Quote:
|
Originally Posted by evollove
Okay. I just wasted an hour listening to Tommy, which is worse than I remembered, although the riff to "I'm Free" is better than I remembered. So boring, so few good tunes, and such a stupid, stupid story.
This was a hit and Arthur bombed? I wonder if Ray considered suicide.
What? By whom?
|
Hereīs lines from Wikipediaīs Arthur sites:
The album was critically acclaimed at the time of release, especially in the US rock press.[31] It was favourably compared to contemporary works, namely Tommy by The Who, released earlier in the year.[31] In Rolling Stone magazine, Arthur was spotlighted in its lead section, with back-to-back reviews by Mike Daly and Greil Marcus.[28] Daly called it "an album that is a masterpiece on every level: Ray Davies' finest hour, the Kinks' supreme achievement".[2] Rolling Stone reviewer J.R. Young also praised the record, and said: "Less ambitious than Tommy, and far more musical ... Arthur is by all odds the best British album of 1969. It shows that Pete Townshend still has worlds to conquer and that The Beatles have a lot of catching up to do." A review by Sal Imam ran in Boston's Fusion magazine read that "If Tommy was the greatest rock opera, then Arthur most surely is the greatest rock musical."[28][31] Writing in his Consumer Guide column of The Village Voice, Robert Christgau gave the record a positive review, saying, although Ray Davies' lyrics could get "preachy at times", that the album featured "excellent music and production".
There is nothing about plagiarism accusations, I canīt find where I read it now. There has said Arthur project started lot earlier than itīs release so the plagiarism accusations was unneccessary. Anyway Athur has compared to Tommy and I think itīs for reason. I think similarities is just coming for that time. And I donīt think itīs not impossible if Davies & Townshend had played themselves their masterpieces before their release, itīs was quite common in that time (I donīt have any ideas were Towshend & Davies friends, but the friendship between rockstars was common in that time).
Again I canīt say how good Tommyīs lyrics are when I am not english spoken. But I think Tommyīs story is not just a fool hippie story with indian & drug use influences. I think it has many important things from a man psycholical development in a certain kind of family (Tommy could also be a symbol of those kids who are not seen in their family). Also, I see there important themes from religion & how mankind acts. I think Tommy is like Pink Floyd the Wall seen just a reflection of itīs makers artistic egoism, which theyīre not. And I donīt see Tommy very erotic. There is just that sick Uncle Ernie. That kind of things sadly happened in the world and to put those in the art doesnīt make that art disgusting. Lou Reed wrote sick things so do you think heīs art is embarrassing?
And again, you seem to concentrate on lyrics. I find the most greatness in music. Both Arthur & Tommy deserves more than just one listening.
And Severian youīre not alone. I havenīt seen anyone else after me than Pookie saying Whoīs 1965-1975 Records great here in SYG. Here Tommy is judged generally. And after that Pookieīs comment there were big silence. Like heīs just confessed he`s big Wham & George Michael fan (I donīt have anything against Wham or George Michael listeners, just thinking Wham & GM are horrible, but you know what I mean).