Shoot Lola and then click on this link to go back to the main KINKS page pronto Lola Vs. The Powerman & The Money-Go-Round While Drying Off After a Long Soak in the Hot Tub During One of the Major U.S. Holidays, Pt. 1 Overall Album Score: 8.6 out of 10 Well, I'm glad that Ray Davies at least had the decency to abbreviate "versus," "and," and "part" in the title. I swear if he didn't do that, the album title would just be WAY TOO LONG! I'm serious, why did he think the album titles had to be so spankingly huge, anyway? He just made this one totally up, too. The Village Green Preservation Society and Arthur and the Decline and Fall of the British Empire had long titles, but at least it seems like there was somewhat of a reason for them to be huge. With Lola vs. the Powerman & the Money-Go-Round, Pt. 1, that title doesn't make sense! Davies would just as well have called it Spoons! Okay, I don't mean to spend this entire review ranting about the rationale for the album title. I want to spend the entire review ranting about the muuuuuuuuuuuuusik! For some reason or another, many critics like to downplay Lola a little bit when this is about as entertaining as the previous and succeeding Kinks albums. I mean ... Ray Davies isn't considered one of rock-and-roll's greatest songwriters for nothing, you know! He's so AWESOME that he sparkles! (Really, I've seen him sparkle once.) I think all the songs on here show nothing but Davies being at the top of his form. Granted, the album don't quite have the same vision as on Village Green or Arthur ... or even the succeeding album, Muswell Hillbillies. Still, though. There are some really excellent songs on here! YOU'VE GOT TO BELIEVE ME!!!!!! You don't believe me, do you? Then don't take my word for it! Go listen to it! I freaking dare you! The big downfall of this album is its concept. Yeah ... although, when it comes to concept albums, you can take 'em or leave 'em. For example, is the concept of Sergeant Pepper more important to you than the songs on it? For me, it isn't! The same thing goes with Lola (although, I don't want to be credited for comparing Lola with Sergeant Pepper ... so I'M NOT!). Are you going to spend your entire music-listening existence clamoring over the fact that the concept of Lola is unfocused? Or, are you going to shut up and just enjoy the songs? Granted, the songs even fail to compare well to most of their previous efforts ... but they're still excellent! I doubt there are many people who are going around calling themselves Kinks fans who haven't given this album a listen or two or three or eight hundred times ... but if you're a nu-Kinks fan, and you haven't heard this because you've heard that it ain't that good, DUDE! IT IS GOOD! GO LISTEN TO IT, FREAK! Overall Album Score: 8.6 out of 10 (As long as you're willing to accept the fact that this album doesn't quite compare with other Kinks albums, you'll probably enjoy this one. Get it for the songs, and not the concept!) Average Song Score: 8.9 (Ray Davies is simply a fine songsmith! There are more fun'n'catchy songs here than you can shake a stick at! ... Although, I'm not sure what'd you'd be doing shaking a stick at it.) Album Tilt: 8.5 (Good songs = Good album.) Artist Rating: 8.5 (I will admit that it is a little bit annoying that the scheme of this album is narrower than most of the Kinks' other material ... even if you compare it to their later albums such as Soap Opera. There's still some really fine songs on here.) Track Reviews Introduction This song is ... FOURTY THREE SECONDS!!!!!! This is actually a rather entertaining old-time country music ditty. I'm glad that The Kinks were able to make that sort of thing fun and, most importantly of all, short. The Contenders 8.5/10 Much more upbeat, totally more rockingful, and ... really cool! This song really is nothing other than a fun song. It's played well, it's dancable, and ... heck! You'd have to be an old prude or something to dislike this one! Strangers 8.5/10 This is a well-written, mid-tempoed song. I can't get really excited about it in a meaningful way, unfortunately (meaning that I can't think of much to say about it). I like the song, though. It's pleasant! What else can I say about it? Denmark Street 9/10 This is an upbeat, more music-hall number. That reminds me of the Kinks days of past! (Oh wait ... that was only about three or four years before this album, wasn't it!) Well, since I like upbeat, music-hall numbers, I'm giving this one a nine. Of course, I didn't mention that Ray Davies continues to display his fine gift of melody-craft. Get Back in Line 10/10 This song is AWESOME and TOTALLY UNDERRATED! I get the feeling that I'm not the only stupid person on this planet who thinks "Get Back in Line" is completely WONDERFUL, but if I am, I WANT ALL THE REST OF YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM RIGHT ABOUT IT THIS ONCE! The melody is simply splenderiffic! From its very beginnings until its very (rear) ends, it just soarrrrrrs. I even really enjoy the instrumentation here. Indeed, this is one mightily entertaining song! Lola 10plus/10 Radiola classic! ... This is probably the weirdest song that plays constantly on the classic radio station, but ... hmmhmmmhmmmmhmmmmmhmmmmmm. I like it because the melody is really great. That's all I care about! This is certainly one of Ray's greatest melodies, which is really saying a lot. Top of the Pops 9/10 Man! This song is so wonderfully infectious ... and, yet, it's not overlookable that this song is supposed to be a parody of infectious "top of the pops" music (and the record labels who produce them). This definitely isn't what I'd call an "organized" song, but it is very entertaining! And, I like being entertained, you know. I like being entertained very much. The Moneygoround 9.5/10 Another awesome song! This is a strange music-hall song with an insanely catchy melody! ... You can't complain about the melody! It's great! And the song is VERY entertaining! I loooooove this song! I want to marry it! (Yay!) This Time Tomorrow 8.5/10 This is a really good song, too. The melody isn't insanely catchy or anything ... but it's still quite good! The reason this song is fun to listen to is because the beat is so edge-of-your seat! There is, yet, another good song on this album. A Long Way From Home 7/10 This is really the only misstep in the entire album. (And, to be fair, this really isn't an awful song.) Still, the melody isn't very good, and the instrumentation is rather sloppy. It's not really even entertaining! Oh well. There are plenty of other songs on this album to make up for it, for example: Rats 8/10 RATS! This is one mightily rockin' song! I liiiiike this sooooooong! I mean ... it's not great; heck, it's probably even one of the worst songs on this album. But it's simple, catchy, entertaining, and I like it! So there! Apeman 10/10 See??? It's all good! The near-evil wrath of "A Long Way Home" is entirely rectified by this weird, bizarre, and utterly entertaining tropical-inspired song! And, really, Ray is STILL the royal duke of rock-and-roll songwriters. Really. He's totally cool. Powerman 8/10 We're rocking now, baaaaaaaaaaaybe! Um ... This really isn't an exceptionally entertaining song. ... But I'm listening to it pleasantly ... my patience is not being worn thin or anything. Got to Be Free 8.5/10 I got to be free, tooooooooo!!!! That sounds like a really good idea! This is the last song of the album (which is a pretty good country-rock thingy with a nice melody, but it's not "insanely catchy"), so I think now would be a great time to remove all of my clothing and run around outside until somebody calls the cops (but I think I'll look so happy and free that it'll inspire the cops to remove their clothing, too, and join me ... ... it'll be a most festive occasion. And, who knows? Maybe one of them'll be female.) Luh-luh-luh-let's send Don Ignacio a comment about this album here!

All reviews are copyrighted by Michael Lawrence. I have to go to the bathroom.