Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Kinks
Good music is a bit like good homeware. It lasts forever, and although it might not be as shiny and new after a few years as when you first got it, you still find that when you really need it, nothing else will do the job. I’ve certainly been feeling like that about a bands whose music I’ve downloaded recently – namely The Kinks.
My relationship with The Kinks goes back to when I was a little kid. My parents used to have a tape compilation (remember those?) called The Greatest Hits of 1967 and man, it had some brilliant tracks on it. Mellow Yellow by Donovan, A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procul Harum, even Massachusetts by the Bee Gees (a band I’ve always professed to hate but are actually pretty awesome). All amazing songs, and definitely at least one would be on my Desert Island Disks, but above all, the one that sticks in my memory is Ray Davies'classic Waterloo Sunset, as recorded by his band The Kinks.
Waterloo Sunset is simply one of the best tracks ever written. I know I’m a bit biased because I’m a Londoner and it’s such an iconically London song. But even non-London bods can feel the hair on the back of their necks rise as soon as the descending scales of the intro turn into the guitar refrain. What really makes the song work though is the haunting arrangement – behind a simple acoustic and electric guitar combination is this beautiful harmony vocal.
If you’ve not listened to it, pop on Myspace now and check it out – 44 years old and still incredible. Much like my Mum’s homeware.
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