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The north London suburb of Muswell Hill is perhaps best known for the serial killer Dennis Nilsen, who disposed of his victims in an Edwardian semi long since unoccupied but oddly given our obsession with notoreity without a blue plaque. Not far from the infamous Cranley Gardens address is the secondary Ray Davies: A Complicated Life where Ray Davies and his younger brother Dave went to school in the Fifties. The red- brick house is still there but Muswell Hill is no longer a shabby outreach of the Northern Line. Davies can still be seen mooching around, however, as he lives in nearby Highgate. According Ray Davies: A Complicated Life this diligent biography, Ray Davies was born in to a Smithfield slaughterman, Ray Davies: A Complicated Life Davies, and his wife, Annie. Stewart was kicked out when his voice was found to be unpleasantly raspy. Three years later, inDavies gave us Waterloo Sunset, one of the most beautiful pop songs ever written. For all their childhood singalongs, Ray and Dave were constantly at blows over song credits, royalties, drink and women. The rivalry was casebook Freud. Unlike Dave, Ray was a prickly man with a keen sense of social grievance and inferiority. Ray Davies: A Complicated Life a concert inAvory hit Dave so hard across the head with a cymbal that he was feared dead. Promoters wished the Kinks could be polite like the Rolling Stones. The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, their magnificent album, offered sardonic music hall routines and Orwellian sketches of suburban aspiration and family dysfunction. In the half-century of his songwriting, Davies has drawn inspiration from his tumultuous Muswell Hill life. Inaged 30, his adored sister Rene died from a heart attack on the dance floor of the Lyceum Ballroom in the Strand. Ray was about to celebrate his 13th birthday and Rene had given him his first guitar. Afterwards Davies was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and he attempted suicide. Two further marriages and a much-publicised affair with Chrissie Hynde also failed. Disaster stalked his life even as he was rediscovered. Inon the eve of his 60th birthday, Davies was shot at by muggers in New Orleans after giving chase. Notoriously tight-fisted, Davies could not bear to be parted with any of his money. Call or see books. Ray Davies: A Complicated Life by Johnny Rogan

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Ray Davies: A Complicated Life for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Ray Davies by Johnny Rogan. Within months, they were challenging The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the charts, swamped by fans and renowned for the rioting at their gigs. Based on countless interviews conducted over several decades, this richly detailed and revelatory biography presents the most frank and intimate portrait yet of Ray Davies, and promises to be the definitive biography of this most fascinating and complicated life. Get A Copy. Hardcoverpages. More Details Other Editions 3. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Ray Daviesplease sign up. Where can I get a copy of this book? It is out of print on Amazon. Could I borrow it from someone and then send it back? See 1 question about Ray Davies…. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Feb 28, Sharry rated it it was amazing. I had never read a biography about the Kinks before. I knew about some of their history and some of their recordings, but not all. I love detailed biographies and Johnny Rogan is especially adept at this sort of book. Ray Davies does not come off as a very likeable person, although moments of sentiment and caring do show through. I felt great sympathy for what younger brother Dave had to put up with, but then his Ray Davies: A Complicated Life was also rather unsettling. He could fly off the handle for no reason tu I had never read a biography about the Kinks before. He could fly off the handle for no reason turning into "Mr. Hyde"and he also acted abusively toward longtime Kinks drummer Mick Avory. The almost constant antagonism between Ray and Dave cast an unhappy veil over the rest of the band. Nevertheless, both brothers realized that they were dependent on each other to make the band a success. Ray eventually decided to pursue a solo career. It was fascinating to read about the band's ups and downs and their forays into different musical directions. View all 6 comments. Jan 05, Pete daPixie rated it really liked it Shelves: biogspoptastic. Johnny Rogan has quite an impressive list of popular music biographies. I have previously read his 'Van Morrison-No Surrender'. Anyone who was intimately associated with the Kink kontroversi Johnny Rogan has quite an impressive list of popular music biographies. Anyone who was intimately associated with the Kink kontroversies over the previous fifty years have contributed to Rogan's work. The journey is accompanied by relevant social and 'poptastic' histories. With over seven hundred and fifty pages of text, notes, discography and index, this publication blows away Davies' autobiog 'X-Ray'. Rogan takes a sharp scalpel inside Ray's psyche and readers will be amazed how Dave Davies, Pete Quaife Ray Davies: A Complicated Life Mick Avory remained Kinks for as long as they did. Not described as the definitive biography without reason. Jun 20, Malcolm Frawley rated it really liked it Shelves: owned. Joined the