The Kinks Album: “Low Budget”

In 1979 The Kinks came back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . again.

After finding success in 1964 with their chart topping Hit Single 'You Really Got Me', which gave them the template for a stream of hit singles from the mighty pen of Ray Davies, elder brother of Dave Davies, who's guitar style changed the whole face of Rock 'n' Roll music, with his what were to become known as Heavy Metal riffs.

From 1964 -1967 "The Kinks" had twelve consecutive Top Ten hits in the U. K. with three number one's including 'Tired of Waiting' and the immortal 'Sunny Afternoon'. Amazingly, 'Waterloo Sunset' only got to number two, a travesty of justice. During this period "The Kinks" were considered one of the top contenders, and were always this Dog's favorite. "The Beatles "always seemed a little too managed to be the real thing, and "The Stones" sounded like they wanted to come from Detroit not Dartford, where they did come from. The Kinks loved coming from England, acted like it, and sung about it.

But somehow in 1967 the hits just dried up and the British press kicked over the bones, pronouncing The Kinks dead.

In 1970 out of nowhere they came up with 'Lola', a Top Ten hit all over Europe and the States. Probably only one of two songs to be about Transsexuals to slip through the tough censorship rules of the British Broadcasting Company to reach the Top Ten on the back of massive radio exposure. (The other one being Lou Reeds 'Walk on the Wild side'.) Maybe the man in charge of censorship just thought Lola was a nice girl with a deep brown voice, and those nice Kink Chaps were perfectly normal. Nice one, Hubert.

Following this up with more hit singles, a hit album, and lots of goodwill through doing popular soundtrack work for trendy movies such as the eye-wateringly topical 'Percy', about a very delicate transplant.

With their newly re-found fame the Davies Brothers packed their band up and moved lock, stock, and barrel across to the United States of America, where they were welcomed with open arms and proceeded to pump up the coffers with the Yankee dollar. But slowly the hits dried up and it was time for a bit of a re-think. An attack on American Stadium Rock was the way the Davies Brothers decided upon and went back into the studios with original drummer Mick Avory and Jim Redford, bassist. Redford, formerly with progressive rock band "Argent" added a lot of bottom end into the Kinks as well as a much needed injection of fun and enthusiasm. Keyboard player Gordon Edwards (ex "Pretty Things") had just been fired from the band for indulging too much in the Rock 'n' Roll lifestyle. So for the purpose of these sessions Ray Davies doubled up on keyboards, but by the time the band went back on the road a young man by the name of Ian Gibbons (later a long time member of the "Ian Hunter Band" and top Session Player) had taken over keyboard duties.

By that time "Low Budget" had given them their first Top Ten single in nine years and a Top Ten album to boot.

The music was perfect, capturing the mood of the times with Ray's musing over his observations on life. In 'A Gallon of Gas' the singer rues over the irony now that he has fame, fortune, the requisite life style, and most importantly a shiny new Cadillac. There is not a drop of gasoline to power his latest acquisition. (For those of you too young to remember, there was an oil crisis in 1979.) Even though times have changed the music is still very relevant today as it was then. Slip this newly re-mastered version of "Low Budget" into your CD player and cast yourself back to a time when musicians actually had to play their instruments and song writing was a real art. Every song is a gem with elder brother singing with emotion in his own unique whimsical style. Dave lays down some typically gritty Kinks Rock 'n' Roll guitar, whilst the rhythm section locks tightly into the jumpin' grooves. Filling out the sound further is Nick Newell on saxophone on a couple of tracks.

It's all gone a bit quiet on the Kinks front recently again, so expect a dramatic comeback at a time zone somewhere in your region any day now. However, in the mean time....

The Kinks were enjoying a second wind once signing with Arista in the mid-1970s after some spotty recordings earlier in the decade. "Sleepwalker" (1977) and "Misfits" (1978) showed the band getting tighter and stronger and the material Ray Davies was writing was approaching some of his best, but nothing could prepare fans for "Low Budget". True to the title the Kinks were at their most stripped down, spontaneous and playful in years. With punk on the ascent Ray Davies figured if you can't join `em, beat `em and delivered some of his brashest songs in years. Ostensibly an album about the USA it's Ray at his observational best with songs focusing on relations both personal and global.

The opening blast of "Attitude" really sets the stage as Dave cranks up his guitar and Ray lets rip with a stinging critique on a deserving fool with the wrong mindset. By the end things settle down and Ray is encouraging us all to "take off your headphones, see what's going on." "Catch Me Now I'm Falling" is a poignant plea from Captain America down on his knees that sadly is as poignant today as it was then. "Pressure" and "National Health" turns the perspective inwards towards dealing with pressure and exercise albeit with great chugging guitar and a can't-help-but-sing-along chorus on "Pressure" and an oddly loopy but catchy beat on "National Health". Next up is "Superman" which literally seems to divide Kinks fans into two camps; love it or see it as the Disco Sellout. Personally I love it and it's the song that hooked me into buying the LP back then and I love the hilarious lyric "I'd like to fly but I can't even swim". As far as rock-meets-disco it's certainly not "Miss You" by the Stones but I've certainly heard worse! "Low Budget" is probably one of the funniest numbers the Kinks did and totally skews the cheapskate chic that was in vogue then and now...another sing-along favorite. "In A Space" follows and I've never been sure whether it's about someone stoned/drunk and totally into introspection or literally about someone out in space, but it goes from calm to rock in almost no time and then back again. "Little Bit of Emotion" is practically just Ray singing with a guitar and lyrically so very direct and emotionally raw. "A Gallon of Gas" is a classic blues romp that conjures up gas lines and laughs about the dealers who can supply "high grade hash" but not a gallon of gas for any amount of cash. "Moving Pictures" is a bit of an odd note to close the record out on but typical for the Kinks...they like to leave on a high note and "Moving Pictures" reminds folks not to take things so seriously.

