Created: 21-MAY-1998

Unfinished Business CD Review

During the 1997 Winter and 1998 Spring stages of the Dave Davies/Kink Kronikles tour, a limited edition CD titled Unfinished Business was available for sale at the shows. The songs on this CD are:

1. Unfinished Business - (Previously Unreleased Song) This song has a Lennon-esque feel to it. The song's intro has a Dear Prudence shimmery quality. The message of hope for a world gone cynical is a real heart grabber. I find myself singing along to this song with a lump in my throat. I can only hope that when the long-awaited Dave Davies anthology hits the stores later this year, that this song gets the attention it so richly deserves.

2. Imaginations Real - (From AFL1-3603) This RDF (Raving Dave Fan) was launched into fandom by this song. I am a long-time Kinks fan, and always loved Dave's contributions to the group's albums, yet I approached the first Dave solo album cautiously.

From the opening line, "Voices all across the nation, echo in my mind" to the line, "If you use a dream to change your mind..." aimed right at my soul. I find myself singing this song a great deal, the whole feel of the song is enough to pull me out of a blue funk.

3. The World Is Changing Hands - (From AFL1-3603) This song is half protest song, half exalted proclamation of change. The theme of spiritual awakening set to a healthy rock beat, makes one really pay attention to the various aspects of the song. Let your mind wander and you will have missed something in this deceptively simple sounding song.

4. Nothing More To Lose - (From AFL1-3603) There's an almost otherworldly quality to the way the vocals are mixed, as if Dave is standing at the bottom of a deep well singing to a microphone suspended high above him. The guitar drifts in and out, playing crunchy power chords, while angelic backing vocals half scream in the background.

It's an edgy song, a good one to play when you need to get rid of pent up frustrations.

5. Body - (From Glamour) A respectable rocker, with a non-traditional rock theme. Dave focuses on the spiritual vs. the corporeal nature of man. A message to the world that this life is transitory, and we'd better give thought to what comes after this all ends. Not the normal boy meets girl stuff here ! But, as my boyfriend Fritz is fond of saying, "Normal is boring."

6. In You I Believe - (From AFL1-3603) The message of total surrender to love, would make even the most hard hearted, anti-romantic smile. Fritz has suggested that this song should be played at weddings. (I agree, it sure beats the hell out of the sappy stuff I've heard over the years !) The object of all this love is not stated, which leaves the listener to fill in the face or faces of the loved ones in their own mind's eye.

The raw emotion in Dave's voice adds strength to the overall theme of the song and the guitar takes on an almost backing vocal role, it's so subtle that I have to concentrate to hear it as a separate entity. The song is woven as masterfully as a fine Persian rug.

7. World of Our Own - (From Glamour) I feel this song is the lost gem of the largely under rated Glamour album, and it's a truly polished gem. The keyboards swirl around the vocals, while the guitar gently reminds you it's there. A heady mixture combined with the opening line, "Ooh, you're a mirror, And all those feelings inside you, Oh they're not all your own." Intriguing, stuff !

As with most of Dave's songs, this probably has a deeply personal meaning, which ironically lends itself to the various interpretations of the listeners.

8. Eastern Eyes - (From Glamour) I close my eyes during this song and a movie plays in my head. The first drum beat launches me to the sands of Egypt, various landmarks; the pyramids, the Sphinx, flash by. This song is a primary example of how a well written song can paint a picture with the palette of lyrics and music.

"We all are seeds of Heaven" is one of the most compelling lines in the history of rock music, especially when sung with the wonderfully emotive voice Dave has.

9. Love Gets You - (From Chosen People) As a general rule, I do not like unplugged versions of previously released songs. But Dave has broken this rule. I loved the original from Chosen People and was prepared to not like this version due to the above rule. To my delighted surprise, this version is wonderful. The acoustic guitar lends a jaunty air to this ultimate love song. This version is more mellow and Dave's vocals are more gentle, than on the original version.

After thinking about it for a long time, I can't really say I prefer one version of this over the other. Both are delightful in their own way. The unplugged version featured on this CD stands out as an example of how a good remake should sound. No Bosa Nova treatment for this man !

10. I'll Get Over - (Previously Unreleased Demo) For a demo this song is damn good ! This song has an edge to it, but over all it's a kick-ass rock song that has the theme of the spirit of man, or in this case one man, being able to withstand any adversity that comes his way, using love to conquer all.

The guitar solo is pure Dave Davies. That is to say, brilliant ! It's a fun song, I dare you to listen to it without tapping your feet.

11. When The Wind Blows (Emergency) - (Previously Unreleased Demo, listed on the cover as being for the End Hunger Network benefit CD.)

The song starts out with what sounds like a child's toy piano playing. Considering the song's focus on starving children, it's a stroke of genius. I can almost picture an underprivileged child, half leaning on a battered toy piano listlessly picking out the opening piece.

The sad imagery provided by the lyrics is enhanced by the soft, double tracked vocals and the sparse acoustic guitar accompaniment. The song reminds us, "But for grace we enjoy our pleasures, What we face will be our salvation."

Not-light hearted stuff. But that's one of the things I've always appreciated about Dave Davies, the way he often uses his music for a greater cause than pure entertainment and yet manages to entertain in the process.

Overall this CD is a must-have ! The only disappointment for me was the lack of Fortis Green, a song I have fallen in love with after hearing it played live for the first time in Chicago May 7, 1997.

-Leslie M. Ohanian