“Singers cour aad go, aud stars fade anay. They vanish in the hase, and they're ucver seen again, but they can’t stop the inusic playing on.” — You Can't Stop The Music, from Soap Opera, released by The Kinks, April 25, 1975.

Michael Becker

News Editor michael@usnews.com

THE Kinks slice through tiie haze of time with 15 recently released re-issues of remixed, remastered and digitally spiffed-up classic cuts.

Muswell Hillbillies, Everybody's in Show-Bis, Schoolboys in Disgrace — Kinkophiles surely know the catalogue well enough. Much of it is definitive British rock ‘n* roll tor its era. Most of the re- issues come with bonus tracks and all come with extra art and comprehensive liner notes.

The close of the century finds Ray and Dave Davie: apart and in retrospective moods.

Hot on the heels of brother Ray’s success- ful solo tour last year, Dave Davies is bus himself with a new band and a tour to sup- port the release of a new double disc — Unfinished Business, Dave Davies Kronikles, 1963-1998 (Velvel Records 1999).

Dave Davies was in Los Angeles last month, rehearsing for the road. He opencd Jan. 27 at The Bottom Line in New York Ciry. So far the show dates cover the eastern United States only.

But said Davies, on the phone from L.A. earlier in January, “We've been talking about touring in Canada, which would be nice. I haven’t played in Canada for a while so I'm looking forward to getting that together later on.”

The new compilation package is divided into Kink Kronikles and Solo Kronthies.

The Kink Kronikles open with a rare 1963 proto-Kinks mono track — I Believed You — recorded by The Ravens and written by Dave Davies.

Also included is You Really Got Me, the song that introduced to the world an outra- geously raunchy guitar sound courtesy of Davies’ diabolical notion to slash the speaker cone of his tiny Eipico amp.

The Solo Kronikles side features material from past solo efforts as well as new material.

“Unfinished business, you thought you'd keep ute quiet? -— Unfinished Business, from

§ 1963-1998, released 1999, Davies” says he’s attempting to tie together the past, the pre- sent and the future into one statement with the double set. Phere’s sill much work | want to do and ve got a lor of ideas left. It’s not over. That's why [ included some live recordings at the end of Ibum which T recorded with my band last year in New York.” Yer a pare of that work involves summing up the past Said Davies, “I think it’s inevitabl Veit, When vou have a short past, it's not so noticeable. When you’ve got a long one, it’s easier to be reminded of ir. “[ think The Kinks hist this point has been a very colourful time tor me and obviously for Ray as well. I feel very proud about our nuusical legacy if you like. Hopefully it’s an ongoing work.” “Pe got wards in my cars and my eves, I’ve got so many facts that I must memorize, because education is doing me in, I want to stop but my lead’s tn a swim, education drives me insane.” — Education, from School Boys in Disgrace, released by The Kinks, released Nov. 17, 1975.

When Dave Davies was 16 he sought dan- ger in the music.

“T think I was full of rage when I was a kid,” said Davies. “I didn’t like school, I was a mischievous, inquisitive kid. I still carry a bit of that with me. P’ve always been a bit of a rebel and I’m interested in the unusual side of life.”

The esoteric side of Davies expresses itself most profoundly at his Spiritual Plant Web site <www.davedavies.com/splanet> where one can “vibrate to the aquarian energies that are flowing into our planet today.”

Said Davies, “I’ve got some interesting collaborators and long-time friends, a psychic that I’ve worked with really closely for years. We've become really close friends. I have an astrologer — Astrology has always been an interest to me.”

Davies also sells a CD at the site, available exclusively on the Internet — Purusha and the Spiritual Planet, by Crystal Radio.

The dise was performed, produced and written by Davies with his son Russell in London last summer. The CD matches Davies’ passion for classical music and film scores with the talents of his son, who has a penchant for ambient/trance and dance

UNFINI§

g

DAVE Davies’ new double-disc teoks back to The Kinks past and surveys the guitarist’s solo output. He's just embarked on a tour to support the release.

music.

Said Davies of the project, “That’s a work in progress as well. It’s the first stage of a big ger project I'm working on.

“The music is the background for a con- cept piece which I’m trying to develop as an animated feature. This is the first stage of the idea. It’s a very exciting thing to be involved with. The music is exploratory. I’m very thrilled with it.”

“He was just a workin’ man, simple rules and simple plans, fancy words he didn’t under- stand, he loved with his heart, he worked with his hands.” — Unele Son, from Muswell Hilbiltees, released by The Kinks, Nov. 24,

971.

Playing with The Kinks brought Davies into The Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Some go as far as to credit Davies as one of the godfa- thers of punk and heavy metal guitar styles. How does he sec himself in that context?

“It’s really just work, isn’t it? I guess when [ started I probably was a punk, a rebellious one. I was a pretty angry teenager, but I was lucky because my family supported my musical interests as they did Ray — it was better than burglarizing a sweet shop. Making music con- tributed to a lot of good things very early on in my life.”

With rnultiple Web sites <www.dave- davies.com>, <www.velvel.com/konk/kinks> (The Kinks Velvei Records Re-issues Web site), and numerous fan-based sites such as* <www.kinks.org> (The Kinks Preservation | Socicty), all things Davies are now just a

mouse click away.

Said Davies, “I think it’s crucial. I think it’s such a great technology. Obviously there's a lot of weird shit that goes on on the Internet, but you're going to get that.

“People can freely communicate their ideas t9 people across the world. It think it’s very creative. People that are lonely can link up and express cmotions rather than beat some- one up or steal a car,” said Davies.

“Sometimes I hate the road, but it’s the only life I know.” — , ttom Life On The Read, from Sleepwalker, originally released by the Kinks on Feb. 12, 1977

The new reality is a far cry from what Davies experienced during The Kinks arena- rock phase. Back then, Davies was fundamen- tally isolated from his fans.

“Ail that was a good period commercially for us, but it started to wear a bit thin aft while. It used ta be quite scary to get out of a limo and walk into this great big building and you hit the guitar and the drums and there’s this clanging noise.

“Te was nice to play in smaller places just because of the friendliness and the warmth of being involved with people.”

“Everybody's « dreamer and evervbedy’s star, and everybody's in movies, it doesn’t matter who. you ave.” — Celluloid Heroes, fom Everybody's in Show-Biz, released by the Kinks on Aug. 25, 1972

Film work continues to be a passion for

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