Ray Davies

b. Raymond Douglas Davies, 21 June 1944, Muswell Hill, London, England. The cornerstone of the Kinks, Ray Davies is one of his country's great songwriters. A peculiarly English architect of lyrics, Davies, an introverted seventh child, once stated an intention to write "for waitresses and divorced people". However, over four decades he has provided a feast for allcomers, regardless of social station, from the simple urgency of "You Really Got Me" to the detached melancholy of "Come Dancing". Often branded England's "kitchen sink lyricist" for his depictions of British morality and normality, he has conversely flirted with the fringes of gay and transvestite culture in songs ranging from "See My Friend" to "Lola" and "David Watts". Another thematic pivot is his feel for isolation. This was most ambitiously realized with Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire), a set of songs about a single man about to watch his only son and heir depart for Australia. Originally planned as a drama for Granada Television, Davies eventually produced his own screenplays, including The Loneliness Of A Long Distance Piano Player, and, in 1984, Return To Waterloo for Channel 4 Films.

Outside of the Kinks' brand name, Davies seldom ventured into solo territory, save a cursory stint with Virgin Records in the mid-80s when he appeared in Absolute Beginners. He has, however, been involved in several projects with other artists (notably through his Konk record label), and received the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award and a place in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for his troubles. His 1994 "autobiography", X-Ray, was typically recounted in a wonderful, hand-me-down fashion, relating various tales of excess from life on the road.

During 1996 and 1997 Davies toured solo with an act built around X-Ray. As the narrator, Davies read passages from the book and added spontaneous quips. This was sensitively and quite brilliantly blended with his already remarkable songbook. Often during these performances, songs that sounded inferior or merely average when previously performed by the Kinks, rose to magnificence as they were stripped down for acoustic guitar and a hushed auditorium. Other gems, such as "Two Sisters" and "Victoria', reaffirmed Davies" knack of mixing the melancholic with urbane cynicism. The Storyteller (1998) was a part-live recording from these stage performances and included some new material, notably "The Ballad Of Julie Finkel" and "London Song". Both offered proof that there was no need for Davies to return to a group setting, having clearly found both his stage and his audience.

Davies was rewarded for his services to music when he was awarded a CBE in the 2004 New Year's Honours list. In January of the same year, he had a lucky escape when he was shot in the thigh pursuing two assailants in New Orleans' French Quarter. During his convalescence Davies completed the recording of his long-awaited solo debut, which he had been working on for several years. The result was a lyrically powerful collection of songs; not unsurprising from one of the key songwriters of the post-Beatles era.