Home > Tampa Bay Music > CD Review > Ray Davies, 'Working Man's Cafe'

Backstory: Ray Davies fronted one of the most influential bands in music history, the Kinks, before embarking on a prolific solo career. From the riff-rock of "You Really Got Me" to the cerebral pop of "Village Green Preservation Society" and all the way to arena anthems like "Lola" and "Destroyer," the Kinks rewrote the rock rulebook.

Why you should care: Davies' talents have always married addictive musical hooks and lyrical complexity, from his work with the Kinks to his solo exercises, which now includes the conscientious "Working Man's Cafe." Davies is probably the only sonic legend who could set political lyrics—"Let's make a movie in Baghdad/Take the culture right to the Third World/Blow up a brand new civilization/In the name of globalization"—to lazy blues and get away with it, as he does on this effort's clever "Vietnam Cowboys."

Verdict: "Working Man's Cafe" is a must-have release for Kinks and Davies fans for sure, but it's also worthy material for the most jaded of rockers and poppers. Even when he's singing about getting shot and hospitalized in New Orleans, Davies is a smartass whose musical theatrics can't help but hypnotize. Sure, chilled formulas like "In a Moment" may take some getting used to, but a few minutes with headphones and the lyric sheet should convince more than a few punk whippersnappers.

X-Factor: Davies and his Kinks were banned from playing in America from 1965 to 1969, at the crucial height of the British Invasion. That they still survived to become rock heroes worldwide is a testimony to their influence and ingenuity.

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