Americana: The Kinks, the Riff, the Road: The Story
As a boy in post-War England, legendary Kinks singer/songwriter Ray Davies fell in love with America—its movies and music, its culture of freedom, fed his imagination. Then, as part of the British Invasion, he toured the US with the Kinks during one of the most tumultuous eras in recent history—until the Kinks group was banned from performing there from 1965-69. Many tours and trips later, while living in New Orleans, he experienced a transformative event: the shooting (a result of a botched robbery) that nearly took his life. In Americana, Davies tries to make sense of his long love-hate relationship with the country that both inspired and frustrated him. From his quintessentially English perspective as a Kink, Davies—with candor, humor, and wit—takes us on a very personal road trip through his life and storied career as a rock star, and reveals what music, fame, and America really mean to him. Some of the most fascinating characters in recent pop culture make appearances, from the famous to the perhaps even-more-interesting behind-the-scenes players. The book also includes a photographic insert with images from Daviess own collection from the bands archive.
1115748061
Americana: The Kinks, the Riff, the Road: The Story
As a boy in post-War England, legendary Kinks singer/songwriter Ray Davies fell in love with America—its movies and music, its culture of freedom, fed his imagination. Then, as part of the British Invasion, he toured the US with the Kinks during one of the most tumultuous eras in recent history—until the Kinks group was banned from performing there from 1965-69. Many tours and trips later, while living in New Orleans, he experienced a transformative event: the shooting (a result of a botched robbery) that nearly took his life. In Americana, Davies tries to make sense of his long love-hate relationship with the country that both inspired and frustrated him. From his quintessentially English perspective as a Kink, Davies—with candor, humor, and wit—takes us on a very personal road trip through his life and storied career as a rock star, and reveals what music, fame, and America really mean to him. Some of the most fascinating characters in recent pop culture make appearances, from the famous to the perhaps even-more-interesting behind-the-scenes players. The book also includes a photographic insert with images from Daviess own collection from the bands archive.
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Americana: The Kinks, the Riff, the Road: The Story

Americana: The Kinks, the Riff, the Road: The Story

by Ray Davies
Americana: The Kinks, the Riff, the Road: The Story

Americana: The Kinks, the Riff, the Road: The Story

by Ray Davies

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$11.99 

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Overview

As a boy in post-War England, legendary Kinks singer/songwriter Ray Davies fell in love with America—its movies and music, its culture of freedom, fed his imagination. Then, as part of the British Invasion, he toured the US with the Kinks during one of the most tumultuous eras in recent history—until the Kinks group was banned from performing there from 1965-69. Many tours and trips later, while living in New Orleans, he experienced a transformative event: the shooting (a result of a botched robbery) that nearly took his life. In Americana, Davies tries to make sense of his long love-hate relationship with the country that both inspired and frustrated him. From his quintessentially English perspective as a Kink, Davies—with candor, humor, and wit—takes us on a very personal road trip through his life and storied career as a rock star, and reveals what music, fame, and America really mean to him. Some of the most fascinating characters in recent pop culture make appearances, from the famous to the perhaps even-more-interesting behind-the-scenes players. The book also includes a photographic insert with images from Daviess own collection from the bands archive.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781402797194
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Publication date: 10/15/2013
Sold by: Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format: eBook
Pages: 320
File size: 3 MB

About the Author

Iconic rock legend Ray Davies inspired generations of musicians—from the Who, the Clash, and the Ramones to Black Sabbath—as lead singer and songwriter of the Kinks. The band's string of top ten international hits include “You Really Got Me,” “All Day and All of the Night,” “Till the End of the Day,” “Come Dancing,” and of course, “Lola.” In 1990, the Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Davies has also acted, directed, and produced shows for theater and television. Since the Kinks disbanded he has embarked on a solo career and continues to tour and record. Davies was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June 2014, and his Kinks-themed stage musical, Sunny Afternoon, is now playing on the West End in London and crowned best new musical at the Olivier Awards in April 2015. It also won Oliviers for best actor and best supporting actor in the musical category, and Ray Davies received a special outstanding achievement award for the Sunny Afternoon score.

Table of Contents

Preface viii

Opener: New Orleans 1

1 The Empty Room 4

2 Wings of Fantasy 22

3 The Fake World 36

4 The Invaders 42

5 Americana 50

6 The Big Weird 69

7 Thanksgiving Day 77

8 Celluloid Heroes 97

9 Life on the Road: Diary of 1077 113

10 Sleepwalker 125

11 The Big Guys 140

12 Misfits 148

13 Low Budget 160

14 Better Things 173

15 Unknown Purple 182

16 The Morning After 190

17 State of Confusion 208

18 After the Fall 229

19 Scattered 234

20 Phobia 248

21 Still Searchin' 252

22 Over My Head 263

23 Storyteller 271

24 The Voodoo Walk 281

25 A Street Called Hope 287

Epilogue: Security 296

Index 301

Credits 311

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