The Kinks - Australia

[upthcreek]

I'm getting dizzy, in the opposite slosh spinning out...

[shashwati]

This whole damn song is a bloody brilliant earworm if I ever head one.

In even my busiest moments, I find this song playing nonchalantly in the background of my mind.

Plus, the jam is one of the better and more judicious ones I've heard in my life - BIG thumbs up to (presumably) Dave.

[TheHeartmindsoul]

Climate change is taking a terrible toll on Australia.I doubt if even many sun worshipers are going there for the sunny weather now.

[noff27]

A sunny christmas day, Australia!

[warley1138]

Brilliant album.

[TheInCrowd123]

God that slow down. I just started laughing because it's so genius xD So frikin' good

[Onariman48]

Is this the Australian national anthem?

[DRL337PhD]

Boat people's anthem

[dogshy61]

Great song from perhaps their best album.

[maninflux1]

If you don't love the Kinks, well then I hate you and everything you stand for!

[TheRhino4545]

aussie aussie aussie oi oi oi!!

[jamesofsuburbia1]

that solo is epic! bloody amazing

[uteanatinny]

...'Love it! It's still cheekily relevant. Go Dave! :-)

[dantean]

Paraphrasing Kevin Ayers: "What an odd ditty."

[TheMarishka9]

To me this song is the first choice from The Kinks' canon.

[aprilglaspieable]

One of the most brilliant guitar performnces ever recorded. Best band that ever lived.

[iowhilton]

Class.... from the isle of wight village green preservation society!

[cmorse1985]

living in london.. chrissie and no fam - really, really homesick. Song is truth

[books0from0boxes]

@cmorse1985 oh no! Feel better!

Order Vegemite and watch Aussie movies or something!

:)

[PHYZOE]

One of The Kinks top 6 or 7 albums, Art.

[blwbl]

Maaan, I'm an aussie living in the states right now and feeling totally homesick. Thanks, The Kinks.

[boumeringue]

Then as now Australia had a great appeal for the young but not all may be as good as it seems: recognize the sarcasms and "double entente" connotations penned by the brilliant Ray Davies

[blwbl]

@boumeringue Double Entente.

[whoarethebrainpigs]

@boumeringue you would,ve been nuts to leave swinging London for Australia in the 60's ..it was fucking boring and conservative ..thats why so many aussies went to england ,,the weather was the only drawcard.

[cookmoore]

I can hear the tour guide on TV beckoning you to come to wonderful Australia.

[Duenderelojero]

El cambio de ritmo y la parte instrumental son magnificos.

[COPMMUSIC]

this is the best song on the album

[kikers05]

captures the GREATNESS of Australiaaaa!!!!!

lyrics are unreall :)

[skint0n0minted]

the kinks are the greatest lyricists

[noquarter610]

I don't think any other song shows how much influence the Kinks had on Blur.

[ericpickerill]

@noquarter610

Absolutely mate, Blur took high influence from the Kinks.... Blur/Kinks are two of my favorite bands!

[maida1982a]

an early concept, rock opera album-like Pretty Things-SF Sorrow and The Who-Tommy

[maclennan73]

At the time people were told that this far off place was problem free and alot of Brits bought it, but unfortunately it was the same old crap but warmer and miles from anything. I don't think Ray was mocking them just trying to tell it like it was, all be it in an ironic fashion, just like he tackled all societies problems, which was why he was an absolute poet and nobody from the uk came close. Genius

[StaircaseFolly]

It's from a potential British emigrant's p.o.v., not a native-born Australian's. Like Fiddler on the Roof or something.

[blwbl]

@StaircaseFolly Can everyone please vote this up.

[davidd7147]

@maclennan73 read dave davies auto bio "KINK" n u'll see that this song is a sarcastic take on australia cuz it ruined lots o stuff - lots o sarcasam here

[CaptainPrivate]

At the top of my favorite Kings albums...

[dannycrvntz]

@CaptainPrivate .........kings??

[Wilthomer66]

I don't know why but any time I'm leaving the country I sing this, even though I've never been to Oz.....

