |
|
| 14. | |
Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks: Kentucky Moon |
3:55 |
|
14 Total Tracks, 51:39 Total Length
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Credits
- The Kinks - Main Performer // Dave Davies - Guitar // Dave Davies - Harmonica // Dave Davies - Keyboards // Dave Davies - Vocals // Dave Davies - Slide Guitar // Ray Davies - Guitar // Ray Davies - Piano // Ray Davies - Composer // Ray Davies - Vocals // Ray Davies - Producer // Mick Avory - Drums // John Beecham - Trombone // John Beecham - Tuba // Mike Bobak - Engineer // Michael Cotton - Trumpet // John Dalton - Bass // Richard Edwards - Engineer // John Gosling - Organ // John Gosling - Keyboards // Doug Hinman - Contribution // Alan Holmes - Clarinet // Bob Ludwig - Remastering // Roger Quested - Engineer // Alan Silverman - Mastering // Mycle Konopka - Compilation Engineer // Roger Questeo - Engineer // Peter Doggett - Liner Notes // K. Lee Hammond - Reissue Design // Bill Crowley - Reissue Producer // Klaus Schmalenbach - Contribution // Mike Cotton - Trumpet // Albert Pinheiro - Engineer // Albert Pinheiro - Assistant // Cristina Battani - Reissue Art Director // Ryan Tully - Engineer // Ryan Tully - Assistant // Dawn Frank - Engineer // Graham Hogg - Engineer // Graham Hogg - Assistant // The Mike Cotton Sound - Brass // Michael Avery - Drums
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