Computer Age

The Kinks
Celluloid Heroes

I talk to many people in music, and removing a small group of friends Rock fans like me, nobody seems to know the Kinks, occasionally leaves the issue of the music of 60 and 70, and everyone is talking about The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, etc. .. but nobody seems to consider that from many points of view is the best rock band in history, the great and inimitable Kinks.

This story begins in a humble and populous district of London, Mushwell Hill, Raymond and Dave Davies is the only male offspring in a large family full of women, the two brothers are also small family with only three years apart between them but with a huge age difference with respect to their sisters. The children of the brothers Davies runs in a house full of people, with their parents, their brothers and sisters, all living in the same house, divided between all the attention to small.
In the lounge of the old house had a piano, and the two brothers enjoyed frequent family gatherings around the are playing songs and stories were fun, we can say that, apart following setbacks, the children of Ray and Dave was quite pleasant.
Although the two brothers had almost the same age, did not develop such a friendly relationship, each spent time with different people in the family (had to choose from) and rarely matched in their play, in these years forged the legendary love-hate relationship of the brothers Davies, a relationship based on mutual admiration between them but also the envy and rivalry.
Although they did not share too many things, the two brothers soon developed a great love for music, started playing both instruments while discovering the blues songs that came slowly across the Atlantic, soon began to work together with family and The next step was to form his own band to perform at local garitos.
The initial formation of the band, with Dave, Ray and a friend of both Peter Quayfe was taking various names before adoption of The Kinks and gradually gained notoriety in the local club circuit, but often acted as simple band to accompany other local musicians.

Suddenly the roles of all the musicians were defining and Ray started singing and composing songs, while Dave was developing a powerful and dynamic style with his guitar, the two came together at the family house to write, and one of these meetings was a song that would change forever the fate of the band and leaving a deep imprint on popular music of the twentieth century. Legend has it that Dave was going at that time experimenting with his amplifiers to get more volume, more connecting with each other. One afternoon Ray came with the chords of "You Really Got Me" began playing the piano, Dave came up with his guitar and amplified rasgeó the same line, days later, Ray already had prepared the letter. Both quickly realized that they had created something great, is not wrong because from that moment began to rain and offers record promoters who wanted to have the Kinks in their actions.
The rise in the lists of "You Really Got Me" was simply unstoppable, and the band for the first time with the resources to continue creating songs, do not arrive soon, between 1964 and 1965, the Kinks recorded two albums ( "The Kinks "and" Kinda Kinks ") and countless singles, while frantically began to turn around Europe.
At this early stage the Kinks were a really wild, and root from the frenetic pace of concerts beginning to emerge as the first friction between the group members, especially between the two brothers who staged sometimes tricky fights on stage.
In 1965 the group first visited the United States by offering a series of concerts, concerts that ended on a few occasions in real battles, in addition, acitud of group members at that time was, so to speak, little sociable especially the one that Dave Davies was involved systematically destroying the hotels where they spent training and fights at the slightest opportunity.
As a result, although it was never clear exactly why the Kinks were banned in the U.S. to act for a period of four years. This prohbición marked the evolution of the band, as they were automatically out of the U.S. market and outside the musical currents that would emerge in that country during the last years of the 60s. This ended almost definitely trade with the aspirations of the band, which he saw as his records were becoming less popular, although this did not influence the quality of their new songs, but rather the contrary, in the period 1965 to 1969 the Kinks gave their best work.

It was published in 1966 "Face to Face", one of the key albums of its time, a record that broke with the usual simplistic pop theme of the times by adding a series of detailed portraits of the British society, all this reflected in a few songs from a typical structure, addressing new and sound, adding unusual instruments like the harpsichord on issues such as "Rosey Will not You Please Come Home" or "There's Too Much On My Mind"
"Face to Face" was a discrete business reception and was criticized for his record company thought that these songs are far away from the pattern of "You Really Got Me" and their rebel image and profitable contentious.
Despite these setbacks, the Kinks felt good evolutionary his line and the following year delivered a record even less assimilated by the company: "Something Else," an album that left even more varied and clear that Ray Davies was not a typical composer, songs on this album are all sorts of unusual issues addressed in the great "Two Sisters" more than an obvious metaphor of envy between Ray and Dave, or sarcastic "David Watts", where Ray was arrested with his unique and sharp against ironia London's a dandy time.
In this record, Dave Davies, always overshadowed by the irrepressible talent of his brother, delivered one of his first compositions, the great "Death Of A Clown".

