Product Description
Ray Davies, singer and songwriter of The Kinks, has revisited his remarkable repertoire of songs and recorded an album of collaborations with a diverse set of artists from Jon Bon Jovi, Metallica and Bruce Springsteen to Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol and Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins, as well as Mumford & Sons and Paloma Faith. The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. They were in the forefront of the British Invasion along with The Beatles and the Rolling Stones and are recognised as one of the most important rock acts of the era, influencing everything from heavy metal to Britpop. The album also features the last known recording by Big Star’s Alex Chilton.

1. Better Things - Ray Davies & Bruce Springsteen
2. Celluloid Heroes - Ray Davies, Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora
3. Days/This Time Tomorrow - Ray Davies & Mumford & Sons
4. Long Way From Home - Ray Davies, Lucinda Williams & The 88
5. You Really Got Me - Ray Davies & Metallica
6. Lola - Ray Davies & Paloma Faith
7. Waterloo Sunset - Ray Davies & Jackson Browne
8. 'Til The End of The Day - Ray Davies, Alex Chilton & The 88
9. Dead End Street - Ray Davies & Amy MacDonald
10. See My Friends - Ray Davies & Spoon
11. This Is Where I Belong - Ray Davies & Black Francis
12. David Watts - Ray Davies & The 88
13. Tired Of Waiting - Ray Davies & Gary Lightbody
14. All Day And All Of The Night/Destroyer - Ray Davies & Billy Corgan

Amazon USA:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043VCPV4/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0043VCPV4/?tag=imwan-21

This looks intriguing...........

Kinks with a twist: Davies records tunes with Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi

By Lisa Rose/The Star-Ledger
February 23, 2010, 1:32PM

Ray Davies is in the process of putting together an album of duets that revisits Kinks classics with notable guests. Very notable. Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi joined Davies in the studio to record two separate tracks last month.

Ray Davies is in the process of putting together an album of duets that revisits Kinks classics with notable guests. Very notable.

Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi joined Davies in the studio to record two separate tracks last month.

Davies, who launches an acoustic tour at the Borgata in Atlantic City on Friday, hopes to have the collection completed by the end of the year.

The Boss spent three hours jamming with Davies, adding some Jersey grit to the 1981 pop anthem "Better Things." The two met at one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame benefits last fall and discussed the possibility of teaming up for a tune.

The other Muswell-meets-Monmouth duet features Bon Jovi on the ballad "Celluloid Heroes." Other artists reshaping greats from the Kinks include the Killers, Lucinda Williams and, possibly, Metallica.

For all of the star power on the project, there’s still one person who fans really want to see paired with the 65-year-old singer-songwriter.

Guitarist and sibling Dave Davies has kept his distance since the Kinks split up in 1996. He suffered a stroke six years ago, and the crisis actually enabled the brothers to make peace with each other.

A reunion could be on the horizon, Ray Davies says, all depending on his brother’s health. There’s also a movie in the works, a biopic from director Julien Temple. And Davies is penning songs for a solo album.

Last year, Davies toured to promote "The Kinks Choral Collection," taking the stage with choirs to epic effect.

This time around, he’s looking forward to a stripped-down presentation, delving deep into the vault and playing more recent solo material unplugged. He’ll be backed by Irish guitarist Bill Shanley.

We called Ray Davies in Britain for a quick chat.

Q. What made you decide to go the acoustic route on this tour?

A. I wanted to get back in touch with my songs. The shows have a completely different feel to them, and it allows me to play certain songs that I could not do with the choir.

Q. Like?

A. Kinks classics that not many people know. I’ll touch on songs that are going to be a surprise. Some songs we just throw them in on the night because Bill and I have a really good rapport.

Q. Are you also writing another solo album?

A. A new album is on the way. I haven’t had many opportunities in the last year and a half to record new songs, so next year I’ll be doing more of that.

Q. I was wondering if you were writing on the road, maybe you encountered some interesting Jersey characters to write songs about?

A. There were a few Jersey people. I like New Jersey.

Q. We can tell.

A. I’m doing a collaborations album, and I’ve already recorded a track with Jon Bon Jovi and he’s from Jersey.

Q. Indeed. What about our other big Jersey icon, Bruce Springsteen?

A. Yeah, I’ve done a track with him too.

Q. When did you go into the studio with them?

A. In early January, I came to New York and did it.

Q. Was it a fast process?

A. Bruce took about two or three hours and Jon about the same, but they were well-prepped and I was very impressed. I’m thrilled to have done the tracks with those two guys.

Q. The question on a lot of people’s minds is the status of a possible Kinks reunion.

A. Mick Avory and I are going through lots of tapes that we recorded with Dave, and we’re sifting through the archives. We’ll see if he wants to get involved again. It’s in the works. It’s really up to Dave.

Q. How is his health?

A. His health is okay.

Q. Is this something where this health issue brought you closer together?

A. Oh yeah. He came and stayed with me, and I loved having him in my house. He’s my little brother. He can be annoying.

Q. What does he do that’s annoying?

A. He’s just my little brother.

Ray Davies records with Mumford & Sons, Spoon, Billy Corgan, Pixies' Frank Black for new album
Kinks' frontman is working on a collaboration LP which will be released later this year

August 26, 2010
http://www.nme.com/news/ray-davies/52702



The Kinks' frontman Ray Davies has revealed that he has been working with a series of high profile acts on a forthcoming album.

