Description
First released in late 1971, Muswell Hillbillies, was the ninth studio album by North London’s mighty The Kinks, and their first for RCA. The title was a play on their roots (the Davies brothers were brought up in Muswell Hill) and musically it was a bit less English music hall whimsy and a bit more earnest twangy blues rock than some of its predecessors. What lifted it above being potentially a rather bog standard early 70s honky tonk album though was Ray Davies’ amazing gift for clever and thought provoking lyrics. Here, he turned on the state, local government, the church, unions and just about any organised establishment that looked at him in a funny way. In the album’s opener (20th Century Man) he sets the tone. The bonus disc contains alternate versions – many recorded at the BBC.
