Ray Davies - See MyFriends

Tue 4th Jan, 2011 in Music Reviews

Ray Davies – the genius poet and songwriter responsible for the majority of The Kinks’ classic songs is joining his contemporaries who seem to feel that revisiting and reinterpreting their back catalogues are a vital part of the present.

In 2009 he released The Kinks Choral Collection where with the help of the Crouch End Festival Chorus he produced – as the name suggests – choral versions of Kinks songs. Now Davies has issued See My Friends featuring a freewheeling approach to choose guests to duet on his songs.

Many of the acts put their own stamps all over the songs, making Davies almost seem like a ring-in sponsor contributing vocals and a musical idea here and there. (In truth, he did assist in arrangements and key changes, making it a labour of love not necessarily reflected in the end product.) It is therefore unsurprising, that Celluloid Heroes by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora reeks of stadium-rock, sounding like an atrocious 80s hair ballad. Mumford & Sons fair a lot better with their mash-up of Days and This Time Tomorrow. It sees the group doing a huge, soaring folk-pop rendition with plenty of heavenly harmonies, acoustic guitars and banjo.

Alt. country singer Lucinda Williams is accompanied by rockers, The 88 for an almost Pretenders-like pop version of Long Way Home. Then there is an at times soulful and at other moments rather cringe worthy version of Lola by Paloma Faith, although it is not as unsettling as Bruce Springsteen covering Better Things. Here The Boss sounds like he’s been up for days as his voice is extremely gruff and struggles to reach the notes when put alongside Davies’ own thinner, whimsical tones.

Metallica offer a novelty tune in the form of a precursor to heavy metal, You Really Got Me. Their version packs a tad more punch to a hit that was originally written as a blues jazz track that rolled. But harder and faster does not make the song better or stronger. Then there is swing fever and sequins courtesy of Amy Macdonald and Dead End Street.

A real standout of the collection is Jackson Browne’s version of Waterloo Sunset. Sure, it was going to be tough to tackle such an icon but his uncomplicated arrangement is charming for all its gentle sweetness. Rounding out the release are: See My Friends by Spoon; All Day And All Of The Night mixed with Destroyer by Billy Corgan; and This Is Where I Belong by Black Francis AKA The Pixies’ Frank Black.

With an impressive roll call and amazing discography, this set promises more than it could ever deliver. What could have been fresh interpretations often sound overblown, staid and as though the musicians are trying too hard, meaning it will do more to appease current fans of the guest artists than to win any new supporters to The Kinks/Ray Davies catalogue.