The Kinks - Lola Versus Powerman and The Moneygoround, Part One + Percy - Music & Performance - CD

Digitally re-mastered and expanded deluxe two CD version of this album from one of the most influential British Rock bands of all time, released to coincide with their 50th Anniversary. Originally released in 1970, LOLA VERSUS POWERMAN & THE MONEYGORUND, PART ONE is one of their best-loved albums. This expanded edition comes with Mono and Stereo mixes as well as unreleased material and alternative versions, all re-mastered from original tapes by Kinks archivist Andrew Sandoval. Disc Two features the 1971 soundtrack album PERCY which is also packed with fantastic bonus content. LOLA VERSUS POWERMAN, a conceptualized album, takes a satirical look at the various facets of the music industry including song publishers, unions, the press, accountants, business managers, and the road. Musically, it is varied, drawing on the genres of Folk, Hard Rock, and traditional British music hall.

"Lola" gave the Kinks an unexpected hit and its crisp, muscular sound, pitched halfway between acoustic folk and hard rock, provided a new style for the band. However, the song only hinted at what its accompanying album Lola Versus the Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One was all about. It didn't matter that Ray Davies just had his first hit in years -- he had suffered greatly at the hands of the music industry and he wanted to tell the story in song. Hence, Lola -- a loose concept album about Ray Davies' own psychosis and bitter feelings toward the music industry. Davies never really delivers a cohesive story, but the record holds together because it's one of his strongest set of songs. Dave Davies contributes the lovely "Strangers" and the appropriately paranoid "Rats," but this is truly Ray' show, as he lashes out at ex-managers (the boisterous vaudevillian "The Moneygoround"), publishers ("Denmark Street"), TV and music journalists (the hard-hitting "Top of the Pops"), label executives ("Powerman"), and, hell, just society in general ("Apeman," "Got to Be Free"). If his wit wasn't sharp, the entire project would be insufferable, but the album is as funny as it is angry. Furthermore, he balances his bile with three of his best melancholy ballads: "This Time Tomorrow," "A Long Way From Home," and the anti-welfare and union "Get Back in Line," which captures working-class angst better than any other rock song. These songs provide the spine for a wildly unfocused but nonetheless dazzling tour de force that reveals Ray's artistic strengths and endearing character flaws in equal measure. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Performer	The Kinks
Music genre	Rock
Music subgenre	CD - ROCK
Music release type	Release
Media format	CD
Original release date	1970
Edition	Deluxe
Language	English
Is collectible	Y
Has parental advisory label	N
Number of discs	2
Series title	The Kinks - Lola Versus Powerman and The Moneygoround, Part One + Percy
Track listing	The Contenders, Strangers, Denmark Street, Get Back in Line, Lola, Top of the Pops, The Moneygoround, This Time Tomorrow, A Long Way from Home, Rats, Apeman, Powerman (4.16), Got to Be Free (2.59), Anytime (Bonus Track), The Contenders (Instrumental Demo Bonus Track), The Good Life (Bonus Track), Lola (Alternate Version Bonus Track), This Time Tomorrow (Instrumental Bonus Track), Apeman (Alternate Stereo Version Bonus Track), Got to Be Free (Alternate Version Bonus Track), God's Children, Lola (Instrumental), The Way Love Used to Be, Completely, Running Round Town, Moments, Animals in the Zoo, Just Friends, Whip Lady, Dreams, Helga, Willesden Green, God S Children (End), Dreams (Remix Bonus Track), Lola (Mono Single Bonus Track), Apeman (Mono Single Bonus Track), Rats (Mono Single Bonus Track), Powerman (Mono Bonus Track), The Moneygoround (Mono Alternate Version Bonus Track), Apeman (Alternate Mono Version Bonus Track), God's Children (Mono Film Mix Bonus Track), The Way Love Used to Be (Mono Film Mix Bonus Track), God's Children (End) (Mono Film Mix Bonus Track)
Record label	Sanctuary Records
Songwriter	Kinks
Track name	The Contenders, Strangers, Denmark Street, Get Back in Line, Lola, Top of the Pops, The Moneygoround, This Time Tomorrow, A Long Way from Home, Rats, Apeman, Powerman, Got to Be Free
Digital audio file format	CD
Music media format	CD
Is edited	N
Is enhanced	Y