The next album of Kinks, released a year later, is considered by much of the criticism as the best work of the band, and one of the key pieces of pop of 60 is "The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society ", a monumental double disc where all the virtues mentioned above operate in all its explendor. A disc absolutely round without a single issue of filling that shows even more nuances in the literature of Ray and sharpened in the records of the band. All topics are impeccable, but we will cite some of the beautiful "Days" and "Monica" and the sensational "Picture Book", "Big Sky" and "Sitting On The Riverside."
After Village Green, the Kinks released yet another album for his company always Pye, another superb album called "Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire" despite continuing the line of his previous works sublime not worked too well level of sales. Songs on this album are incredible as savage "Brainwashed" strange "Australia" or the delicious "Shangri-La." The Kinks had already reached a level of excellence absolutely overwhelming.

In 1970 he spent several things return to change the course of training, the first is the end of the veto in the United States, which allowed them to return to action in that country to offer almost a half later, on arrival they found the Kinks enjoyed a position of considerable prestige in that country, with legions of fans who came almost to fanaticism.
That same year, the Kinks released "Lola", a strong theme on a transvestite who was an immediate success and overwhelming. the resulting album, "Lola vs. the Powerman and Moneygoround, Part One" finally allowed to return to the charts with a curiously much lower than the record previously commented, despite having the luxury items such as "APEM" "Top Of The Pops" or that "Lola."

Throughout the years, Ray Davies was interested in the world of television and theater, working in several areas of the BBC, one of those projects was the idea of the film "Percy", an absurd story about an eschatological man lost his penis, the film went without penalty or glory for the lockers and deserves lost in oblivion were it not for the Kinks recorded throughout the soundtrack, making some items as "God's Children," "The Way Love Used To Be "or" Moments "which are among the best of their repertoire.
This soundtrack, released in 1971 was the group's last recording for Pye, started 70 years and the Kinks, selflessness and tired of the idleness of the executives decided to change of scenery and profiling by RCA, a company offering commercial support and more promotional.
The formation of the Kinks had remained practically unchanged over the years, the two brothers Davies as leader and Peter Quayfe and Mick Avory in their roles as bassist and drums respectively, Quayfe left the band in 1969, and was replaced by John Dalton, and early'70s the band began to add vocals and wind sections of their direct and their recordings.
Published in 1971 came "Mushwell Hillbillies," his first work for RCA was a significant step forward in the sound of the band, adding elements of country music and even touches of music hall in a disc rather than symbolically significant that was presented as a return to the roots, a return to origins. In this record we find another handful of classics such as "20th Century Man," "Holiday" or "Alcohol."

He already indicated interest in Ray Davies in the world of television, serials, drama and entertainment in successive years would result in a series of conceptual albums that were not cut properly understood by either the public or by critics but now containing more than outstanding. In "Everybody Is In Showbiz", published in 1972 and introduced some elements of this trend to later be developed further, this is an unusual album, with popular themes of the band live and unreleased tracks enough quality, emphasize the majesty and beauty of "Celluloid Heroes" and "Sitting In My Hotel", two issues with the unmistakable melancholy tone of Ray Davies.

The series of conceptual albums starting with "Preservations," "Preservation Act 1" published in 1973 and "Preservation Act 2" published in 1974, these albums Ray Davies has a history of delirious chapters on Flash, a landowner who wants capitalist take power, and Mr. Black, a leading socialist which aim to prevent and oppose it. "Preservation" is a seemingly simple story of class struggle that is very much complicated by the fervent imagination of Davies, in any case, although the concept of the work was not treated very well, these discs contain two other impeccable selection of songs, pop-oriented, but without entering complex in other areas less traveled. They are definitely little business, and perhaps the newcomers to the work of the Kinks should start by other details in your catalog.

In 1975 he published "Soap Opera", another concept album that was originally devised for a series on BBC that was never carried out, the idea here revolves around a rock star of the media (perhaps a self portrait of the Ray Davies) believes that can make people in poor stars, which changes his life with a simple worker in order to demonstrate how easy it is to succeed ... that is the face of harsh reality and routine. The usual brilliance of Davies lirica add here that there are a number of issues and unpayable really cool, like the original "Everybody Is A Star (Starmaker)", "When Work Is Over" or the fantastic "Holiday Romance."
It goes without saying that the album was not well received by critics and even today is one of his worst considered. At the level of sales does not work too well and his company began to show signs of impatience. Relations between the group members, especially between the two brothers, not just going for her best time since Dave felt this whole line of mistaken conceptual albums and wanted a return to the beginning of primitive rock.

