Kinks 32: UK Jive

The ‘80s didn’t end as well as they began for Ray Davies, and by extension the Kinks. Their albums had stopped selling, and the band—still down to two original members—weren’t exactly a unit. But Ray still felt compelled to write about his vision for the future, first for a short-lived musical based on Around The World In Eighty Days, and then for UK Jive, which was the next Kinks album. However, Americans weren’t concerned at all with the future of the British Empire, and those Brits who were vested weren’t looking to Ray for answers.

A writer of his caliber shouldn’t have to go out of his way to make the backing track of a song called “Aggravation” be so literal, so it’s a shame that he did. It’s especially disappointing because the first thirty seconds or so are very inviting, but we actually don’t mind the little funky breaks. But “How Do I Get Close” works on a romantic level as well as an existential one, even if it’s a little boomy. The title track buries political commentary in a throwback to an earlier era, and the nod to “My Generation” is odd. “Now And Then” may be a tongue-in-cheek distillation of humanity’s progress, but it works as a slow ballad, even when it recalls “Summer Nights” from Grease. “What Are We Doing” opens with a solid arpeggiated riff, but becomes rock-by-numbers when the band kicks in, serving the lyrics poorly.

“Entertainment” is a contender for the best song on the album; unfortunately the track was eight years old, having been left off Give The People What They Want. “War Is Over” is upbeat, tuneful, and charming, despite the canned trumpets, and it’s a shame Ray insisted on harmonizing with himself. Speaking of canned sounds, “Down All The Days (Till 1992)” opens with those familiar tolling bells from “Big Black Smoke” and is somewhat hopeful, being a look ahead to Britain joining what we now know as the European Union. Somehow he works in a lost-love angle in between the linguistic references, and it’s too bad he couldn’t have chosen a better synth patch. The title of “Loony Balloon” suggests it might have been left over from his musical, but the metaphors suggest otherwise. The folky nautical backing and intricate time signatures make the track stand out. He lets brother Dave get the last word with the bluntly pointed “Dear Margaret”, which fits thematically. (The CD version of the album not only had extended versions of three songs, but had two extra tracks, both by Dave, who was miffed that they weren’t on the album proper. “Bright Lights” is a pretty straight rocker, and “Perfect Strangers” is a little more sludgy, so maybe Ray was right.)

Their contemporaries did a little better in 1989—not by much, but just enough to sell records. For a band about to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they were sounding more like has-beens than still-coulds.

The Kinks UK Jive (1989)—2½