The re-releases thankfully add the Extended Disco Remix of "Superman" sure to make one camp groan, but has been long unavailable unless (like me) you owned the 12" vinyl single. The "Gallon of Gas" and "Catch Me Now I'm Falling" extended edits are great to have too.

Now some folks may say "Geez, it's a 25 year old record" but it doesn't sound as dated as much of the stuff from that era. It sounds even better on the Remastered Recording and better still on the SACD format. In fact listening to it on the SACD format it doesn't even sound like the same record...it's that much better! And more importantly "Low Budget" got the Kinks back on the map in the UK and the States opening the door to other great records. If you like this you'll love the live "One for the Road" recorded on the "Low Budget" tour. "Give the People What They Want" ups the ante substantially and brought the Kinks into the MTV era. If I had to pick a record representative of the Kinks VERY BEST it's a tie between "Low Budget" and "Give The People..." My suggestion? Start here!

The Kinks were enjoying a second wind once signing with Arista in the mid-1970s after some spotty recordings earlier in the decade. "Sleepwalker" (1977) and "Misfits" (1978) showed the band getting tighter and stronger and the material Ray Davies was writing was approaching some of his best, but nothing could prepare fans for "Low Budget". True to the title the Kinks were at their most stripped down, spontaneous and playful in years. With punk on the ascent Ray Davies figured if you can't join `em, beat `em and delivered some of his brashest songs in years. Ostensibly an album about the USA it's Ray at his observational best with songs focusing on relations both personal and global.

The opening blast of "Attitude" really sets the stage as Dave cranks up his guitar and Ray lets rip with a stinging critique on a deserving fool with the wrong mindset. By the end things settle down and Ray is encouraging us all to "take off your headphones, see what's going on." "Catch Me Now I'm Falling" is a poignant plea from Captain America down on his knees that sadly is as poignant today as it was then. "Pressure" and "National Health" turns the perspective inwards towards dealing with pressure and exercise albeit with great chugging guitar and a can't-help-but-sing-along chorus on "Pressure" and an oddly loopy but catchy beat on "National Health". Next up is "Superman" which literally seems to divide Kinks fans into two camps; love it or see it as the Disco Sellout. Personally I love it and it's the song that hooked me into buying the LP back then and I love the hilarious lyric "I'd like to fly but I can't even swim". As far as rock-meets-disco it's certainly not "Miss You" by the Stones but I've certainly heard worse! "Low Budget" is probably one of the funniest numbers the Kinks did and totally skews the cheapskate chic that was in vogue then and now...another sing-along favorite. "In A Space" follows and I've never been sure whether it's about someone stoned/drunk and totally into introspection or literally about someone out in space, but it goes from calm to rock in almost no time and then back again. "Little Bit of Emotion" is practically just Ray singing with a guitar and lyrically so very direct and emotionally raw. "A Gallon of Gas" is a classic blues romp that conjures up gas lines and laughs about the dealers who can supply "high grade hash" but not a gallon of gas for any amount of cash. "Moving Pictures" is a bit of an odd note to close the record out on but typical for the Kinks...they like to leave on a high note and "Moving Pictures" reminds folks not to take things so seriously.

The re-releases thankfully add the Extended Disco Remix of "Superman" sure to make one camp groan, but has been long unavailable unless (like me) you owned the 12" vinyl single. The "Gallon of Gas" and "Catch Me Now I'm Falling" extended edits are great to have too.

Now some folks may say "Geez, it's a 25 year old record" but it doesn't sound as dated as much of the stuff from that era. It sounds even better on the Remastered Recording and better still on the SACD format. In fact listening to it on the SACD format it doesn't even sound like the same record...it's that much better! And more importantly "Low Budget" got the Kinks back on the map in the UK and the States opening the door to other great records. If you like this you'll love the live "One for the Road" recorded on the "Low Budget" tour. "Give the People What They Want" ups the ante substantially and brought the Kinks into the MTV era. If I had to pick a record representative of the Kinks VERY BEST it's a tie between "Low Budget" and "Give The People..." My suggestion? Start here!

Nobody likes the song "Superman"?? COME ON!! What the F??? Its such a great song! To refer to it as Disco is a bit off the mark, as its more of a sardonic stab at Disco, similar to what Blondie did on Parallel Lines with Heart of Glass. (Though Im sure all the stuck-in-the-70's classic rock morons still think it was selling out) The song is a great, original New Waver, perhaps one of the finest of the era. This album resurrected the Kinks as a creative force and certainly revived the pop-sensibilties that were lost on the last few albums. Low Budget rocks with a "woe-is-me" tounge in cheek attutidue. Catch me now Im falling is a great song - even better in this American-bashing zeitgeist. This is a great album and its probably the reason Chrissy Hynde got it on with Ray Davies in the first place.

Low Budget was the Kinks Great American Album, released in an era of oil embargos and double digit inflation, when the pathos of Catch Me Now I'm Falling, with it's plaintive "I helped you out when you were down on your knees" seemed chilling and all-too-resonant. It's tough to remember in these days of soaring American prosperity, but there was a time when belt-tightening was a national pasttime. And leave it to the Kinks to encapsulate that time with a bunch of witty, heartfelt rock anthems: (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman, A Gallon of Gas, Pressure, and the admonitory Attitude). From its grimy cover to its pre-grunge growl, this is a minor classic that I am delighted to own on CD, if only for the 12" disco remix of Catch Me Now. Their first truly solid album since Muswell Hillbillies, Low Budget feels aomewhat dated now, but what goes around comes around, folks.