The next step seemed to give the reason for Dave, because "Schoolboys In Disgrace" (1975) is an album-oriented rock much despite being a new concept album (a disc on the education theme, no less).
This time the songs are much more direct than in previous work, much more aggressive and dynamic, almost like a return to its early days. Memorable songs that are converted from here in classical concerts as "The Hard Way," "I'm In Disgrace" and the monumental "Headmaster."
For this concert tour, the Kinks returned to their basic guitar, bass and drums and went on stage dressed as schoolboys, offering the most powerful of its repertoire.
This line back to its origins and wild rockers remain in their next jobs, and for his new company, Arista.

The next two albums "Angel" (1977) and "Misfits" (1978) are considered the best by the Kinks recorded throughout the 70s, a new full time composer Ray Davies in a state of grace and a band that sounds like a real steamroller here. Both discs are absolutely impeccable and round, but worth highlighting its perfection by such topics as "Life On The Road" or "Angel" and the first "Rock and Roll Fantasy" or "Hey Fever" in the second, which are among the songs Best of all its catalog.
The Kinks ended 70 delivering a new album ( "Low Budget") and forces to spare even after twenty years of career, to continue on the road. In 1980 it was published "One For The Road", a revealing document that shows the tremendous strength of the band live.

Although 80 years have been productive for the band, delivering a total of seven new studio album to "Phobia", his last album, we do not have space here to detail each of these works, although it must be said that the level of these recordings, but not sublime, but it remained significant.
Highlight the strength of the themes contained in "Give the People What They Want" or the particular irony that flooding cuts "Word Of Mouth", disks that Ray Davies continued to show their unique talent in a few letters and a long vibrant compositions and intelligent.

Those few who have managed to sum up in this special are broadly the powers of a band in its own right has always included among the best in history. Ray Davies has written one of the most glorious pages of the rock, portraying, with his unique sense of humor, with his keen intelligence, the lives of ordinary people like us, becoming humble and stories gray glorious songs immortal. because as he said himself Ray "There are stars in every city, and in every house on every street, and if you walk down Hollywood Boulevard, their names are written in concrete."

Toshiro Mifune
The Seventh Samurai

Interestingly, the best player in the classic Japanese film, the perfect embodiment of the Samurai, was born, although Japanese parents, in China in 1920. Toshiro Mifune symbolizes more than any other actor's brutal transformation that Japan suffered in the second half of the twentieth century, a transformation that after the tremendous tragedy of World War II led the country to evolve from an almost feudal system to convert the great power economic and technology is today.

Toshiro Mifune came to Japan after the war, beginning to work on casual jobs until, almost by chance, entered the world of cinema for 26 years, without any preparation. After some minor roles Akira Kurosawa was set at the beginning at that time one of the most productive relationships modern cinema, a relationship that would keep us almost 20 years and 15 films crystallize absolutely essential. Despite the successful collaboration with Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune worked in many more films, we will try to make a necessarily incomplete summary of his unique career.

Mifune's first film with Kurosawa was "Yoidore Tenshi" (Angel Ebrio), a heartbreaking tragedy of war in which there is an interesting duel with another interpretation of the actors favorite Kurosawa, Takashi Shimura, embodying a dedicated doctor Mifune and himself in the role of a Gulf fond of drink, in this film and leave clearly highlights the tremendous interpretative skills Mifune, giving her character an expressive and emotional burden seldom seen in the film East, El Angel Ebrio is a direct and powerful film that still retains its full force.

Barely a year after two other movies come in those roles again repeat to the direction of Kurosawa and Mifune Shimura with leading roles in "Shizuka Naro Kette" (The Quiet Duel) and Nora-Inu "(rabid dog ), two shocking stories based in the shattered post-war Japan in which they are well defined and every nuance of the work of Kurosawa, the conflict between tradition and modernity, between honor and freedom. Mifune is new in these two films show their versatility and interpretive ability, especially their role in brilliant rabid dog, embodying a cop tormented by the loss of his weapon, perhaps Paul Thomas Anderson thought of this film to define the character of the Official Jim Kurrey in "Magnolia."

These initial collaborations with Toshiro Mifune Kurosawa made a remarkable popularity in his country, and soon emerged new projects in 1950 Mifune shot as many as six films, among which, again under the command of the great master "Rashomon "brillantísima a film set in feudal Japan in which a story is told by different characters, heightening the contrasts and paradoxes of the Japanese mentality, a great film, brilliant and visually stunning, with some of these levels of rainfall in white black and only knew Kurosawa film. Mifune welcomes the new requirements to which it is subjected to the shooting (he had to learn different dance based on movements of animals) and enhanced its prestige comes with experience. Autentica masterpiece.

