Hollywood Blvd -- LIVE IN LA LA

[Smiley]

Frank just called me from the WILTERN..
Celluloid Heroes.. so beautiful, despite the cellular static!


Thanks so Much!!!

[lowbudget1967]

I'm reliving last night still!!

[HollyH]

Celluloid Heroes -- perfect! (HOpe he does it in NYC too...)

[Iñakink]

[noisyroom]

fm the Contra Costa Times

Review: Ray Davies shakes off Kinks, shines on his own
By Tony Hicks
staff writer

Article Launched: 03/29/2008 12:02:58 PM PDT


Ray Davies stepped up to the mic Friday night at the Warfield in San Francisco and yelled "day-o" a couple times. Just as a couple people in the audience started to call back, he laughed as if waving them off.
"Don't let me get away with that," he said.

There was no reason not to. Davies seemed to be in a terribly good mood, and it was infectious. Even when talking about his old band, the legendary Kinks, he was jovial, saying it was a $10 fine among his solo band to even mention the Kinks.

He'd have to ante up quite a bit toward show's end.

Davies seemed far looser this time around, after last year's "Workingman's Café," his second solo record in as many years. Not that he was necessarily sweating it the first time. But Friday seemed so natural and easy for everyone involved.

Not having his brother and Kinks noisemaker Dave Davies at his side, not to mention the pressure of playing with one of the greatest rock bands in history, leaves Ray Davies the room to let what's left of his hair down. Alone, his stories are much crisper; the points made much easier. He's a walking version of VH1's "Storytellers" when going through his solo material; not surprisingly, since he practically launched the show himself.

Yet no matter how thoughtful and well-received his solo material was, there was a clear dividing line between the old and new. The show's first half was mostly solo stuff (outside of the lively crowd-sing along of "A Well Respected Man"). "Next Door Neighbors" was a great example of Davies telling a great story through a song so melodic, the music helps you visualize what he's talking about. It became apparent during "Neighbors" that Davies is one of the few British singers whose accent isn't blotted out when singing. It helps trigger the visualization process.
As if that wasn't enough of a branding of his homeland, Davies went off stage while his band started "The Tourist." He came back a few moments later, wearing a long coat sporting the Union Jack and doing a little dance (the jacket's liner, for the record, was the Stars and Stripes).

Live, the song is a joyride of up and down dynamics making it one of his best solo efforts. "I've got two cod pieces I'm ready," he said afterward, referring to his change of clothes. "You didn't need to hear that, did you?"

He ended the show's first half with the Kinks "20th Century Man," ("another $10 fine," he sighed), before taking a break and coming back with a bundle of new songs: the barebones "In a Moment," "One More Time," and "Vietnam Cowboy."

By then, things bogged down some. The songs were nice, but thrown together they lost him some momentum. But it's easy to say that when you're waiting for a legend to break into his classic material. Which, of course, he did.

"Sunny Afternoon," and "Tired of Waiting for You," made the crowd sing, and "Come Dancing," made them move. After "Set Me Free," Davies dedicated a pounding "All Day and All of the Night" to his brother Dave. He remembered playing "the old Fillmore" on a bill with Elton John before wrapping the night up appropriately with "Lola."

Maybe next time, as good as his solo act is, he can bring Dave with him for a little more noise.

Reach Tony Hicks at [e-mail]

[franklima]

Not much time to write at the moment...last nights show here was another great one! The Chicago and East Coasters are really going to have to go all out if they want to top the 2 West Coast Audiences so far for enthusiasm. There were a few paper plates there last night btw...Celluloid Heroes and Low Budget got added in last night both sounding really nice. The Real World also done at both West Coast shows off WMC just shows what Ray is still capable of and that song alone is enough to keep him in the list of greatest song writers of all time., or in my case the greatest period! Vietnamese Cowboys, In a Moment, WMC, Noone listens, also done last night. I don't thing One more time was done last night though but was ion SF.

You could really tell the Ray, the band and even is road crew and mangers were having a great time and all agree that these first 2 US shows are going and sounding great...

That's about all the info I can divulge, but I want to say that Ray loves his fans, and really appreciates all the support they haven given him over the years, through the highs and lows...so Chicago, Philly, Boston, and NY where the best shows have been known to happen ( and the unusual too )...get yourselves in shape and come prepared to party and give Ray the ovation and out pouring of Love he deserves and let's make the West Coast shows look like warm up shows ( as GREAT as they were )

Thank you for the Days Ray...

FranK

ps and it was great to meet a lot of friends in LA, to name but only a few...Joyce, Laurie Lyons, GiGi, LA Johnny, Lee Arthur, The legendary Robert Young, Annette my favorite KinKette, Dave Jenkins, Andrew (fom Daves band also), Wicked Annabella, and the list goes on and on...but I have to stop now.

pss...Chicago and East Coasters...do you daily exercises, but get yourself in shape for these shows...and don't let the normally laid back West Coasters make us look bad!

[franklima]

Friday nights 20th Century Man Smoked! I thought Gunnar was going to do a Keith Moon on his keyboard! Even Ray looked worried..shades of Gosling toppling over his much larger Hammond B3 once! ;D