Ray Davies on Kinks reunion, getting shot, history, musical telepathy & Brexit - extended interview 

Sure is...and that's God with a capital G.

Song lyrics and poetry are rarely comparable. Very rarely.

​@@jnagarya519That's rubbish. Song lyrics are literally poetry. You are delusioned

He always was wise beyond his years .

thats correct

He is. A most remarkable guy. A well respected man. His brother is outstanding too. God save The Kinks.

Can a non-genius recognize "genius"?

Word.

The presence of Jagger? I love Ray but definitely not.

Dylan, musically speaking, has never been “creatively versatile”. He’s a one-trick word pony.

@@vampyros1 true, I'd say a better example of creative versatility is David Bowie

@@Michael-hc2vs Agreed; Bowie... NOW we're talking a great musician. Well played.

@@vampyros1 clearly you've not listened to even a fraction of his catalogue

williamgeorgefraser I’ll keep your list going - “dead end street”, “sunny afternoon”, “strangers”, “i go to sleep”...

Bud Hull don’t forget “all day and all of the night”

He was also one of the best singers. Rolling Stone ranked Waterloo Sunset the 42nd best song of all time...about 42 spots too low.

Pete Townshend has stated many times that Ray Davies is his favorite songwriter.

@@firstlast3209 Waterloo Sunset was voted the #1 song about London, which is quite correct.

well put!

True, true...but he's nearly, if not already, 80 years old , man!! For someone who has had more than his fair share of exotic substances and booze, he's on top form !

Yep me too!

johnny thunder and all of my friends were there

@Daniel Eyre Yeah, thats what every British band was doing in those times; 2 to 3 great songs and then rock n roll covers, horrid love songs, and instrumentals to fill up the rest of the album. Kink Kontroversy is where I think they started to get really good. No filler on that album.

Yeah, I love the Kinks, but they (like everyone else) had some filler. "All Day and All of the Night," while a jam, is basically just "You Really Got Me Now" with the serial numbers filed off.

There are so many good Kinks Albums with very little to no "filler" songs but Preservation Act 2 was what I call mostly filler. I would call it their worst album ever issued. Truly forgettable.

@@steverose7782 Preservation act 2 is my second fav kinks album!

No one can match the Beatles - but damn, the Kinks come pretty close with some of their songs.

I find that the kinks oeuvre is deeper and better than that of the Beatles- though I know I am in the minority on this. On their greatest records the kinks are just a better more enjoyable and entertaining listen for me

​@@allbottledup9513Retarded hipster confirmed.

Well put. He is a different person now, slowed down & with time to reflect. I for one am grateful for that. Too callow these guys who flame out in their 20s.

Peter pan?

Indeed, seems the gunshot changed him- he really seemed to age significantly and even possible early dementia, almost Parkinson's-like

First 3 kinks album covers are etched in my brain. Love Ray. I pine for the days the boys were in the top ten.

True

One of their best. I taped it with a wee cassette recorder mic under the covers falling asleep. From Radio Caroline I think. Beautiful poetry and melody.

In my view, "Celluloid Heroes" is the greatest song ever written.

Bioux Hayes Dave won't allow it to happen, unfortunately!

Me too mate. I am excited as well

My first ever, ticket paid for indoor gig was the Kinks. We all wore parkas and Ray came over to us during the encore and shouted 'how are the Mods?!?!'. We were ecstatic. I was just 13 years old.

I think Ray wouldn't have aired it as an idea without running it by his brother.

Either Kink Ray or Dave has at various times said either yes or no. To say it is just Dave is incorrect. Seems like when one says yes the other says no and visa versa. Been a fan since the first Kinks Record. There have many possible Kinks reunion rumors since 1997. None have happened so far. That is not to saw that this will not be the time. I agree the chances are against it. Though thus time fix not angrily say no. Ray has said in recent years he sees no reason for a Kinks reunion. Though Dave and Ray did work on Music with Ray for another project. Out of that there are two songs, unfinished, that would on a Kinks album if it happens. Ray is the best song writer of the last 100 years I think. I hope to see Ray, Dave, and Mick Avery work together again . Though we are running out of time.. I am all for a Kinks reunion! Ray and Dave make great music together. Long live the Kinks!!!

You never heard of Link Wray

@@vanstan7929 Linl Wray had the guitar effect but not the rock song, pretty tame for it to be called hard rock, so yeah the Kinks have the original hard rock song

Mine too!

You haven't heard many songwriters.

he is mot even the best songwriter in England. lol Let alone the world

Dead End Street. THATS a tune

Canada!,,!!!

Well said Canuck, what part you from ? (I've toured a lot from Victoria to Montreal, but spent most time around Toronto - I loved PRiSM from Vancouver - a Brilliant rock band).

@@williamanderson5437 Thanks for the reply. I grew up in the Windsor Ontario area and listened to the Motown music that came out of Detroit at the time. Have a wide variety of music that I listen to. Now living in Calgary. Are you still in a band?

Wow! How right you are. They both penned great lyrics. I will now check their biographies!

