Monday, November 23, 2020
Kinks "Muswell Hillbillies"
(RCA, 1971)
MUSWELL HILLBILLIES TURN 49
“MUSWELL HILLBILLIES isn’t just a better country-rock album than anything by Wilco or Son Volt;
It’s a better country-rock album than anything by The Byrds.”
When the esteemed J.R.Taylor first put those words in The New York Press awhile back, I couldn’t help but laugh. J.R.’s always tossing around outrageous statements like this, and obviously loves a good scrape as much as anyone else who chooses to live – or write – within the confines of New York City. But then just the other day, I found myself listening yet again to that 1971 Kinks klassic in question …and I’m certainly not laughing anymore.
Without naming any more names (and believe me, I could greatly expand on Mr.Taylor’s little list!), let’s just say that one has to at least question the musical, and perhaps even socio-geographic, pedigree behind most of what’s since been loosely labeled “alt.country”: To whit, Strip the vast majority of [insert your current fave raves from the genre here] straight down, or better still see and hear [ditto] live on stage some night, and you’re likely to recognize, should you really be hip-honest enough, little more than just some plain dumb ol’ r-a-w-k in the USA with a couple of B-benders and sparkly shirts (if you’re lucky) tossed on top. The Stones and even the Georgia Satellites, fer Chrissake, have done it all already all over and over again …and with quite a bit more spit and panache, truth be told. And let’s not even get started on that pioneering Rank And File combo, OK?!
It’s a better country-rock album than anything by The Byrds.”
When the esteemed J.R.Taylor first put those words in The New York Press awhile back, I couldn’t help but laugh. J.R.’s always tossing around outrageous statements like this, and obviously loves a good scrape as much as anyone else who chooses to live – or write – within the confines of New York City. But then just the other day, I found myself listening yet again to that 1971 Kinks klassic in question …and I’m certainly not laughing anymore.
Without naming any more names (and believe me, I could greatly expand on Mr.Taylor’s little list!), let’s just say that one has to at least question the musical, and perhaps even socio-geographic, pedigree behind most of what’s since been loosely labeled “alt.country”: To whit, Strip the vast majority of [insert your current fave raves from the genre here] straight down, or better still see and hear [ditto] live on stage some night, and you’re likely to recognize, should you really be hip-honest enough, little more than just some plain dumb ol’ r-a-w-k in the USA with a couple of B-benders and sparkly shirts (if you’re lucky) tossed on top. The Stones and even the Georgia Satellites, fer Chrissake, have done it all already all over and over again …and with quite a bit more spit and panache, truth be told. And let’s not even get started on that pioneering Rank And File combo, OK?!
http://roctoberreviews.blogspot.com/2020/11/kinks-muswell-hillbillies.html
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