[kurtespo]

Cathi Paige turned me onto this song in 1995 when i went to Australia for the second time with my dad

[sbarr10]

Arthur was originally conceived as a TV project that got canceled at the last instant. The project was about the English post-war experience; about disillusionment among the lower class people over what was in it for them (remember one of their PMs was lecturing them "you never had it so good"); about dreaming of a better life with better opportunities elsewhere.

Arthur is a concept album built around these ideas. Ray and Dave were front-row witnesses to all this in their own lives.

[TheBrooklynWhat]

The Kinks were such a bitter band. But Ray Davies was brillian being able to make fun of the Beach Boys and write a song about his sister and her husband Arthur moving to Australia.

[JiveTaxi]

I think they should have started fading the song out around the 3-minute mark. Everything after that is just noodling, and gets boring.

[JiveTaxi]

I agree with LERO. It's a "grass is greener" thing. Everyplace has pros and cons. The pressures of everyday life stay about the same wherever you go.

[RattleheadIV]

I've never been able to find this album in stores. I might have to try Amazon. Thanks CP for uploading it

[shane9632]

yeah amazons the way to go. the albums about 4pounds, remastered and with a load of bonus tracks, what a bargain, what a tune, what a band

[maclennan73]

Oh yeah, a joyous sprawling masterpiece.

[imboredsoising]

i just want to point out that the chorus in this song is maybe the best piece of music written in the last 50 years

[LEROTHECAT]

Mick was definitely not given his due. He was the perfect drummer for the Kinks.

[feldi71]

are you from own dunder?

[ninaiswow]

Is it me, or does this song strike you as sarcastic?

[JasonBonitati]

Hmmm, good question. At first, when I listened to it a few times, I thought to myself: "Are they patronizing the country of Australia, or are they making Australia sound like a paradise?" lol. Well, if you know anything about the concept of the album, I think it tells the story of Davie's brother in-law who moved to Australia to free himself from the strains of England. I think it's about Arthur listening to or learning about Australia. A typical Davies observational songwriting style!

[ninaiswow]

Thanks for that :) Yeah, I looked into it and it's for his sister (and brother-in-law), like you said...they also did "Rosie won't you please come home" when she moved to Oz.

[JasonBonitati]

Yeup, no problem.

I didn't know that that song was about her moving to the land down under. Luck her though, I'm sure Oz is a great country!

[LEROTHECAT]

I think it's both sarcasm and an attempt to portray Australia as the "new world" for Englishmen. While I think Davies is saying it doesn't harbor the pressure of the United Kingdom, no matter how good it sounds, no place is perfect. However, I'm from the U.S.A so what the hell do I know about it? God save the Kinks.

[avva5692]

love this band, fantastic song, maybe coz im from syd, australia

[Aethis7]

happy oz day

[lancechamplain]

Dave Davies=underrsted guitarist

[paddyo702]

Great guitar and drum work. I believe that is where The Kinks pulled away from the Beatles.

[7h3Wh0]

I think the Beatles were on par with the Kinks when it comes to guitar, but drumming? Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles. Mick Avory was just great. I think that where the Kinks really break away from the Beatles, however, is that the Kinks' songs always sound like they were just kind of put here on Earth... all the Beatles songs sound distinctly like they were written by someone. Ray just has a knack for make the lyrics and music work together to create more than just a song.

[paddyo702]

There is no need to sell me on that, I always thought Ray was a better song writer. I think we are in the minority when it comes to that opinion, so i figured I would point out the obvious musical disparity.

[JasonBonitati]

We are in the minority my friend, but we know what we're talking about!! I totally agree with what ya said. Yes, McCartney and Lennon were good songwriters BUT Davies was wayy better than any of them! I'd take Ray Davies over anyone else in a flash!!! He is so down to Earth and he just knows how to write a good song. I'm not talking good song meaning 2 minute pop single. I'm talking about a deep, thoughtful and sometimes funny kind of song! And by god, God save the Kinks!!!

[paddyo702]

Amen!

[dianapancakes]

i love this song so much.

[MarcelloSanchez]

smack my ass plz!!! 8

[maida1982a]

another album of brilliance: each song seemed to have multiple parts and could have been 2 or 3 songs each-

[Shreddy13]

Exactly!

[paddyo702]

I know what you mean, it's almost progressive rock before it's time.