X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography [Hardcover]

Ray Davies (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1995

This subversively brilliant, one-of-a-kind rock autobiography, ingeniously styled as a biography, is written by a nameless, faceless writer who captures the essence of Ray Davies, lead singer and songwriter of the Kinks and one of the greatest rock and rollers of all time. Part autobiography, part social history, this book exposes rock stardom as the heaven, hell, and purgatory it is.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this unique "unauthorized autobiography," Kinks singer and songwriter Davies casts himself as an eccentric old man some 20 years hence who is asked to tell his life story to a young interviewer working for a world-ruling conglomerate called "The Corporation." Eventually, the Orwellian subplot is overshadowed by Davies's very personal account of his band's many rises and falls. Like his songs, Davies's book is alternately poignant, funny, and bawdy?and his penchant for shocking his "interviewer" with tales of rock star excess leaves the reader never quite sure what to take as fact. Though the band is still active, some will be disappointed that Davies only takes the Kinks's story through 1973. The novel aspect is too thin to interest speculative fiction readers, but X-Ray is indispensable for Kinks fans and recommended for anyone interested in 1960s pop music. Recommended for subject collections.?Lloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Known for the satire and social commentary in their songs, 1960s British rockers the Kinks remain favorites of fans of literate pop. Their lead songwriter-singer Ray Davies' idiosyncratic autobiography reflects the band's caustic style. He adopts the persona of an employee of some authoritarian institution, as if he were a faceless chronicler assigned to report on one Raymond Douglas Davies; he refers to himself as Raymond Douglas or R. D. throughout and seemingly unearths the history of R.D.'s band. Veteran Kinks fans will take to this mannerism readily, while the less familiar may find it pretentious. But Davies' detailed illumination of underreported facets of pop-music history more than makes up for the occasional stylistic heavy sledding. The book's version of the much-reported rivalry between R. D. and younger brother Dave, the Kinks' lead guitarist, sheds light on a legendary rock feud, and its reminiscences of the Kinks' rowdy early days and their battle with relentlessly commercial Pye Records add significantly to previous reports. A major addition to pop-culture literature. Mike Tribby

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Overlook Hardcover (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879516119
• ISBN-13: 978-0879516116
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #675,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your usual biography, January 11, 2007

By 

Jersey Kid (Katy, Texas, America!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography (Hardcover)

X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography by Ray Davies is exactly what you would expect from the leader of the 60s band The Kinks. One only has to listen to a few of the songs he has authored - "Dandy," "Dedicated Follower of Fashion," "Muswell Hillbillies" to name three - to know that Ray Davies wears his heart on his sleeve. Whether expressing jealousy at those more attractive than he (the first two listed songs - probably about brother David) or fear and scorn at those "nameless men in gray" (the third song about government-managed social experimentation), Davies has already been ready to address issues that are not often addressed in rock `n' roll, and to do so in the most convoluted manner possible.

In writing his autobiography through roughly the end of the 70s, Davies could have simply told the story. But, you have to know that this is way too easy and conventional. Instead, X-Ray is a story within a story. An unnamed minor clerk in a more-or-less unnamed department of the British government that maintains records about entertainment and entertainers is charged with "updating the file" on a certain Raymond Douglas Davies. In his effort to fulfill this objective, he meets with a reclusive, eccentric, almost Faginesque character who weaves a rambling story about himself, the band and the English music scene in general. Amidst the mass of narrative, the story of The Kinks unfolds with some remarkable clarity and candor about the band and its interaction with its management and record companies.

It is in these stretches of story-telling that the book nears conventionality. We learn of the early management team, Robert, Grenville and Larry, who got the band the contracts that made them successes but also virtually robbed them of the ownership of intellectual property; David was 16 when he signed. We learn of Ray's first wife: the result of "doing the right thing" upon learning of her pregnancy.

This conventional approach to autobiography is, however, pushed into the background by Davies' desire for political rhetoric. This is not the first time this has appeared in his work. One only has to think of the "Lola versus Powerman and the Money-go-round" for evidence of his distaste for the business side of things and his loathing thereof.

Like many Brits, Ray Davies has an internalized conflict between the desire for a quasi-socialist solution to major socio-economic issues and the distaste for the inevitable bureaucracy that must accompany it. This is the stage and background on which our hero - not Davies - is sent on a voyage of discovery through his relationship with Ray Davies. The end of the book is certainly not supposed to be the end of the story, although the last few pages see the apparent death of Davies and a notional redemption of the hero.

If you are interested in Ray Davies - not because of the Kinks, per se - because of a deep love and respect for who he is and his remarkable ability to be the most human of any major rock `n' roller and you have not read this book: DO IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! You won't be disappointed.

