Moonbats Pay Trippy Tribute to '60s Era Kinks - by Anne Marie

Expectations were running high Friday night as Natalie's Coal-Fired Pizza and Live Music filled to SRO and bartenders Jeremey + Jeremey shimmied to the '60s tunes that blasted from the bar speakers. But more than a handful of folks sported Moonbats t-shirts and only one dude wore a Kinks shirt. Hmmm. Table seating for this show sold out the same day it posted on the Natalie’s calendar which I’d never seen happen before, but now that I was here, I could tell this was due in large part to Mitch (in Moonbats t-shirt) and his party of thirty (30!!!) there to celebrate his 70th birthday. Women in floral high heel boots stood shoulder to shoulder with a group of young-at-heart septuagenarians, one of whom a bit tipsily confided to me that they had met Mitch and first seen The Moonbats play when they were here from Florida a few months back and had now ventured north on a special adventure to see the band play again and celebrate with Mitch.

Ricki C's cousin Robbie C.

You could tell the crowd was primed for a good time when the brief sound check received a raucous reception. Sixties cover band The Moonbats’ first ever Kinks show opened with You Really Got Me and went straight into Tired of Waiting for You.  I know they played Dedicated Follower of Fashion and I think it was next followed by Waterloo Sunset.  I was distracted around that time noticing that one of the servers was a Ricki C. doppelgänger and attempting (fairly unsuccessfully) to snap of photo of him for proof. Colin showed up in time for All Day & All of the Night, followed by Sunny Afternoon, Victoria (best Kinks song of the night for me), then ?? (uh-oh, I was either still jumping around from Victoria or ordering another drink here), David Watts and Lola as the big finale to the first set. I stayed for about five songs into the second set - none of which were Kinks songs - and the best of which, by far, was The Moonbats covering The Doors.  I’d definitely go see The Moonbats again: and if they ever do another Kinks tribute, I’d encourage them to go a bit deeper and pull Kinks songs for the second set as well.  Some Mother’s Son (I love my protest songs), Destroyer, Superman, Father Christmas, Set Me Free… I'm sure you all have your favorites.

Anne Marie covers the Wexner Center and other stuff for Pencilstorm.

Ray Davies is the Best Songwriter: Exhibit I

We didn't forget about our semi-regular Sunday series systematically laying out the case why Ray Davies is the best songwriter ever in rock & roll, we just got busy. I put out a new tune, click here to listen, and with summer and gigs and the coffee shop and... anyway, let's get on with it.  Enjoy! - Colin G.

Click here for Ray Davies is the best songwriter exhibit H

The Kinks -  "Working at the Factory" written by Ray Davies

Sure, Think Visual isn't a masterpiece relative to other Kinks efforts, but as always, it has a number of gems scattered throughout. Considering this is TWENTY FIRST album released by The Kinks makes the it that much more impressive. Or put another way, has your favorite band released twenty- one records? That's what I thought. Get bent. Ray Davies is the best. 

The Kinks Working at the Factory

"Working At The Factory"
 

All my life, I've been a workin' man
When I was at school they said that's all you'll ever understand
No profession, I didn't figure in their plans
So they sent me down the factory to be a workin' man

All I lived for, all I lived for
All I lived for was to get out of the factory
Now I'm here seemingly free, but working at the factory

Then music came along and gave new life to me
And gave me hope back in 1963
The music came and set me free
From working at the factory

All I lived for, all I lived for
Was to get out of the factory
All I lived for, all I lived for
Was to get out of the factory

Never wanted to be like everybody else
But now there are so many like me sitting on the shelf
They sold us a dream but in reality
It was just another factory
I made the music, thought that it was mine
It made me free, but that was in another time
But then the corporations and the big combines
Turned musicians into factory workers on assembly lines

All we live for, all we live for
All we live for is to get out of the factory
We made the music to set ourselves free
From working at the factory

All my life I've put in a working day
Now it's sign the contract, get production on the way

Take the money, make the music pay
Working at the factory
All I lived for was to get out of the factory

Never wanted to be like everybody else
But now there are so many like me sitting on the shelf
They sold us a dream that in reality
Was just another factory

Working at the factory

Ray Davies is the Best Songwriter. Exhibit G

For this Sunday exhibit of why Ray Davies is the best songwriter the planet Earth has ever produced is the Kinks Klassic "Victoria". The clip is from a Ray solo show in 2010 proving that a song about an English Queen from whenever, released over 40 years ago still sounds great. 

To visit Ray Davies is the best songwriter exhibit F click here

Exhibit E: Victoria

Long ago life was clean
Sex was bad and obscene
And the rich were so mean
Stately homes for the lords
Croquet lawns, village greens
Victoria was my queen
Victoria, victoria, victoria, toria

I was born, lucky me
In a land that I love
Though I am poor, I am free
When I grow I shall fight
For this land I shall die
Let her sun never set
Victoria, victoria, victoria, toria
Victoria, victoria, victoria, toria

Land of hope and gloria
Land of my victoria
Land of hope and gloria
Land of my victoria
Victoria, toria
Victoria, victoria, victoria, toria

Canada to india
Australia to cornwall
Singapore to hong kong
From the west to the east
From the rich to the poor
Victoria loved them all
Victoria, victoria, victoria, toria
Victoria, victoria, victoria

Another great performance from Ray Davies and the choir at Glastonbury. Victooooria! Victooooria!

Ray Davies is the Best Songwriter. Exhibit A

Anybody who regularly visits the acclaimed Pencilstorm music page knows we like to blow around some serious hot air concerning rock n roll. We do, in all seriousness, know a thing or two about a thing or two and are proud of our work. Still, we concede that rock criticism is a subjective field dominated by losers who would rather write about rock than go out and actually rock. The informed reader is right to take all of our musings with a grain of salt. After all, it is the internet, and we don't even have a podcast. How lame is that?

However, like the sun rising in the East or that math formula PIE you once learned, some facts are established and beyond dispute. Reasonable people can agree, Ray Davies is the greatest songwriter the planet Earth has ever produced. FACT. 

"What? That Kinks guy is the best songwriter? You are crazy. NO WAY Pencilstorm guy."

OK, just for the sake of argument, we suppose, it's mathematically possible that some other Galaxy has produced a better songwriter than Ray, but the burden of proof is on you my friend. Tune your HAM radio to the stars and find it. Because here on this planet, Ray Davies has written more interesting and better songs than: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Hank Williams, Robbie Fulks, all those show tune guys, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Berry, Lucinda Williams, Terry Anderson, Steve Earle, Paul Westerberg, Mick and Keith, Dee Dee Ramone,  Leonard Cohen, Townes Van Zandt, Loretta Lynn and insert your favorite here_______________

There is no debate. Ray Davies is the best songwriter and it's really not even close. We  will now lay out this case in a systematic and cold blooded fashion. Check Pencilstorm every other Sunday morning for another exhibit of Raymond Douglas Davies genius. 

Exhibit A: Village Green Preservation Society

We are the Village Green Preservation Society
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and Variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties
Preserving the old ways from being abused
Protecting the new ways for me and for you
What more can we do?

We are the draught beer preservation society
God save Mrs. Mopp and good old Mother Riley
We are the custard pie appreciation consortium
God save the George Cross and all those who were awarded them
We are the Sherlock Holmes English speaking vernacular
Help save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula

We are the office block persecution affinity
God save little shops, china cups and virginity
We are the skyscraper condemnation affiliate
God save Tudor houses, antique tables and billiards
Preserving the old ways from being abused
Protecting the new ways for me and for you
What more can we do?

God save the village green.

London UK 24 January 1973