Customer Reviews

Thanksgiving Day

5 star:		(5)
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I generally don't write reviews but I've been a Kinks fan for over 35 years so I had to speak up. This EP and Tourist EP from England prove that Ray has lost none of his ability to champion the common man. This is a GREAT song. The two versions of Thanksgiving Day are completely different so buy this so you won't miss out. I love Dave and The Kinks but Ray is who all true Kinks fans have been waiting for and he delivers.

Don't expect this song to grab you immediately like the first five chords of YOU REALLY GOT ME. Instead, after just a couple listens it slowly creeps in and gets a hold of you till you can't get it out of your head. For longtime Kinks fans - this is a welcome reward for your patience. If this track and "The Tourist" (European release EP) are any indication of what's to come on Ray's first proper SOLO ALBUM (due early '06) then we are all in for a treat. Rays's songwriting continues to evolve in different directions, and it is evident he is experimenting with different sounds (less Kinky, but still intriguing). Anyway
to get back on track THANKSGIVING DAY is a wonderful song lyrically and musically (would we expect anything less from our well respected hero?) with a funky backbeat, and the other tracks on the EP will satisfy any Kinky Kollector because they include a track previously only released on a Jools Holland & Friends CD, and remixes of the two original Storyteller tunes! The net proceeds of this EP go to the New Orleans music school charity that Ray had been active in at the time of his unfortunate incident down there. There's no excuse not to get this one!
And God Save The Kinks.

This EP gives you an insight to what Ray Davies is still capable of. The tune of this first track from the forthcoming first solo album "Other People's Lives" is a piece of thoughtful commentary on (American) family life, with a great tune and evolving into a powerful hymn backed with a choir.
The bonus tracks are alternate versions of already known songs which are now hard to find (e . g. tracks from the "Storyteller CD") and which are worth having.
A must-have for dedicated followers and people who'd like to be one of them!

I've seen some Keith Richards interviews where he mentions writing 'grown-up' rock and roll. While the middle-aged-plus Stones have barely honored this intention, Ray Davies most certainly has.

I was very excited to see this CD EP available. As mentioned by other reviewers, the title song Thanksgiving Day will not immediately grab you a la You Really Got Me. Give it a chance and it will definitely draw you into this quintessential Ray Davies character study. On the surface, it's a happy, nostalgic tale of the annual family feast gathering so many of us grew up with and still look forward to today. But it wouldn't be a great Davies song without a somewhat sad and ironic twist. Personally, I find it very moving. It touches me in so many ways. It will illicit a wide range of emotional response for most people. I like both versions of the song though I might have a slight preference for the alternate version which is track #5. It seems to draw you in a little quicker with its choral introduction.

As for the rest of the EP, I immediately liked the 2nd song, Yours Truly Confused N10 with its big band brass swing and humorous lyric. It's got a very different sound. Nobody will confuse this song with anything previously done by The Kinks. As for the other two songs, I like Storyteller with its quiet, countrified charm. London Song doesn't really do much for me. It sounds more like an interesting experiment, but never really develops as a song. All in all, a nice little teaser for the much anticipated full CD release next February.

This is the US single taken from the forthcoming Ray Davies solo album "Other People's Lives". The title track of this 5 tracks single ( a typical Ray Davies song ) is the only one to be included on the album. The song is here in two versions, both great, though I somehow prefer the shorter alternate mix. The song shows that Ray's vocals and his songwriting are as good as ever!

"Your Truly Confused" has never been released before, but was recorded in 2002 with Jools Holland and his orchestra. A little too much horn on it for my taste; so though Rays vocals are great, I do not regret that it won't be included on the album.

The two last tracks are "Storyteller" songs. The "Storyteller" title track is the same version that was on that CD, but the version of "London" is different.

For those who have not bought the "Storyteller" album, the title track will be a nice addition; "London", I have always regarded as one of Ray's weaker songs; this new version doesn't change that opinion.

Considering the great "Thanksgiving Day", "The Tourist" ( another single taken from the album ) plus some of the other songs I heard Ray play live in 2005, I think there are good reasons to have high expectations to "Other People's Lives".

Good sample of things to come, not for anyone but the dedicated though, as most of the tunes can be(or will soon be) obtainable elsewhere.

Here's some thoughts that I have regarding Ray Davies' Thanksgiving Day EP:

1. The title track reminds me a lot of Otis Redding. I can imagine him covering it. I especially enjoyed the horns. I had to look at the muscian credits to see if they were the Memphis Horns (& was surprised to see that they weren't).

2. I also enjoyed the other three tracks, although I preferred the original version of London Song, since I felt that, in the words of the reviewer from the Bluegrass State, it "ROCKED" more.

3. Not that it has anything to do with the EP, but I think that it's interesting when Ray started out in this country, his labelmates included Dean Martin & Trini Lopez & now they include the White Stripes.

4. Speaking of the reviewer from the Bluegrass State, my feeling is that Ray, as well as any member of any group, has every right to perform & release as a solo, especially since Dave has released solo projects in the past. I'm looking forward to Ray's album next February, which this EP is a good taster.

(Note: the mention of the reviewer from the Bluegrass State referred to a negative review that has been deleted who bascially said that Ray was selfish in pursuing a solo career instead of getting the Kinks back together & that brother Dave "ROCKED")

Ive been a fan since l964 - but not dedicated till l965 (I was a beatles fan till then)...I cant wait for Rays new cd(Other Peoples Lives) to come out in Feb 06!!!! Ive heard some of the songs already on the internet and THINGS ARE GONNA CHANGE is a "great song"..if it gets airplay its a HIT !!!!! At first listen to Thanksgiving Day I wasnt totally impressed......but like some of the reviews here it GREW ON ME.......now I love it...Ray still has it and he ranks right up there with Lennon (I would say Mccartney and Jagger - but both of them have LOST IT)...YES, the kinks are in the rock n roll hall of fame but still somehow they NEVER got the RESPECT like the Beatles, Stones and the OVER-RATED Who...example: their greatest album called The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society (l968) NEVER got any airplay and its now CONSIDERED A MASTERPIECE ....Picture Book being my favorite cut...also the KINKS have never been on the COVER of Rolling Stone (duh - and they are supposed to be all knowing of the rock world......complete morons in my book)...Im a kinks fan till I die ......God Save the Kinks

I think Ray Davies is one of the most under-rated song writers of his era. And in his "older" years he still has the power to write great songs with moving lyrics.
In my section of NY we've adopted "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie as our official Thanksgiving song. However, this song has much more relevance and emotion to the tradition of Thanksgiving. Alice's Restaurant will always have a place in my heart at Thanksgiving, but "Thanksgiving Day" by Ray Davies is my new favorite ... Thanks, Ray.