Customer Reviews

X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography

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1 star:		(4)

 

 

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

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.

"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.

Fantastic! I managed to be reading this history while I was travelling around England. It was an educational experience to be reading of Ray's youthful adventures while sitting on a parkbench in Hamstead Heath. I searched out the many clubs and pubs that hosted Ray's early encounters with the Beatles, the Stones, and the Who. I lunched in High Gate and wandered over Muswell Hill, all the while thinking about the Kinks early adventures and travels. The book is a great reading of the way Ray remembers his past. It may not be accurate, but it fulfills the romantic beliefs of any fan.

Here is a book that turned out to be every bit as good as I hoped it would be. This is the story of one fascinating and complex man, Raymond Douglas Davies: rebel, oddball, head case, and perhaps a pop music genius as well. He begins by introducing a technique that is simultaneously distancing and revealing - the story is not being told by Davies, but by a young writer hired by "The Corporation" to do a biography of him. Davies gets to play with the idea of himself viewing himself, of Ray Davies the pop star, who is, in fact, a memory, a creation. He then tells his story thru a series of mock interviews, in which he by turns intimidates, toys with, and bares his heart to the imaginary biographer.

The focus here is on the 1960s and The Kinks's rise to stardom. The story flows pretty much chronologically. Davies grew up in a large, working class family in Muswell Hill, North London. One of the many interesting ironies about R.D. is the fact that he, one of the more cosmopolitan and cynical songwriters of his time, was very closely tied to his old neighborhood and his clan for much of his life. As a kid, he was both a competitive athlete and a creative type. At first The Kinks were mostly unknown, but things began to change for them when Davies began to discover his songwriting talent.

The book is full of marvelous anecdotes of life on the road and encounters with other pop musicians, but it did take a toll on the author. He frankly describes having some sort of depressive breakdown in the middle of their most popular and musically successful period. R.D. is a remarkably complex guy. He married young and fathered a child, but the marriage did not last. He probably was/is bisexual, yet he dances around the issue. He seems to view himself as a morose, solitary artistic type. Surprisingly, he says very little about his playing and singing and writing. Whatever you can say about him, I think he was, and still is, a wonderful writer of songs, and now, of autobiographical prose. He succeeds in portraying himself sincerely as a dramatic character, primarily the star of some cynical comedy, but with touches of tragedy and insight into the human condition. Bravo!

If you are a Kinks fan, as I am, then you should read this book. It chronicles the early years of the Kinks in some detail, and addresses in much less detail some later years. Ray Davies' biographical writing is much like his song writing, which will please those who like his songs. I gave it a 4 star rating rather than higher because there are places where the book seems to be too detailed, and other places where it seems to wander. X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography

I should point out that Ray Davies is a bit of a hero of mine. His insight into the day-to-day lives of the people around him along combined with his songwriting prowess and his unique brand of cynical wit makes him the sort of person I would just love to emulate. So it is fitting that his autobiography 'X-Ray' should contain all these qualities. Not only that, but his refusal to conform with what is popularly received as 'the norm' has resulted in a book that, intentionally or otherwise, finds itself so far removed from the usual rock biography that it comes close to becoming as much a work of art as his songs. The story is told through the narrative of an unnamed 19-year-old journalist some years into the future. He is employed by his bosses, known only to us as 'The Corporation', to write an article about the life of Raymond Douglas Davies, now a wizened old recluse. As Davies relates his tales of family life, early fame, disillusionment of authority and the music industry, and coming face-to-face with depression and despair, the narrator becomes aware of Davies' obsession of playing mind games, and as such, we are left guessing as to what may be, and what may not be the whole truth. As a devoted Kinks fan, it is truly compulsive reading, one of the best books I have ever read. But for those unfortunate enough not to be initiated into the band's work, the imagination and often thought-provoking images and scenarios that this book conjures up, along with a constant stream of humour and light-hearted quips, should mean it appeals to anyone intelligent (and cynical) enough to comprehend Davies' viewpoint.

Ray Davies's "unauthorized" autobiography gives us a tantalizing peek into the private world of the singer/composer/musician/rock pioneer. The method Ray chose to tell his tale - through the eyes of a reporter - might be creative, but I found myself skipping over much of the fictitious narrative and seeking out the parts where Ray speaks in the first person. There are interesting stories of the early days of the Kinks and their unscrupulous management; and tales from inside recording studios, hotel rooms, and the author's mind. For readers interested in 1960s London and the early British pop music scene, "X-Ray" provides invaluable insight into the times, the players, and the action. Kudos to the reclusive Ray for revealing more details about his personal tragedies than expected, and for exercising restraint and class when writing about his brother Dave, with whom he's had a tumultuous relationship over the years. Yet, in spite of all that is revealed, the book felt like merely a trailer for what could have been a big-screen epic. I was gratified by the glimpse, but it left me wanting more.

I saw the stage show that was excerpted from this book and, conseqently had to read it. A great recollection of what it was like to be part of the British Invasion - and not be named John, Paul, George or Ringo. Davies employs an interesting vehicle for telling the story which at times seems a little awkward, but the story itself overcomes the method of the storytelling. Makes you want to dig out all those old Kinks records and warm up the 'ol turntable.

If you like the KINKS, or the music and talent of Ray Davies, leader of the Rock group the KINKS, you might enjoy the sometimes hard-to-follow ramblings of this book.
The book is cleverly written as a biography told by one Raymond Douglas (Davies) of himself as told to a young man investigating Davies for his employer. The young man is employed by the "corporation" - a not-so-subtle reference to the Music Industry. Davies obviously has alot of resentment of the industry, and details the troubles he and the rest of the KINKS encountered in their 30-year career.
An enjoyable read without the "kiss and tell" of most rock autobiographies.