If 1950 was a busy year for Toshiro Mifune, the following season is not far behind, rotating between 1951 and 1953 a whopping 17 films, unfortunately many of these tapes are virtually impossible to find in the Western market and have not had occasion to see most films of this period, along with Kurosawa filmed "Hakuchi" (The Idiot) in 1951, a minor work definitely considering what was left to come, and also worked under the orders of Japanese directors such as Senkichi Taniguchi, Hiroshi Inagaki Kenji Mizoguchi or expand their searches even further. In the mid-50 Mifune was an institution in his country, an experienced actor who represented the ideal perfection all values of Japanese society, a versatile actor who gave memorable performances in dramas, comedies and stories of that time, a character already beginning to be known worldwide, thanks particularly to "Rashomon" tape presented at the Venice Festival with more than a remarkable success.

Toshiro Mifune is best known for giving life to their roles Samurais, embodying the ideal of Tateyaku, strongly rooted in the culture of Japan, the ideal of stoic men, slaughtered at the service of his master, with the honor as the only motivation, as single purpose. Since 1954 many of these films come; rodaría same year two of the most fascinating of his career, on the one hand "Miyamoto Musashi (Samurai: The Legend of Musashi) Hiroshi Inagaki, part of the" Trilogy of Samurai, "a stunning film that describes a perfect birth and a perfect record of Samurai, from his humble origins to its final victory, a film and a fascinating trilogy really memorable sequences, a saga full of action, love, sword fighting and spectacular scenery.
1954 is also "Shichinin no Samurai" (Seven Samurais), perhaps the masterpiece of Akira Kurosawa, a masterpiece in which he cast doubt on the strict and unchanging values of the samurai, a film in which the protagonists are weak Men loaded with doubts and fears, without Samurais owner (Ronins) who find redemption in a desperate last mission, Kikuchiyo Toshiro Mifune here is a crazy girl who pretends to be humble Samurai to join the group, a false and tireless warrior many lessons to teach authentic Samurais. It also stresses once again the presence of veteran actor Takashi Shimura in the role of Kanbei, the old warrior who has to collect the group.
Not much more you can say about this extraordinary film, there is an extensive bibliography has been published about her, but the best is still to return to enjoy the movie, a band that always brings new excitement to the viewer.

Between 1955 and 1957 Toshiro Mifune continued its relentless pace of work, participating in numerous projects, including the second and third of the trilogy Inagaki "Zoku Miyamoto Musashi (Samurai II: Duel in Ichichoji) and Miyamoto Musashi Yori : Ganryujima Kette (Samurai III: Duel on Ganryu Island) and also playing three new films Akira Kurosawa: "Ikimono No Kiroku" (Chronicle of a Living Being), "Donzoko" (the underground) and the superb "Kumonosu -Jo (Throne of Blood), the spectacular film that merit consideration, as was discussed in depth on this page, although it is worth recalling here the incredible power of a visual film, adapted from Shakespeare's Macbeth that exceptuanto "Dersu Uzala" is undoubtedly the most spectacular of its director, the scenes of fog, rain, darkness of the forest, the music, the violence of the battles, betrayals and the hundreds of elements that come together in this film transported andalusia viewer to a universe certainly attractive, Throne of Blood is my best film of Akira Kurosawa and one of the best roles of Toshiro Mifune. A classic.

The extraordinary success of these productions set in feudal Japan Toshiro Mifune took years to embark on a large number of productions of this style, dividing his film appearances between Kurosawa and Hiroshi Inagaki mainly with both managers, 1958 1965 rodaría a lot of film to develop its role Samurai perfect, let's see some of the highlights of this period:
Filmed in 1958 "Kakushi Toride No San Akunin (The Hidden Fortress) from Kurosawa film is another spectacular adventure herrantes Princesses, and a disguised Samurais palette of characters and situations that many say served to outline the George Lucas universe one galaxy "far, far away."
Less well known than the saga of Inagaki's Samurai is the saga of "Yagyu Bugeicho" (Secret Scroll I & II), action films gender impeccably performed that served to define the "Chambara," a Western equivalent of the U.S..
Other notable films with Mifune Inagaki this period are tapes as "Tanja Nihon" (The Three Treasures), "Osakajo Monogatari" (Daredevil In The Castle), "Chusingura or Daitatsumaki," among many others.
Beside Kurosawa, Mifune worked in the first 60 in a long list of productions of different genres, highlighting its role in Sanjur "Yojimbo" and "Sanjur," the story of a wandering samurai unscrupulous law imposed by the sword wherever he goes, back in the Kurosawa film introducing surprise unpublished elements of humor in the productions usually too serious "Chambara.
As long as other "Warui Yatsu Hodo Yoku Nemuru" (The Canallas sleep in peace) and "Tengoku To Jigoku (Hell of Hatred), intense dramas of social content, momentarily abandons his Katana Mifune once again demonstrated its breadth of records .

