Live Ledge #283: Ray, Jayhawks, and Kinks Covers

With today's release of Ray Davies' new album, Americana, it seemed a bit obvious to put together a Kinks show. Unfortunatley, I had already aired a Kinks tribute show almost five years ago. Live Ledge 77 was a response to my anger over the fact that NBC went to commercials just as Ray Davies was about to perform "Waterloo Sunset" during the closing ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics. I'm still mad about that.

That episode took away a good portion of possibilities for tonight, as I'm not a fan of duplicating myself. (Click here to read more and/or listen to that episode.) Luckily, almost everybody at some point has covered the Kinks so it was no problem to put together a show featuring the likes of the Jam, Pretty Things, Alex Chilton, Ty Segall, and the Pretenders. I could probably do another show in the future without having to return to any of these selections.

The first part of the show, though, is utilized to sample a number of tracks off Ray's great new record. A soundtrack of sorts to his book of the same name, the tracks on this album deal with his experience of living in the U.S. over the last few years.

He's ably backed by the Jayhawks, one of the great Americana bands of the last 30 years. Since they've also been utilized by artists such as John Wesley Harding and Joey Henry, it was fitting to also dedicate a set to their work with those artists and also on their own.

This is quite a fun show, and I think any rock and roll fan can find something they enjoy. It's really a testament to the songwriting genius of Mr. Davies. He's one of the few songwriters whose songs can be ably performed by acts that specialize in folk, punk, country, and even metal.

Grab this from the usual sources, including iTunes and Stitcher, or...

CLICK HERE TO STREAM OR DOWNLOAD!!!


1. Ray Davies, Poetry
2. Ray Davies, The Deal
3. Ray Davies, Rock 'N' Roll Cowboys
4. Ray Davies, The Great Highway
5. Ray Davies, Wings of Fantasy
6. The Jayhawks, Martin's Song
7. The Jayhawks, Big Star
8. Golden Smog, V
9. Joe Henry, Good Fortune
10. John Wesley Harding, The Wilderness Years
11. John Wesley Harding, Better Tell No One Your Dreams
12. Petula Clark, Un Jeune Homme Bien
13. Marianne Faithfull, Rosy, Won't You Please Come Home
14. The Pretty Things, A House In The Country
15. The Knack, Who'll Be The Next In Line
16. Steve Forbert, Starstruck
17. Bob Geldolf, Sunny Afternoon
18. Fountains of Wayne, Better Things
19. Chuck Prophet, Situation Vacant
20. Superdrag, You Really Got Me
21. The Hot Rats, Big Sky
22. The Smugglers, I'll Remember Rosie
23. Melvins, Attitude
24. The Count Bishops, I Need You
25. The Raincoats, Lola
26. The Pretenders, Stop Your Sobbing
27. ZOO, Where Have All The Good Times Gone
28. Ty Segall, Waterloo Sunset
29. The Ilk, Big Sky
30. The Plimsouls, Come On Now
31. Romantics, She's Got Everything
32. The Jam, David Watts (Remixed Demo Ver.)
33. Bill Lloyd and Tommy Womack, Picture Book
34. Alex Chilton and Ray Davies, Till the End of Day
35. Ray Davies & Black Francis, This Is Where I Belong
36. Metallica With Ray Davies, All Day And All Of The Night
37. The Kinks, Set Me Free