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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Days |
| 2. Waterloo Sunset |
| 3. You Really Got Me |
| 4. Victoria |
| 5. See My Friends |
| 6. Celluloid Heroes |
| 7. Shangri-La |
| 8. Working Mans Café |
| 9. Village Green Medley |
| 10. All Day And All Of The Night |
| 11. Postcard From London |
Product Description
CD Description
The legendary Ray Davis returns with all your favourite songs by The Kinks backed by the spectacular Crouch End Festival Chorus. This must-have album includes brand new renditions of "Waterloo Sunset", "You Really Got Me", "All Day and All of the Night", "Shangri-La", "Victoria" and many more phenomenal classics. This special edition includes a brand new track penned by Davis himself "Postcard From London".
Product Description
File KINKS. Now w/a BONUS track feat Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders). Ray Davies recreates Kinks classics with a spectacular choir
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The Kinks Choral Collection, in its original format, was released in mid 2009. This 'special edition' has an added new song, 'Postcard from London'. This is track 1. I'll come back to this new song in a bit. Six months on, does this album feel any better or does it feel worse? There is no doubt that, commercially, this album has done well which is great. If it gets more people to buy the Kinks back catalogue then that is a good thing. But, the big question remains. Is it necessary? If you read around the internet, there are very mixed views. It really is a bit like Marmite, you either love this album or hate it.
The two big problems these versions of some of Ray's greatest moments have is, first, the choir dominates too much 'behind' what is a fairly fragile voice (Ray). If you have a big voice, then a big choir behind you probably works. But it doesn't work here very well. The nearest this album gets to hitting the spot is the 'Village Green' medley and 'See My Friends'. Why do these work over the other tracks? Village Green is a classic and quintessentially English collection of songs that sound fine with a choir. The interpretation of 'See My Friends' is simply very clever. The song was way ahead of its time and, with a choir, just sounds great. The rest of the album still sounds like he has hired the Swingle Singers or Ray Conniff from the sixties. It is Kinks sung by 1960's Radio Two backing singers wearing cardigans. It is too 'harmless'. Again, the instrumentation is weak and heartless in most places. Ray also needs an independent producer badly.
Finally, 'Postcard from London'. Is it worth buying this Special Edition for one song? If you are a Kinks | Ray Davies fan, yes it is. The song is no classic but its not bad either. However, it is a little strange. Chrissie Hynde guest stars at the start of the song but then effectively disappears without trace. Ray uses some string instruments which is great news - something I mentioned was missing from the rest of the original album. Please add more strings in the future; they take the dominance off the choir.
So, do we need a second Choral Collection? No. If Ray wants to do more with the Crouch End Festival Chorus, please limit it. How about 3 or 4 tracks from 'Arthur' with the choir (c.f Village Green medley). The rest of any future album should be stripped right back to an 'unplugged' type of format like 'To the Bone' was. And, Ray, please let someone else produce you! God bless Ray and The Kinks.
The two big problems these versions of some of Ray's greatest moments have is, first, the choir dominates too much 'behind' what is a fairly fragile voice (Ray). If you have a big voice, then a big choir behind you probably works. But it doesn't work here very well. The nearest this album gets to hitting the spot is the 'Village Green' medley and 'See My Friends'. Why do these work over the other tracks? Village Green is a classic and quintessentially English collection of songs that sound fine with a choir. The interpretation of 'See My Friends' is simply very clever. The song was way ahead of its time and, with a choir, just sounds great. The rest of the album still sounds like he has hired the Swingle Singers or Ray Conniff from the sixties. It is Kinks sung by 1960's Radio Two backing singers wearing cardigans. It is too 'harmless'. Again, the instrumentation is weak and heartless in most places. Ray also needs an independent producer badly.
Finally, 'Postcard from London'. Is it worth buying this Special Edition for one song? If you are a Kinks | Ray Davies fan, yes it is. The song is no classic but its not bad either. However, it is a little strange. Chrissie Hynde guest stars at the start of the song but then effectively disappears without trace. Ray uses some string instruments which is great news - something I mentioned was missing from the rest of the original album. Please add more strings in the future; they take the dominance off the choir.
So, do we need a second Choral Collection? No. If Ray wants to do more with the Crouch End Festival Chorus, please limit it. How about 3 or 4 tracks from 'Arthur' with the choir (c.f Village Green medley). The rest of any future album should be stripped right back to an 'unplugged' type of format like 'To the Bone' was. And, Ray, please let someone else produce you! God bless Ray and The Kinks.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A breathtakingly flawless CD - No stuffing or dud tracks . This is a work of lyrical, melodic and harmonious excellence. There is nothing like it in the history popular music. Nostalgia combined with state of the art music that is timeless and inspired ( and I mean Art with a capital A). For those who lived the Kinks in their hey day - this will be a transcendent listening experience. For those who are too young - listen and be amazed. Ray Davies was and is the towering song-writing genius of modern British pop music. Waterloo Sunset is the most wistful and evocative popular song ever written in English; lyrically and melodically perfect. If this choral version doesn't reduce you to tears or at least stop you in your tracks like a body blow - then you have no soul.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Saw R.D's Glastonbury set on tv last year and loved the choral versions of Kinks classics. Read several "professional" reviews and they panned it!
They are so wrong and I'm glad that I didn't take any notice of them -this is a unique and very listenable remake of some classic songs. So very glad that I treated myself to this for Xmas.
They are so wrong and I'm glad that I didn't take any notice of them -this is a unique and very listenable remake of some classic songs. So very glad that I treated myself to this for Xmas.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
different and awesome
This is a terrific slant on the genius that is Ray Davies. This album is a constant for me. Its difficult to pick a favourite track, but I guess if I had to it would be Days. Read more
Published 3 months ago by A. J. Tainty
kinks choral collection
all the kinks great songs sung in a most unusual way and they sound great
very different arrangements of classic songs
very different arrangements of classic songs
Published 8 months ago by joco77
A choir and Kink
Absolute quality, some of Ray Davies's best music dealt with in a different and superb choral manner
Published 18 months ago by BarryS
Well Worth Hearing
Given the quality of the Kinks back catalogue, it's hardly surprising that this is overall an excellent album. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Humphrey Plugg
Fabulous..........
Sometimes collaborations fall flat on their faces. This doesn't - this is absolutely fabulous. The brilliance of Ray Davies plus the Exuberance of the Crouch End Festival Chorus... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Les Ireland
Ray Davies, well done
I was more than happy with this latest release from one of Englands real musical treasures, Ray Davies. Read more
Published on 21 May 2010 by Ian Harvey
Kinks choral Collection
A bit of a curate's egg. Good bits and not so good bits. I don't think the mixing is as effective as it could be. Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2010 by Mr. D. I. Lister
the kinks choral collection
As this was a gift for a Kinks fan , it was received well , and has some of the familiar songs they have done on it, the themes are basically the same ,and the choral backing does... Read more
Published on 2 Jan 2010 by Miss Y. Bradley
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