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Misfits (The Kinks album)

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Misfits
Studio album by
the Kinks
Released19 May 1978
RecordedJuly 1977 – January 1978
StudioKonk, London
Genre
Length40:29
LabelArista
ProducerRay Davies
The Kinks chronology
Sleepwalker
(1977) 		Misfits
(1978) 		Low Budget
(1979)
Singles from Misfits
  1. "A Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy"
    Released: 5 May 1978
  2. "Live Life"
    Released: 14 July 1978
  3. "Black Messiah"
    Released: 29 September 1978 (UK)

Misfits is the seventeenth studio album by the English rock band the Kinks, released in 1978. Following the minor success of Sleepwalker in the United States, Misfits featured a more rock-oriented style than many other Kinks records of the 1970s. It was their last album to feature pianist John Gosling and the only one to feature bassist Andy Pyle as a member, both of whom quit the band following internal conflicts. Despite this, the album made the Top 40 in America. The album also contained the minor hit single "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy", as well as less successful releases "Live Life" and "Black Messiah".

Background

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Misfits was the second album the band recorded for Arista Records, the record company the band switched to from RCA Records in 1976. Although the band had spent a good portion of the 1970s releasing concept albums, their previous album, Sleepwalker, signaled a shift toward more rock based material. In addition, the album began the band's commercial comeback in the US, with the album reaching #21 and its title track peaking at #48.[2] However, during the recording of Sleepwalker, longtime bassist John Dalton quit the band, and was replaced by Andy Pyle.

Recording

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Many of the album's songs, such as "Hay Fever", "In a Foreign Land", and "Black Messiah", were leftovers from the band's previous 1977 album, Sleepwalker.[3] "In a Foreign Land" (which featured Dalton on bass), specifically, was in the planned running order until late in recording. Instead it was replaced with the late addition "Mr. Big Man".[3]

The album was recorded at Konk Studios in London following the band's tumultuous 1977 tour.[4] Due to conflicts between Ray Davies and Pyle, the latter began contemplating leaving the band. Gosling, also wanting to leave the band since Dalton's resignation, began to work with Pyle over plans to form another band.[5] However, when Ray Davies caught wind of the project, he began to intervene.[5] Gosling remembered, "We [me and Pyle] rehearsed and held auditions at the Bridge House pub in Canning Town. It was exhilarating, like starting over. But Ray somehow found out and started giving me a hard time during my last overdub sessions for Misfits."[5] Per Dave Davies, the band had practically disbanded:

At the time of Misfits the band, as it was, had broken up. ... Music isn't glamorous. For most of the time, you are faced with horrible people. You do meet some beautiful, creative, talented people but there’s also a lot of shit there. In the period of Misfits, we thought, 'Why the hell are we doing this now?'[6]

After recording was done both Pyle and Gosling departed for good. Zaine Griff and Ron Lawrence did bass overdubs for some songs. In addition, founding drummer Mick Avory also considered leaving, and became a less active participant, leaving Dave Davies's friend Nick Trevisick to drum on three songs and session drummer Clem Cattini to do overdubs.[7] However, Avory stayed with the band until 1984.

Release and reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Blender[9]
Christgau's Record GuideB[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[11]

Although it was unable to chart in Britain, Misfits reached #40 in America.[8][12] The debut single from the album, "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy", was also a minor hit in the US, reaching #30.[8] Follow-up singles "Live Life" and "Black Messiah" (the latter a British-only release), however, failed to make an impact.

Rolling Stone wrote: "Thanks to Ray Davies, Misfits is very nearly a masterpiece because it anatomizes rather than glorifies Davies' role as 'One of the Survivors', as the Kinks sang five years ago."[13]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Ray Davies, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Misfits"4:41
2."Hay Fever"3:32
3."Live Life"3:49
4."A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy"4:58
5."In a Foreign Land"3:03
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Permanent Waves" 3:47
2."Black Messiah" 4:08
3."Out of the Wardrobe" 3:35
4."Trust Your Heart"Dave Davies4:11
5."Get Up" 3:22

On the UK version of the LP, a longer version of "Live Life" (4:47) switches places with "Black Messiah". Remastered CD releases have the UK LP track order and include a shorter "Live Life" as a bonus track (different from the US version). Arista released a ten track CD (Arista 260 173) that reproduces the original, non-UK LP version.

Remastered CD
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Misfits" 4:42
2."Hay Fever" 3:33
3."Black Messiah" 4:08
4."A Rock & Roll Fantasy" 4:58
5."In a Foreign Land" 3:02
6."Permanent Waves" 3:48
7."Live Life" 4:47
8."Out of the Wardrobe" 3:37
9."Trust Your Heart"Dave Davies4:11
10."Get Up" 3:22
Remastered CD bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Black Messiah" (Single remix)3:37
12."Father Christmas"3:42
13."A Rock & Roll Fantasy" (US single edit)4:01
14."Live Life" (US single remix)3:47

B-sides

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Song Single Writer
"Artificial Light" "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" Ray Davies

Personnel

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The Kinks

  • Ray Davies – vocals, guitar, piano, synthesizer
  • Dave Davies – backing vocals, lead guitar, lead vocals on "Trust Your Heart"
  • Mick Avory – drums and percussion (except "Trust Your Heart", "A Rock & Roll Fantasy" and "Get Up")
  • John Gosling – piano, organ, synthesizer
  • Andy Pyle – bass guitar (except "Live Life", "Rock and Roll Fantasy", "In A Foreign Land", and "Get Up")[14]
  • John Dalton – bass guitar on "In A Foreign Land"[14]

Other musicians

  • Nick Trevisik – drums on "Trust Your Heart", "A Rock & Roll Fantasy", and "Get Up"
  • Ron Lawrence – bass guitar on "Live Life", "Rock and Roll Fantasy", and "Get Up"
  • Zaine Griff – bass guitar overdubs
  • Clem Cattini – drum overdubs
  • John Beecham – trombone on "Black Messiah"
  • Nick Newall – clarinet on "Black Messiah"
  • Mike Cotton – trumpet on "Black Messiah"

Production

  • Written and Produced by Raymond Douglas Davies
  • Engineered by Steve Waldman
  • Photography – James Wedge

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "The Kinks". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 458–460. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  2. ^ Jovanovic 2014, pp. 229.
  3. ^ a b Hinman 2004, pp. 206.
  4. ^ Jovanovic 2014, pp. 230.
  5. ^ a b c Jovanovic 2014, pp. 231.
  6. ^ "It's Family Innit?: Kinks' legendary guitarist, Dave Davies, in conversation". The Audiophile Man. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  7. ^ Jovanovic 2014, pp. 232.
  8. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Kinks: Misfits > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  9. ^ Blender review Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: K". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 28 February 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  11. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
  12. ^ Jovanovic 2014, pp. 233.
  13. ^ Emerson, Ken (12 July 1978). "The Kinks: Misfits". Rolling Stone. No. RS 269. Straight Arrow. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on 9 December 2007.
  14. ^ a b Doug Hinman (2004). The Kinks: All Day and All of the Night. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 219. ISBN 0-87930-765-X.

Sources

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