Other People's Lives [Original]

Personnel: Ray Davies (guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, piano, organ, Mellotron, tambourine); Isabel Fructuoso (vocals); Steve Bolton, Milton McDonald (guitar); Phil Veacock (saxophone); Nick Payn (tenor saxophone); Matthew Winch (trumpet); Toby Baron, Dylan Howe (drums); Laurie Latham (cymbals, tambourine).
Audio Mixers: B.J. Ben Mason; Martin Salvador Rex; Laurie Latham; Andrew Scarth; Phil Bodger; Ray Davies ; Raymond Davis; Serge Krebs.
Audio Remixers: Ray Davies ; Serge Krebs.
Recording information: Konk Studios (03/19/2002-07/09/2004).
Arranger: Ray Davies .
After considerable delay, Kinks frontman Ray Davies finally unveiled his solo studio debut, OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES, in 2006. Seven years in the making, the album fell victim to record company woes as well as a much-publicized 2004 incident in New Orleans where Davies attempted to foil a purse snatching and was shot in the leg.
LIVES finds the revered British singer/songwriter comfortably situated at the V2 label, recovered from his earlier injury, and in surprisingly energetic form. "Things Are Gonna Change (The Morning After)" and "After the Fall" kick off the disc with dense layers of electric guitars that recall various second-wave Britpop acts (Coldplay, Doves, et al.), with Davies's vocals and lyrics reflecting a broader scope than usual. Of course, Davies can't help but write classic Kinks-like narratives, as heard on songs like "Next Door Neighbour," a thoughtful acoustic tune straight off the village green, and "The Tourist," a dynamic tale of wanderlust that cheekily name-checks Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca." Closing out with the wistful, horn-laden "Thanksgiving Day" (which appeared on an earlier EP of the same name), OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES both skillfully sidesteps and revels in the classic Kinks sound, and its many charms are revealed with repeated listens.