Search - Ray Davies :: Return to Waterloo: The Kinks

Great companion piece to "Word of Mouth"

W. M. Davidson | St. Louis, MO | 09/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's a shame that this soundtrack is so obscure because it contains some of the Kinks' best '80s work. "Return to Waterloo" and "Expectations" are beautiful laments to a lost England in the spirit of the "Arthur" album. Both would have been assets to "Word of Mouth" but thematically fit in better here. "Lonely Hearts" is a fun '50s-style ballad, "Not Far Away" rocks out in the same punkish vein as "Sold Me Out," and "Voices in the Dark" works well as an atmospheric closer. All fine efforts. "Going Solo," "Missing Persons," and "Sold Me Out" are repeats from "WOM" of course, though the latter is present here in a slightly different edit.



The relative scarcity of new material is troubling (even padded with the three "WOM" tracks, there's about 30 minutes of music here), but the title track and "Expectations" belong in any Kinks library, and the other tracks are solidly enjoyable, especially if you're a fan of "Word of Mouth." Recommended."

A disappoiting set

G. Eggens | 02/23/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I would easily hand out 5 stars for the invidual songs of this CD because Ray Davies really believed in the "Return To Waterloo" television play he wrote and produced in 1983. The songs are very good but the reason I give 3 stars is the lack of bonus material.

Kinksfans had to wait for 20 years for this album to come out on CD and were hoping that Ray Davies could be persuaded to add some unreleased songs to the tracklist. The album was already relatively short on needle time and the original television play bolstered some songs that were not on the original vinyl album. Those songs could have fitted nicely on this CD. Instead we have a CD lasting some 30 minutes missing some very nice key tracks.

"

+ 1/2 stars...Ray Davies Explores Familiar Territory

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 02/28/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This album, first released twenty years ago, is a Kinks album in everything but name. As such, it is the only solo studio album by Ray Davies. However, the musicians credited on the album comprise the then-current lineup of The Kinks: Ian Gibbons (synths & keyboards), Jim Rodford (bass), and Bob Henritt and original member Mick Avory on drums. [Although brother Dave is not credited, three of these songs--"Going Solo," "Sold Me Out" and "Missing Persons"--first appeared on 1984's WORD OF MOUTH.]



This only leaves five new songs that are from a long out-of-print soundtrack to a film written and directed by the Kinks' frontman. The title track is a terrific song tinged with nostalgia and regret. [One of Ray's favorite themes.] "Lonely Hearts" is a touching ballad, but not one of Ray's first-rate efforts. "Not Far Away" is a punchy rocker railing against the conformity of society. In "Expectations," Ray laments how England has let him down. "Voices in the Dark" has Ray exploring the feeling of loneliness. [Favorite line: "A voice that has no face/Is lost in time and inner space/Chasing dreams that got lost in the dark.]



Lyrically there's nothing really new here. Ray has explored these themes before on albums like VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY and ARTHUR. But if you passed on this album when it was first released, there is a hole in your Kinks collection. While it has a running time of just over thirty-one minutes, there are enough good songs to justify its purchase. RECOMMENDED"