Customer Reviews

Schoolboys in Disgrace

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unlike Soap Opera and the Preservation Acts, this album is entertaining from start to finish. There isn't one dud. The lyrics might be a little weak, but the music is consistent and strong. Dave Davies guitar work is particularly notable, as the riffs are clean and well placed. I am familiar with the majority of Kinks recordings, and this one is most underrated. Schoolboys In Disgrace deserves to be heard.

Well, probably their first truly great albumm since Muswell Hillbillies, this one keeps your attention. That may due to the fact that it's only 10 tracks! Oh well! All 10 are quite satisfying and proved that the lads were ready to rock after putting out the rather disappointing Soap Opera, in which the music makes one wonder if these are the same guys that put out You Really Got Me and others.Anyway, this is a lot like Lola Vs. Powerman and the Money-Go-Round(which is like Sgt. Pepper to Kinks fans-an absolute necessity!) The similarity is that there are a variety of songs: Schooldays is an electric country ballad;Jack the Idiot Dunce is a fine surf sound-alike; Education,though it runs 7:07,does not have one disappointing second on it; The First Time We Fall In Love at first sounds like Elvis, then it seems like Brian Wilson took lead vocals, then it finally becomes a Kinks song;I'm In Disgrace, the quasi-title track, rocks as hard as anything else up to that time; Headmaster sounds like a cross of Badfinger with a touch of Led Zeppelin;The Hard Way is a classic, which is a cross between I Can't Explain(same chords too!) and their early singles;The Last Assembly doffs its cap to Gospel;and No More Looking Back is pretty much it's own genre! By the way, the back of the album informs the reader that the little boy that this is based around grows up to become Flash, the villian from the Preservation saga (which yours truly hopes to review soon,)Well I find no fault in this album, and the finale,a brief reprise of Education,is also a brief reprise of the whole album, almost seeming like it was about to blow your stereo into oblivion.After this album the Kinks left RCA and signed with Arista and began their most successful era.But if you ask me, the RCA years,(71-76),are undoubtedly the best.Well anyway hopefully you will at least partially enjoy the album as much as I did.

I was one of the lucky ones (about 150 of us) who was entertained by the Kinks on the Schoolboys in Disgrace tour of 1975 in a small venue in San Diego, Ca. At that time if you mentioned the band to a friend the would react with: Didn't they break up years ago? Every time I listen to this disc I remember that little room and how great the Kinks were that night. Schooldays starts things up and it sets the tone, Education is the centerpiece of the whole thing but it's a tad overblown. I'm in Disgrace, is the single that never was with The Hard Way a very close 2nd. This is a very good ol' Kinks record and the remaster makes it even more fun to listen to. In just a few years after the release of this disc the Kinks were again back on top of the game and selling major arenas worldwide. But back in 1975 a few of us were very, very lucky, indeed.

Throughout the 1960's the Kinks were basically a singles band driven by Dave Davies' pre-grunge guitar play and Ray Davies' way with words, wit and a melody line. Ray Davies would only falter when being a bit overly McCartneyesque on tunes such as "Dandy," and then, after losing his court case regarding the Doors' blatant rip-off of Kinks classic "You Really Got Me" with Doors' song "Hello, I Love You," began to borrow rock riffs himself, sometimes to the band's detriment. However, versus hop on the bandwagons of the day, the Kinks would sweat out the 1970's with a variety of "theme" albums before punk music came along--as if the movement hadn't already been initiated by the Kinks long before in 1964--and the group would rebound with "Low Budget," "Give The People What They Want" and the live "One For The Road."

Long before that period, however, we have the "Thematic" Kinks presenting their "Preservation Acts" and "Soap Opera," and this, my personal favorite from the time, if only for the quality of half the material and the energy put forth by the band. Ray Davies is at his finest with the album's original A-side line-up of "School Days," "Jack The Idiot Dunce," "Education" and "The First Time We Fall In Love." Side two presents the group with a surefire crowd pleaser in "Hard Way," with Davies' donning his schoolmaster's mask and hobbling about the stage during later performances of the song (dressing for the part having become a common Kinks' practice at the time, with this being well before the major stage productions concert-going audiences have come to expect from artists).

The Kinks would continue to make music into the 1980's, with assorted personnel changes from original 1960's bassist Pete Quaife to 1970's bassist John Dalton and keyboardist John Gosling to former Zombies' bassist Jim Rodford, eventually disbanding at the end of the decade.

Other Kinks albums of note include earlier themed works "Village Green Preservation Society" and "Arthur," as well as "Muswell Hillbillies" and "State Of Confusion," the latter a bit more dated in its production, but still providing classic Kinks words and music from a time when both seemed to matter a little bit more than they do to today's listening audience.

Ray Davies was on songwriting overdrive in the early-to-mid 70s,
pumping out entire concept albums and elaborately narrated rock operas within a matter of months, to the extent that at times one would overlap the other. "Schoolboys In Disgrace" is the final full-blown concept album/rock-opera of The Kinks' career, with a plot that ties in with the earlier "Preservation" albums in that it supposedly details the early childhood of its main protagonist, the villainous Mr.Flash.

