This Is Where I Belong: The Songs of Ray Davies & The Kinks

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 2, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rykodisc
• ASIN: B000062V5B
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #180,127 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ray Davies for now people, January 25, 2005

By 

Howlinw (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Is Where I Belong: The Songs of Ray Davies & The Kinks (Audio CD)

It seems to be a requirement for music snobs to have their favorite neglected genius, the one who wrote better songs than Lennon and/or McCartney and/or both but never got the credit he or she deserved. Typically most of said snobs tend to pick Lou Reed. Well, I say good choice, no harm in that one, but I am going to have to go with Ray Davies. Sorry Lou. Ray's songs seem a bit more universal, a bit more touching, a bit easier to connect to. As much as I love "Heroin" and "Sweet Jane," I more often find myself with "Big Sky" or "This is Where I Belong" on the player. I guess it's just a matter of taste.

When I discovered this compilation, the name tipped me off that it would be good. If Ryko had called it "All Day and All of the Night," for example, or "You Really Got Me," it would have conjured up images of Van Halen or some other inane, dated hard-rock group grinding out yet another cover of the earliest stuff. "This is Where I Belong" is not only a great song from the classic mid-period years but it is also an obscurity. Somebody knew what they were doing over at Ryko, so I had to invest the $14 it cost at the time to find out whether it was any good.

And it was. These artists show exactly why Ray's music is so special...it is completely timeless. The glory of "Big Sky," my favorite Kinks song, is captured magnificently here by Matthew Sweet. Jonathan Richman shows us exactly why "Stop Your Sobbing" hasn't lost any of its charm- its simplicity allows the message- one of coping with sorrow of any kind- to come through clearly. Fountains of Wayne take another obscurity, "Better Things," and maintain its feel as a powerpop gem while making sound like it was written yesterday. None of the wit or wisdom is lost in any of these translations. Yeah Cracker doesn't sound like Cracker here but so what, you want to hear Cracker in their purest form then put on "Kerosene Hat." Nothing on here disappoints.

A worthy complilation for one of the best songwriters ever. It may even be desert island stuff for me.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tribute album is tricky business . . ., July 11, 2002

By 

Gena Chereck (Nebraska, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This Is Where I Belong: The Songs of Ray Davies & The Kinks (Audio CD)

Remakes shouldn't be pointless carbon-copies of the originals, nor should they differ so much from the originals that they upset fans of the band or artist being saluted. For the most part, the 16-track CD This Is Where I Belong: The Songs Of Ray Davies And The Kinks avoids making those mistakes, as a who's who of indie and alternative rock figures pay tribute to the underrated British Invasion band and its gifted chief songwriter. Most of the bands and artists here infuse Ray's songs with their own unique styles: Hooky power-pop (Fountains of Wayne's "Better Things", "Big Sky" by Matthew Sweet); haunting balladry (Lambchop's "Art Lover", "Fancy" by Yo La Tengo); pure country (Tim O'Brien's "Muswell Hillbilly"); bossa-nova (Bebel Gilberto's "No Return"); mid-tempo folk-pop ("This is Where I Belong" by Ron Sexsmith), etc. Davies himself shows up on the closing track, a lovely live recording of "Waterloo Sunset" featuring Blur frontman Damon Albarn.

A few tracks do adhere a little too closely to the originals; Fastball and Cracker just don't sound like themselves on "'Til the End of the Day" and "Victoria," respectively. (As much as I love the originals, I just wish these guys could've brought something new to the table.) On the other hand, you'll either love or hate the radical changes made by singer-songwriters Josh Rouse ("A Well Respected Man") and Jonathan Richman ("Stop Your Sobbing"); personally, I think they improve greatly on the originals. With a few lyrical adjustments and a complete overhaul of the arrangement, Rouse turns the twee, silly "Well Respected Man" into a sober character study. And rather than copying the Pretenders' 1979 hit version of "Stop Your Sobbing," Richman gives the song a whole new meaning by altering and omitting a few key lyrics; his stripped-down folk-rock arrangement is a bit predictable, but I love how he has changed the song's message from get-over-your-ex-and-I'll-love-you to a more universal one about getting back to the business of living after suffering a major loss.

The wide-ranging styles of the bands and artists make for a mixed bag, but a very satisfying one. And I applaud all the bands and artists for picking more obscure Kinks tracks to cover, rather than tackling obvious hits like "You Really Got Me," "All Day and All of the Night," "Tired of Waiting for You," "Lola," or "Come Dancing." Fringe Benefit: Ray's droll liner notes ("Because tribute records are usually conceived after the composer has 'passed,' I can only assume that 'rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated'...").

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthy tribute, October 2, 2004

By 

Ricardo Irons "Ricardo" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Is Where I Belong: The Songs of Ray Davies & The Kinks (Audio CD)

I keep going back to this CD, again and again. A must-have for anyone who appreciates Ray Davies. A couple of duds (Josh Rouse, Jonathan Richman) are overwhelmed by awesome covers. Some performers opt for straight-rocking versions (Queens of the Stone Age on "Who'll be the Next in Line?," Fastball on "Till the End of the Day" and Cracker on "Victoria"). "Better Things" is a great opener, an upbeat way to start any day. Matthew Sweet turns in an epic "Big Sky." The haunting "Art Lover" as done by Lambchop is one of the most arrestingly disturbing yet poignant songs ever written. Ron Sexsmith captures the longing tone of Davies in the title track -- which says so much in so few words about Ray's romantic attachment to one's physical place in life. The arrangement (with producer Martin Terefe's looping bass) displays power in simplicity. And the closing live version of "Waterloo Sunset"...well, this one song earned Ray Davies a place in popular music's hall of fame.