Andalusia period from 1958 to 1965 also reflects a curious film, "Animas Trujano", also known as "the man," a film shot in Mexico to orders in which Ismael Rodriguez Toshiro Mifune plays a tough and violent farmer committed to being the big man of the people, to film this strange production Mifune had to learn in a record time to vocalize in Spanish, learning memory parts recorded on a tape, a film that beyond the curiosity of seeing Mifune with Mexican hat was no joke, this has major bearing on social drama of the best Mexican films of the era.

In 1965, Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune last worked together in "Akahige" (Red Beard), a drama in the line of the great "Ikiru" (Living), in which Mifune offers another interpretation sublime giving birth to a dedicated doctor . With this tape ended one of the most fruitful collaborations in the history of cinema, Toshiro Mifune then founded his own production company to continue making products that "Chambara" outcome irregular.

Chapter deserve raids conducted Toshiro Mifune in the U.S. market, the first of them was a minor role in "Grand Prix" by John Frankenheimer, a film without too many claims that almost went unnoticed, but quite remarkable was his second appearance (the year) in "Hell in the Pacific" by John Boorman, a significant hand in hand with Lee Marvin interpretive which gave an excellent result, the film brilliantly tells the story of two soldiers during World War II (one Japanese, one American ) who are forced to read when their planes shot down and find themselves on the same island.
No doubt this film was the most brilliant Toshiro Mifune shot outside his country, then appear in roles without too much authority in other U.S. productions such as "Midway" by Jack Smight (1976) or "1941" by Steven Spielberg, although his work remained focusing on Japan in their own productions which was not too successful, which gradually forced to accept minor roles in productions of dubious Samurais entity.

Toshiro Mifune died in 1997, having played more than a hundred films, many of which have fallen naturally in the dark in this special just wants to be a simple tribute to one of the most extraordinary actors in the history of movies.

"Old Man", recorded by Neil Young in 1972 appeared in her acclaimed album "Harvest" album with renowned Nashville session musicians in the city. It seems clear that the experience of Bob Dylan with the musicians from the Country to record his "Nashville Skyline" was crucial for Young decided to try fortune there.
After "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" (1969), his first album with Crazy Horse, the situation of Neil Young and his group was somewhat uncertain, had serious drug problems within the band they called Danny Young Whitten to record their next album saw clearly that he could not count on him and sent him home. Whitten died shortly later of an overdose.
"Old Man" was the second single from "Harvest" but did not reach anywhere near the commercial success of "Heart Of Gold", the most recognizable of this record and perhaps the entire discography of Neil Young. "Old Man" is about, or rather goes to the old guard of the ranch that Young bought by that time, a ranch that served to isolate the media environment created around them and to rethink her career after the success of Buffalo Springfield and of his first solo sorties.
“Old Man” y “Heart Of Gold” se grabaron en el mismo fin de semana en unas primeras sesiones en las que se consiguió reunir un grupo compuesto por Tim Drummond en el bajo, Kenny Buttrey a la bateria y Ben Keith en el pedal steel, aunque Young tambien llamó para las primeras tomas a Linda Rondstadt ya James Taylor, al que se le asignó un banjo de seis cuerdas que no había tocado nunca, con ambos músicos coincidió en el programa de Johnny Cash.
“Old Man” se grabó prácticamente a la primera, con todos los músicos tocando en directo, el tema comienza con una peculiar y característica intro acústica de Young, con ese rasgéo tosco y delicado a la vez, casi golpeando las cuerdas, con una sencilla progresión de acordes que tras la primera estrofa da paso al banjo y al pedal steel ofreciendo las notas justas para que la canción levante el vuelo hacia esa perfecta entrada del estribillo.
Esta canción resume mejor que cualquier otra el lado “amable” de Neil Young, su faceta acústica, cercana siempre al folk y al country, es una canción tremendamente cálida, perfecta en su sencillez y en la precisión con la que encajan todas las piezas, un tema que huele a hierba ya madera. Un tema sencillamente perfecto.