Genuine artists never have it figured out. In fact, that is the danger, to stop growing. And: can a non-genius asses genius?

Yes, all of these! Also that remark about seeing the Stones... He always spoke highly of his brother, though. So did Dave. It's just that they couldn't stand to be in a room together.

I'm in the UK stotle, maybe you're in the USA, I'm sure it gets played a lot of various fm stations, not here unfortunately.

bonnie43uk just went to Hollywood Blvd for the first time and I was singing it the entire time.

that song always goes round my head when I see an old movie star that's mentioned in the song. Would love to visit that famous place one day :-).

I love to play and sing that song from Preservation Act One !

mickey rooney sued I believe

I think he has a neurological problem, not necessarily caused by age. (controlled Parkinson s?) Macca's older but suffers rude health and is just the same as when he was 40 in his manner of expression.

@@Maria-tm2eu Why TF do you say that? I'm expressing a pretty learned medical opinion, I'm not 'anti-Ray!'

@@Maria-tm2eu Seit wann hat sich eine '?' FRAGE gestellt? ' impliziert? Ich stelle eine Frage. AUSSEHEN. Er zeigt die Anzeichen von Parkinson, die durch Drogen gut kontrolliert werden. Und bitte haben Sie den Anstand, zuerst zu übersetzen. Und bitte sag mir nicht, ich solle zweimal überlegen, wenn du es nicht einmal tust.

If he were my Granddad yes, I would query a controlled Parkinsons. Its not disrespecting. Its looking, noticing and wondering, using ones own knowledge and imagination. I bet I'm on the right track

Ray tuned inward from writing pop songs to writing about England as result of "The Kinks" being banned from the United States for some years. In other words, it wasn't entirely his choice to do so.

Every decent songwriter "redefines" songwriting.

"Never gets mold" - I initially smiled at the typo, then thought - "you know, that's actually true too - these songs will never get mould..."

Haha he’s neither. He’s a bit of an autodidact though

Must be true -- you can't spell his name: Avery.

How did this become about you? You should of left out what you did. Okay so you wanted to make sure that you play.

That’s what I was thinking

@@flamingooneleg77 Get a life, get a brain, and get lost, eunuch.

I am fortunate enough to have my copy of it signed by Ray when he played HMV in Toronto in 2007 - His official biography that he wrote himself in the 3rd person set in the future is X-Ray - It done in a novel style based on his experiences from birth to when the Lola LP came out. It is excellent.

Read Warerloo Sunset (the book) where he creates short stories for various songs he's an amazing writer.

Yes thats the one, it's brilliant.

Yes there is more in this heaven and earth than is revealed in the xray

@@ammasdtr19 wow thanks i want that.

He’s more a vinyl hero

Probably the first words out of his mouth in weeks

You traitor. The Beatles are factually the greatest band that ever existed and they came from Liverpool. That fact will never change

You've yet to listen to all their recordings.

It can't be proven that there's a "god". Why do you not give Ray Davies credit for his own work?

God is a gift sent by ray. You mean

Open debate and some opinions are frowned upon today. You are correct. Ray knows it. Its a mixed up muddled up shook up world today.

So true. The speech police are always listening and ready to ruin your career, reputation, and life.

Mum's the word these days...

"1984"? "Brave New World"? Some say we are even heading towards One World Government and a One World Religion with a One World Currency all under the control of Antichrist.

The play "Preservation Act" is Ray Davies' 'hidden' masterpiece with The Kinks. I love "Preservation Act 2", great pop opera

Why do you think they're recording a new album? Ray has said in the past he wouldn't pursue a reunion if there wasn't new material to record. Since there is, the reunion is definitely justified.

His name was Jim Rodford, not Redford. I have seen Ray a few times solo with a full band so he can pull off the Kinks material live still to this day - I saw him at Massey Hall, a premier Music Concert hall in Toronto. They deserve to have a lrage touring concert schedule, the could easily fill large concert arenas like they did in the late 70's until the mid 1980's. The reunion is for Ray and Dave and his real fans who know it would be a great tour. Low key pub dates will never happen, that's what the Kast-off Kinks band had done for the last 20 years until Jim Rodford passed away - They played with Mick Avery and John Gosling.

luisalonsoecheverria ...as I stated, a reunion for a new Kinks release is more than welcome, but as a touring band they would be a shadow of their former selves - no Pete Quaife and no Jim Rodford. I don’t actually know why they are recording a new album. I can only assume that Ray had material that he thought appropriate for them to use and as they happen to be getting along then why not and that would be great I agree. However, I don’t think getting them on the road for a final reunion tour (which is the general route of reunions these days..) given their obvious frailties, is the way to go...but it’s just a thought....

Ridiculous! how about they won't be what they were but they will be what they are today and that could be amazing. If you're a real Kinks fan you know that they have always embraced change and transformed themselves. No two Kinks albums are exactly the same.

@@Mindermaniac ... if you're correcting names (Rodford not Redford) you should maybe check how to spell Avory ;)

I was shocked to hear about the shooting incident... never knew about any of that. Incredible story !

Have you just come out of a 15 year coma?