See My Friends | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1 November 2010 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 49:15 | |||
Label | Universal | |||
Producer | Ray Davies and Martyn Berg | |||
Ray Davies chronology | ||||
|
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 51/100 [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
American Songwriter | [3] |
Clash | 6/10 [4] |
Classic Rock | 6/10 [5] |
Consequence of Sound | [6] |
Mojo | [7] |
Q | [7] |
See My Friends is a studio album released by Ray Davies with the collaboration of various other artists on 1 November 2010 in Europe and in early 2011 in the US. The album features new studio collaborations of Ray Davies' compositions, which were originally recorded by his band the Kinks.
The album was recorded in Oslo, New York City, New Jersey, Chicago and London. Davies stated: "This project came about almost by accident, with some tracks I had to appreciate the style of the other artists, otherwise it would have sounded unbalanced. And I wanted the album to work as an entire listening experience but each track had a life of its own". [8]
The album includes the last studio recording by Alex Chilton. See My Friends was released seven months after his death. He previously covered "Till The End of The Day" on Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers .
See My Friends was met with "mixed or average" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 51 based on 13 reviews. [1]
Kinks biographer Rob Jovanovic writes that, following the 2009 album The Kinks Choral Collection and other projects in which Davies revisited his past achievements, See My Friends suggested "he couldn't leave it alone". [7] According to Jovanovic, the majority of critics questioned the reason for the album. Among these reviews, Mojo gave it one star out of five, and dismissed Davies and Metallica's version of "You Really Got Me" as a "travesty". [7]
In a review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote: "A tribute album starring the man of honor himself, who also curated the whole affair, See My Friends is a bit of a curious creature. Certainly, Ray Davies' influence is so pervasive he could rope in a number of heavy hitters from a number of different generations." [2] At American Songwriter , Michael Sandlin said "See My Friends proves, if nothing else, that there's simply no force on Earth malevolent enough to destroy a good Ray Davies ditty. [3] CC Baxter of Clash explained: "See My Friends was a labour of love for head Kink Ray Davies, it feels like a personal journey through the past on his part, and a genuine tribute from those who've contributed. [4]
In the UK, See My Friends peaked at number 12 on the UK Albums Chart, [9] and number 9 in Scotland. [10]
All tracks are written by Ray Davies
No. | Title | Featured artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Better Things" | Bruce Springsteen | 3:12 |
2. | "Celluloid Heroes" | Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora | 5:18 |
3. | "Days / This Time Tomorrow" | Mumford & Sons | 4:17 |
4. | "A Long Way from Home" | Lucinda Williams and The 88 | 3:06 |
5. | "You Really Got Me" | Metallica | 2:15 |
6. | "Lola" | Paloma Faith | 4:32 |
7. | "Waterloo Sunset" | Jackson Browne | 4:06 |
8. | "Till the End of the Day" | Alex Chilton and The 88 | 2:40 |
9. | "Dead End Street" | Amy Macdonald | 3:29 |
10. | "See My Friends" | Spoon | 4:00 |
11. | "This Is Where I Belong" | Black Francis | 3:02 |
12. | "David Watts" | The 88 | 2:20 |
13. | "Tired of Waiting for You" | Gary Lightbody | 2:49 |
14. | "All Day and All of the Night" / "Destroyer" | Billy Corgan | 3:54 |
Total length: | 49:15 |
No. | Title | Featured Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Victoria" | Mando Diao | 3:18 |
Total length: | 52:33 |
Chart (2010) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [12] | 55 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [13] | 35 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [14] | 54 |
French Albums (SNEP) [15] | 154 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [16] | 50 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [10] | 9 |
UK Albums (OCC) [9] | 12 |
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [17] | 3 |
"You Really Got Me" is a song by English rock band the Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies. The song, originally performed in a more blues-orientated style, was inspired by artists such as Lead Belly and Big Bill Broonzy. Two versions were recorded, with the second performance used for the final single. Lead guitarist Dave Davies performs the song’s famous guitar solo. Although it was long rumoured that future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page had performed the song's guitar solo, this has been debunked by Page himself.
Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One, commonly abbreviated to Lola Versus Powerman, or simply Lola, is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Kinks, released on 27 November 1970. A concept album, it is a satirical appraisal of the music industry, including song publishers, unions, the press, accountants, business managers, and life on the road. It marked the group's expansion to a five-piece with the addition of keyboardist John Gosling.
"Lola" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies for their 1970 album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One. The song details a romantic encounter between a young man and a possible cross-dresser or trans woman, whom he meets in a club in Soho, London. In the song, the narrator describes his confusion towards Lola, who "walked like a woman but talked like a man", yet he remains infatuated with her.
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The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm and blues and Merseybeat, and were briefly part of the British Invasion of the United States until their touring ban in 1965. Their third single, the Ray Davies-penned "You Really Got Me", became an international hit, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the Top 10 in the United States.
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"See My Friends" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by the group's singer and guitarist, Ray Davies. Released in July 1965, it reached number 10 on the Record Retailer chart. The song incorporates a drone-effect played on guitar, evoking a sound reminiscent of the Indian tambura.
"Dead End Street" is a song by the British band the Kinks from 1966, written by main songwriter Ray Davies. Like many other songs written by Davies, it is to some degree influenced by British Music Hall. The bass playing was partly inspired by the "twangy" sound of Duane Eddy's guitar. It was originally released as a non-album single, but has since been included as one of several bonus tracks from the Face to Face CD. The song, like many others by the group, deals with the poverty and misery found in the lower classes of English society.
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