There has been talk for years that Ray Davies would return to this genre and bring it up to date. While possible, it becomes less likely as time passes. In fact, it would be my contention that the CDs "The Storyteller" and "Other Peoples' Lives" are the logical extensions of X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Add 2 stars if you're a Kinks fan, May 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography (Hardcover)

Kinks fans will love this. But I would have preferred to hear Ray's account of the Kinks' history without the Orwellian structure in which an older Ray recounts the tales to a younger Ray. Also, unlike Dave Davies's "Kink", this book stops short of telling the whole history . . . as though the Kinks ended sometime in the early 1970s. We never get to hear Ray's account of his relationship with Chrissie Hynde, his battles with Dave, and so much more. This book begs for a sequel which is more straightforward and tells the whole story rather than hiding behind a fictional framework.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Makes The Music Even Better!, July 12, 2010

By 

J. Musco (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography (Paperback)

"X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography" is the 1996 memoir from Ray Davies, legendary frontman of The Kinks. The book is based around a fictional storyline where a 19-year-old, insomniac, orphan reporter working for a corporate-run government (known as "The Corporation") is trying to track down and interview the reclusive singer/songwriter. This is woven around the bulk of the book, which is a standard first-person recounting by Davies spanning from his childhood, through his part in the Swinging 60's music scene, and up to around the time The Kinks pioneered the rock opera movement in the early 1970's. It takes a mostly chronological approach, all the while doing a great job of showing Davies' transition from a pop songbird to the quintessential English singer/songwriter. Included are mind-blowing stories about his interactions with fellow British Invaders The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and The Dave Clark Five. If you're a fan of The Kinks or are looking to get into them, then this book is a great companion.


THE BOOK ENHANCES THE MUSIC

I only started listening to The Kinks within the past two years. With that being said, if you are or were a Kinks fan, then this book is definitely worth reading. The best part about it is the way it enhances the music. If you listen to the songs while you're reading and after you've finished the book, then you'll be in for a really enjoyable experience.

While we're used to having movies with accompanying soundtracks, this is almost like having a book with a soundtrack. In that respect, the book is similar to the rock opera format that Ray Davies explored throughout the 1970's. All of the themes that are commonly found in Davies' songwriting are present in the text. For example: the corporate machine, the decline of mom & pop, the appreciation for the little things that remind us how special the world really is (think "Autumn Almanac"), as well as figurative, emotional, and physical displacement.

In some instances (like when it comes to the early Brit-pop stuff The Kinks did) Davies will mention a song and by going back and listening to it (you can find some of the rare stuff on YouTube) it really helps set the scene - especially if you weren't around during that time and/or place.

The book really shines when it comes to enhancing Davies' late 60's to mid-70's work, such as "Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire", which is partially based around his family life and "Face to Face" which is a great piece in which he tries to reconcile changes in class structure.

Upon finishing the book, I listened to all of "Lola Versus Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One" and I couldn't believe how much better this already great album had become. It perfectly compliments both the fictional and autobiographical storylines, strongly mirroring Davies' meek beginnings ("The Contenders"), his time playing in the trenches ("Denmark Street" and "Get Back in Line"), The Kinks' eventual breakthrough ("Top of the Pops"), their bad dealings with publishers, agents, and record executives ("The Moneygoround" and "Rats"), Davies' nervous breakdown ("Apeman"), and culminating with what this journey has left him wanting ("Got To Be Free"). These might not sound like particularly fascinating subjects, but Davies' wit and candor keeps things interesting and he's always sure to break things up with a great road story or an anecdote about Kinks drummer Mick Avory.


STRUCTURE

The subtitle of this book, "An Unauthorized Autobiography" is not just some clever, meaningless title. As mentioned above, there is an overarching, fictional storyline woven throughout the various tales. If that worries you, then you need to remember the cinematic nature of Ray Davies' songwriting (he knows what he is doing). You also need to realize that approaching his memoirs in this way only serves to inject them with an extra level of Davies' signature quirky and sometimes cynical personality. Finally, if neither of those things appeal to you, then just know that the fictional portion of the book takes up very little space and 90% of the text is Davies' recounting tales in the same fashion that any other celebrity autobiography does. Maybe the fake storyline will work for you (I got caught up in it) and maybe it won't. Either way, it won't tarnish your experience.

The book is written in a conversational European English vernacular, so if you're from America like I am, you might not understand some of the slang, but it never gets too dense to navigate. Other than that, there are an unusual amount of typos throughout the book - even on the back cover. There are also these strange little stars at the bottom of some pages and I have no idea what they mean.

The only way I can rationalize these things is by saying that The Kinks' recordings aren't perfect either. I think it's because in both the recordings and this book you are getting Ray Davies - his unique and sometimes enigmatic choices, his various quirky voices, and his imperfections. Personally, I wouldn't want it any other way. In the case of the book, it makes you feel like he is right there with you.


CONCLUSION (or How to Listen to The Kinks)

The Kinks have a long and varied musical history. At first I was disappointed with them because I was expecting every song to have the same energy as "You Really Got Me" or "All Day and All of the Night". When that wasn't the case, I chose to keep listening anyway and their work grew on me tremendously. I really got caught up in their unique singing and compositional choices.

You'll find that albums like "The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society" feature strange musical arrangements (listen to "Phenomenal Cat"). I know they sound odd at times, but if you stick it out, you'll come to learn a different way to enjoy music - you'll start to appreciate that what you are hearing (no matter how odd sounding) are deliberate choices. These albums are crafted for the listener in order to communicate the atmosphere of the time - the sights, the smells, the attitudes, the fun, the hardship. They aren't just there to make you dance or to make you smile (though they'll do that as well).

If you want a better understanding of where music (and art in general) comes from or if you are curious about how an artist evolves, The Kinks, with their 40+ year career, are the band to listen to. If you're someone who just wants things to stay the same, then The Kinks aren't the band for you and, subsequently, this book won't be either.

If you love music and kind of like The Kinks, then do yourself a favor and check out their discography and grab an album or two from each decade. You'll probably find a new way to enjoy music. With time you'll learn to love them and this book will only make that love stronger.