The Dave Davies Anthologies Compared

Created: 28-DEC-2001

As a RDF (Raving Dave Fan) I've been asked to give advice as to which of the Unfinished Business anthologies I would recommend. The short answer is, "all of them!" (Editors note: see the review for the limited edition release with the same title on the reviews page) The impression I get is that the European and US releases are actually meant as a four CD set not as two separate groupings. There is very little overlap in the
version of songs.


The European Release

If you are most interested in the original releases of Dave's songs with The Kinks and as a solo artist, the European release of Unfinished Business may be more to your liking.

Disc One has tracks from "The Album That Never Was" an album that Dave started sometime in the mid to late 60s and never completed. Included are nicely remixed, and cleaned up versions of such early classics as "Hold My Hand" and "This Man He Weeps Tonight". These are songs that were only available on the hard to find Great Lost Kinks Album, and then in a much rougher form.

Disc 1 also contains an obscure gem "There is No Life Without Love". As well as Dave's songs from The Kinks releases up until "Close To The Wire" from Phobia. A nice surprise is "Perfect Strangers" from UK Jive, this song is often overlooked, and hearing it again on this CD was like meeting up with an old friend.

Disc 2 starts off with the previously unreleased "Climb Your Wall" which has a Rod Stewart feel to the vocals. Dave's solo albums AFL1-3603 (AKA "the Barcode Album"), Glamour, and Chosen People are the sources for a great deal of the material on this disc. There is also another unreleased track, "Eternity", which is really very other-worldly and ethereal.

On some of the earlier pressings of this CD an incorrect version of "Gallon of Gas Blues/You're Looking Fine" was included. The version was meant to be the recording that was later on Rock Bottom Live but a 1972 version from a Carnegie Hall performance was used instead. Subsequent pressings had the correct version.
 

The US Release

If you are more interested in the unplugged or live versions of Dave's songs with The Kinks and as a solo artist the US release of Unfinished Business may be more to your liking.

"Kink Kronikles" (or Disc 1) starts off with the previously unreleased song "I Believed You" recorded by The Ravens, (an early incarnation of The Kinks). It also contains "Climb Your Wall" and another unreleased song, "I've Got Your Number", which is a catchy little rocker that sounds like a song meant for Phobia. It also contains a handful of classic Dave's songs with The Kinks, including the hit song from Think Visual "Rock & Roll Cities".

"Solo Kronikles" (or Disc 2) begins with the absolutely gorgeous new release, and the title song of the anthologies, "Unfinished Business". It's become a staple of Dave's live shows and it's a shame it's not received air-play, it would be a big hit!

Some of the shining moments on this disc are the live versions of "Strangers", "Lincoln County", and "Gallon of Gas Blues/You're Looking Fine". It's a small taste of what it feels like to be at a Dave show. I've often wondered who gets more out of these shows, Dave or the fans!

This disc also has the unplugged versions of "Hold My Hand", "Love Gets You", "Susannah's Still Alive" and "This Man He Weeps Tonight". The latter of these is given a really deeply felt rendition that brings tears to my eyes every time!

I hope this answers the question of which anthology to buy. Play it safe, get them all!

-Leslie Ohanian