The Kinks recently released an expanded 50th anniversary reissue of their 1970 concept album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One, which found the British rock legends’ taking a satirical look at the music industry at a transitional time in their career.
Propelled by the hit single “Lola,” the album helped The Kinks enjoy renewed U.S. chart success shortly after the group began touring the country again after a three-year ban.
“I think the Lola album…encapsulates a lot of the environment and feelings that we were going through at that time,” Kinks guitarist Dave Davies tells ABC Audio. “[We were] reconnecting with our American audience…It kind of showed us a new way forward.”
Dave explains that his brother, Kinks frontman and main songwriter Ray Davies, “was…having a lot of worries about the music business…[Y]ou know, there was a lot of unscrupulous people about…[and] you have to try and navigate around this weird world that we were in.”
Arguably Dave’s most enduring contribution to the Lola album is “Strangers,” an introspective song about the connection human beings share that’s become a frequently covered Kinks tune.
“I was going through a lot of change…personally — spiritual stuff and getting into different philosophy,” Dave recalls about when he wrote the song. “You know, I was 15 time when we first started. And we had success, we were touring, and…it doesn’t really give you a chance to grow up…So ‘Strangers’ [was written at] a time when I [was thinking], ‘What’s going on? What are we doing? Why are we here?"”
The deluxe Lola reissue features a remastered stereo mix of the album, alternate mixes and versions of songs, B-sides, session tapes, live performances, BBC recordings, demos and more.
Visit TheKinks.info for more details.
By Matt Friedlander
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