While it worked as the last gasp of the style they had worked in for the past five years, "Schoolboys" also marked an important musical transition for the band. Whereas the previous rock-operas had been excessively plot-driven and dabbled in a variety of eccentric styles--all the while being somewhat blunt and over-indulgent, with music that lacked truly memorable melodies and lyrics devoid of the subtlety and meaning of earlier work--"Schoolboys" is a refreshingly tight, focused and energetic effort that returns to hard rock with a vengeance for the first time since 1970. Nearly every track is a classic; "I'm In Disgrace", "The Hard Way" and "No More Looking Back" are particularly noteworthy for their witty observations and crunching electric riffs, as is the seven-minute epic "Education" which constantly builds to a dramatic climax. "Headmaster" features some superb guitarwork by Dave Davies, while "The Last Assembly" returns Ray to his penchant for nostalgia. This time around, the plot serves the songs, rather than vice versa, which ironically also makes it a more enjoyable (and understandable) story than "Preservation" or "Soap Opera" had been. In short, all of the ingredients of a classic Kinks album are here--minus the confusion, indulgence and incoherence which undermined the previous three albums, yet still before the deliberate slickening of their sound to approach the bombastic US arena-rock style that would occur shortly after. So, be sure and crank the volume and remember your own schooldays in the process...

I have a passion for the wit and subtle wisdom of the Kinks. It's nice to know that there are artists out there making music for reasons aside from commerce.

This CD is powerful and invites the listener to think about the struggles of being young and going to school dealing with teachers, principals and fellow students.

"Schoolboys In Disgrace" is the Kinks best rock opera as it is a joy to listen to and even more pleasing to think about for its celebration of the power of music and its salute to wonderful songwriting and musicianship. Go Ray Davies and Dave Davies!

I caught the Kinks in concert for the first time on their Sleepwalker tour. Naturally I was hooked, so I quickly rushed out a bought a few of their albums. This album was so great. I remember one night coming home from a party, slapping my KOSS Pro 4aa headphones on, and listening to this album from start to finish. That was in 1976, and I'm still talking about it today. What more do I need to say. Still a great listen. Treat yourself to a Kinks album and see what great songwriting is all about.

There is hope out there in the world, and it comes from the mighty sword of The Kinks. Put down your Pink Floyd and throw out your lava lamps. "The Wall" is nothing compared to "Schoolboys In Disgrace." And just where did you think Mr. Walters got his idea from? It's all right here...it's just done with better taste. This album shows that Ray knows everything there is about life and love. If you ever have a problem in the world, come to this album. The songs are woven together with Brother Ray's insightful lyrics, (Yesterday's gone and that's a fact/Now there's no more looking back) and Dave's powerful guitar licks ("Headmaster"). If you ever doubt the Kinks concept for this album just take a listen to "The Hard Way", "I'm In Disgrace", and "No More Looking Back." These songs kick with Ray's touching lyrics and Dave's sonic guitar work. Ray is a genius. Point blank and pure. Buy this album. Do it now. One click and it is yours. Your life is not yet complete...

Coming just six months after the wonderfully eclectic and under-appreciated "Soap Opera" in 1975, "Schoolboys in Disgrace" was the final theatrical or concept album by Ray Davies and the Kinks. Whereas "Soap Opera" strayed fairly far from the traditional Kinks sound, "Schoolboys" starts heading firmly back in that direction, as the fine guitar work of Dave Davies starts re-emerging here, hinting at what was to follow in the next few years. Consequently, this is much more of a rock record than its predecessor. The story and characters here are only a very general thread running through the album material.

I'm often surprised when people dismiss this work as sub-par. While the Kinks' diverse catalogue is certainly uneven, it is still remarkable and inventive throughout--at least up through the seventies. Even the lesser albums have standout tracks that make them worth owning. "Schoolboys in Disgrace" is not their best album, but it's certainly a worthy effort with some great material.

What makes this a concept album is that it tells the story of the formative days of Mr. Flash, a Davies character from earlier on. All the material revolves around going to school and growing up. There's often a sense of melancholy and nostalgia about the music. I get the feeling that much of this is semi-autobiographical, with Ray Davies drawing upon his own school day memories.

Younger brother Dave Davies felt the Kinks were getting back on track with this material, and you can hear him assert himself with some great power chord rock on songs such as "I'm in Disgrace," "Headmaster" and "The Hard Way."

There is plenty of diversity too, however. "The First Time We Fall in Love" is pleasantly old-fashioned, sounding in some respects like a throwback to the music of Ray Davies' own youth. "Schooldays" and the wistful "The Last Assembly" are the kind of songs that make you want to sway back and forth as you listen. They're not rockers; just great songs.

I place this CD in the must-own category if you're a Kinks fan. A very fine effort by Ray Davies and company.

Ray Davies is a genius!!! Bottom line!!!! I read some of these other reveiws saying this album is weak, short on melody, lazy, etc............ compared to what? Other Kinks albums, maybe, but compared to 95% of the music released, this is a masterpiece. Sorry some of you music critics for not getting it, but 'Headmaster' alone makes this album worth adding to your desert island collection.