The legendary singer-songwriter has confirmed that he has been in the studio with Mumford and Sons, Spoon and Pixies' Frank Black.

Davies also added that he has recorded with Paloma Faith and Amy MacDonald for the LP, although despite a number of rumours, The Killers won't be working with him on the project.

Earlier this year, Bruce Springsteen recorded a version of The Kinks' 'Better Things' with the songwriter, while Bon Jovi collaborated with Davies on 'Celluloid Heroes', reports RayDavies.info.

Other names set to be included on the album include Lucinda Williams and the late Alex Chilton from Big Star.

Meanwhile, according to Hipsters United, producer and drummer Kerry Brown has claimed that The Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan has also been in the studio with Davies to remake The Kinks' 1981 single 'Destroyer'.

The as-yet untitled album will be released later this year.

I love the Davies canon as much as anyone. But he's already done Storytellers, he just did an album of his old songs with a choir and now he's going the duet route.

Enough already.

But, I'll still buy it. Hard-wired into the system, I suppose.

The new album is called See My Friends. It has a UK release date of 11/1/10
HMV UK has it listed (no tracklist or artwork), but Amazon UK doesn't have it listed as of this post.

It's now listed on Amazon UK

Track Listing
1. Better Things - Ray Davies & Bruce Springsteen
2. Celluloid Heroes - Ray Davies, Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora
3. Days/This Time Tomorrow - Ray Davies & Mumford & Sons
4. Long Way From Home - Ray Davies, Lucinda Williams & The 88
5. You Really Got Me - Ray Davies & Metallica
6. Lola - Ray Davies & Paloma Faith
7. Waterloo Sunset - Ray Davies & Jackson Browne
8. 'Til The End of The Day - Ray Davies, Alex Chilton & The 88
9. Dead End Street - Ray Davies & Amy MacDonald
10. See My Friends - Ray Davies & Spoon
11. This Is Where I Belong - Ray Davies & Black Francis
12. David Watts - Ray Davies & The 88
13. Tired Of Waiting - Ray Davies & Gary Lightbody
14. All Day And All Of The Night/Destroyer - Ray Davies & Billy Corgan

Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0043VCPV4/?tag=imwan-21

(Not on Amazon US as of yet)

Official album Web site
http://www.seemyfriends.co.uk/

The cover was changed....


The mainland Europe pressing has 1 extra track that won't be on the UK version or others.....
Victoria - Ray Davies & Mando Diao

Does this site get helped when buying from all Amazons, or just US and UK?
The 15 track version is on Amazon.de for 17.99 euros.

Charles,

IMWAN/ICE gets a little stipend from purchases made at Amazon USA, Amazon Canada and Amazon UK. If you can only get a release somewhere else, of course go for it.

For me, I think I'll just get the UK because I only really want the Chilton track. (BTW, I wish Alex had been one of the artists mentioned on the front cover. Oh, well.)

There's now another Europe version with 16 tracks. In addition to the Mando Diao/Victoria track, it has Arno (never heard of him) doing Moments.

I already ordered the above 15 track version, and don't want to go crazy beyond that, so I'll live without the new track.

I'm looking forward to the Chilton track most too.

For anyone that feels like waiting, the US version is going to be released March 22, 2011. It looks like the same 14 track version as the UK.

The US link up top already goes to the right page.

My 15 track version arrived in the mail today.

After my first complete listen, my favorite tracks are.....

Days/This Time Tomorrow - Mumford & Sons
See My Friends - Spoon
Victoria - Mando Diao (glad I got the 15 track version)
Till The End Of The Day - Alex Chilton/88
Long Way From Home - Lucinda Williams/88
David Watts - 88

The only one I'm not crazy about is Lola - Paloma Faith. For a woman singing the lyrics, I like the Raincoats version better.

Most of the rest is pretty good. None replace the originals.

Charles:
Now we know why you couldn't see Ray live last year.

From antimusic.com:

Although it has been more than seven years since Ray Davies was shot in the leg after chasing a thief in New Orleans, the Kinks frontman is still affected by the injury in major ways. The wound stemming from the 2004 incident actually put the 66-year-old rocker in the hospital late last year.

“It’s been pretty bad, actually,” he told Q magazine. “I got quite sick before Christmas from residue that is still in the leg and which formed a clot. It made me quite ill and I was hospitalized for a bit.”

Davies was forced to cancel a batch of performances in New York as a result. His doctors advised him not to fly until he was stable. The singer-guitarist blames the long-lasting effects on the way the wound was initially treated.

“To put it politely, I don’t think it was handled very well at the time: partly because the hospital was busy, and partly due to the nature of the gunshot wound,” he said. “It was a zigzag bullet.”

release date is now april 5.

lucinda!!

Somehow my friend Jamal got an Argentinian CD pressing with the 15-track line-up ("Victoria" is the bonus track).

It's mine, now.

Most of the reviews I've read have said this is pretty terrible. I'm sure a few things have to be good but I stay away from these things generally.