hip through their music they could barely stand sharing the stage times, yet were band mates for 30odd years. Recommended for baby boomer music fans. Mar 21, Betty C. As a lifelong Kinks' fan, I knew I would enjoy this book. I was impressed by Johnny Rogan's detailed research, and especially enjoyed the early chapters, which gave a real feel for the Davies family and the background the brothers come from. I however agree with some reviews that criticize Rogan for constantly going back to the theme of Ray's supposed cheap streak. It may be true, but some of the jabs on this subject seemed gratuitous, and perhaps other aspects of his personality could have been As a lifelong Kinks' fan, I knew I would enjoy this book. It may be true, but some of the jabs on this subject seemed gratuitous, and perhaps other aspects of his personality could have been more fully developed. Their chaotic, larger than life, family, schooldays and the beginnings of their interest in making music. What was also obvious was that Ray, even as a young boy, was often silent and withdrawn and his behaviour suggested cause for concern — this is a recurring theme of the book, as is the constant, infamous warring with younger brother Dave and his reputation for meanness… Although there are parts of the book where you feel that the author does tend to continually mention negative traits, I felt it was important in order to understand the unfolding story of the Kinks as a band. The violence on stage, the constant arguing and issues in the studio, all seemed to Ray Davies: A Complicated Life against the Kinks getting the real success they deserved. A disastrous visit led to the Kinks being banned from Ray Davies: A Complicated Life US for four years, with management issues and lawsuits all combining to halt the Kinks progress in the mid Sixties. Ray Davies was obviously temperamental to put it kindlyhis first marriage was unravelling and his behaviour in the studio, and on tour, stifled creativity in other band members. By the end of the Sixties, the Kinks were virtually a forgotten act. With failing singles and havoc on tour, they had cult — but not commercial — success. If the Seventies had mixed success, the Eighties led to criticisms of the bands relevance, more personal issues and the humiliation of being turned down for Live Aid. This book takes you through all the roller coaster rides of the Kinks as a band and Ray Davies life. You have the terrible year of Ray Davies: A Complicated Life, when Ray Davies was shot apparently, despite such a shocking event, he was still able to complain about Ray Davies: A Complicated Life his new trousers cut in order for paramedics to examine the wound and Dave Davies suffered a stroke. The trauma of touring and the constant warring between the brothers — such as when filming a promo film and the band were Ray Davies: A Complicated Life to pretend to attack Ray Davies, leading to Dave Davies getting so carried away that he eventually had to be dragged off his brother. The violence between them was often ugly and it had a huge affect on the band and those around them. There is also much about the Ray Davies: A Complicated Life of Ray Davies — his personal attacks on those around him and yet his obvious emotional vulnerability. Of course, at the end of the day, it is the music that stands. Ray Davies need not doubt that his music, his song writing and his talent, will last forever. In one part of the book, there is Ray Davies: A Complicated Life story about Davies Ray Davies: A Complicated Life down drunk on stage. Members of the audience rushed onstage to right him and gently help him back on his feet. He said he realised then that audiences can love performers for their weaknesses. Despite all of Ray Davies faults, most of which he wryly acknowledges himself, he is respected and loved by his legions of fans. His music overrides any personal issues, but I am still glad I have read his history and I enjoyed Ray Davies: A Complicated Life moment of his interesting life and career. View all 8 comments. Aug 19, Allan Heron rated it it was amazing. As is always the case with Johnny Rogan's biographies this is a hefty tome packed with detail but which nevertheless has a narrative that doesn't drag at all. Researched over many years it reveals Davies and all his foibles, many of which are far from pleasant. Needless to say, there's a particular focus on his relationship Ray Davies: A Complicated Life brother Dave, who almost matches his oldet brother for unpleasantness. Despite all that, we still have a superb catalogue of songs which will live down the ages. This book As is always the case with Johnny Rogan's biographies this is a hefty tome packed with detail but which nevertheless has a narrative that doesn't drag at all. This book is the best attempt to capture the odd character that composed them. Very, VERY thorough biography of one of the best songwriters out there. Really enjoyed reading about all the times The Ray Davies: A Complicated Life beat the shit out of each other on stage. First book of was pages actually but the last are Notes and an Index so clearly I'm doing absolutely amazing th Very, VERY thorough biography of one of the best songwriters out there. First book of was pages actually but the last are Notes and an Index so clearly I'm doing absolutely amazing this year guys. Oct 20, Bob rated it it was ok Shelves: biographymusic. I really wanted to read this book. Until I read it.

The famous Kinks songs are stranger than you think, but all this book seems to care about is how much the Davies brothers hated each other. M ention the Kinks and many people will think of happy singalongs at summer festivals, timeless songs, fond family memories, sparkling English afternoons. Ray Davies: A Complicated Life spend any time with those same beloved songs and a far stranger picture soon emerges. This is a twilight world of greed and paranoia, doubt and alienation, heartache and desolation, as much as it is one of community knees-ups and happily knowing your place in the scheme of things. These are songs full of shifty lines and unreadable tones that never quite add up to any obvious pay-off message. In some odd way it seems as if Ray Davies has been mourning something from the first moment he began writing and performing music. Perhaps one source is the loss of his beloved sister Rene, who died unexpectedly inaged 30, dancing one summer evening in the Lyceum Ballroom on the Strand. Psychoanalysts form an orderly queue, please. Unlike other s countercultural heroes, you never got the sense Davies was anticipating some grand hedonistic utopia. His heart was always halfway back in the gaudy recesses of the past — frilly-suited dance bands, the steam of Saturday morning cafes, half-empty football terraces. The reason those other songwriting partnerships worked so well is they comprised characters who were virtual emotional opposites. Dave, however, proved to be both too similar and too different, and the dishy Davies siblings became renowned for the ferocity and regularity of their fallings-out. Ray should have been the only male child getting all the Oedipal worship due. Except he was: he was exactly like Dave. Creepy and silent. They never spoke. They were uptight and Ray Davies: A Complicated Life of everyone. Underneath there was all this weird dysfunctional family stuff going on. The trouble is, it manages to say more in a few lines than Rogan manages in plus pages. In the absence of any obvious Ray Davies: A Complicated Life acuity, Rogan interviews an apparently endless supply of people who testify to what a horror show it was dealing separately with Ray or Dave, or with Dave and Ray together. For anyone who ever worked with the Kinks there seems to have come in to play something like the obverse of Stockholm syndrome — Archway syndrome? Rogan conjures an atmosphere of such unrelentingly petty vindictiveness I was reminded more than once of the old Monty Python Piranha Brothers sketch. He came up later and apologised for it. This has been their entire life, more or less. I think of Ray Davies: A Complicated Life as an incomplete person. We just get the huffy primal scene over and over again. And the book itself becomes the equivalent of being trapped on an endless tour with the squabbling Davies brothers. Davies wrote nearly all of his best work during a sweet cusp moment — halfway between the end of empire and the beginnings of both rock culture and postmodernity. Here is a potentially wonderful fable to do with legacy and heritage, family Ray Davies: A Complicated Life nation. He is obviously a diligent researcher — but you need more than oodles of bone-dry facts for a book this length. It requires someone who could take those facts and turn them into something more readable, and even half as rich and Ray Davies: A Complicated Life as his subject. Rogan is great on things like legal small print and off-stage squabbles, but he struggles to bring the music alive. At no point does he make you want to rush off and play individual songs or albums again. Or indeed, ever see a sunny afternoon again. If this was just an occasional slip it might be overlooked, but it is a constant fault, and all those early Kinks hits cry out to be looked at again. What you take to be their predominant mood is often contradicted by half-forgotten lines buried in the mix. Or the nature of that strange river Styx? At times Rogan gives the impression of hurrying through the inconvenience of discussing the music at all to get back to the real meat of things — someone Ray Davies: A Complicated Life popping up to verify that Ray was indeed an awful, awful man. Paloma Faith? God help uswe get stray hints of his taste for less predictable musical entities such as Yo La Tengo and Charles Mingus. You long for Rogan to pick up on such unexpected clues and check them out further, but — nothing. I struggled through to the bitter end, but there was no big pay-off, no real sense of what makes either brother tick. Stick to the music — it remains more thought-provoking all by itself. Biography books. Ian Penman. Wed 11 Mar