Leave the hicks and let us go back to the main Kinks page! Muswell Billhillies Overall Album Score: 9.7 out of 10 Taking the baton from my Village Green Preservation Society review, let me clarify myself. The Kinks had two peaks! This peak, I just don’t listen to very frequently as a Kinks fan. There’s really no good reason why, though. Muswell Hillbillies is an album full of old-time Americana songs done almost with a modern mentality. I usually don’t like old-time Americana songs, but the way the Kinks do it in Muswell Hillbillies, it can be tremendously entertaining! (Wooowooo!) And with Ray Davies’ super songwriting skills as well as his unmatchable lyrical wit, Muswell Hillbillies is yet another Kinksian classic. Really. There are so many of those that it makes me peepee my pants when people tell me that The Kinks only wrote three songs (“You Really Got Me,” “Lola,” “Come Dancing.”) They wrote TONS of songs! You’re just too busy listening to Peter Frampton to know any better! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhh! Anyway, this is a rock album like none other. Davies seems to take to old Americana musical themes like a duck to quacking. (And his singing performances are all very skilled and entertaining!) Therefore, if you’re one who enjoys old time Americana songs, pick this UP! I don’t like Americana songs, and I still liked this album very much. REALLY, THERE SHOULD BE NOTHING HOLDING YOU BACK! GET IT!!!! NOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW! Overall Album Score: 9.7 out of 10 (I still don’t like this as much as The Village Green Preservation Society, but it’s easy to see why this album scored a little bit higher than that one. Muswell Hillbillies has not a weak moment!) Average Song Score: 9.5 (This collection of tunes is smashing! Really … Ray Davies is on the top of his game … again. He might not have produced any hit singles, but who cares? I’d rather have this much more than a measly hit single.) Album Tilt: 9.5 (A great album. It’s fun and entertaining throughout. You probably find out that you’re not addicted to it, but if you want good music, then this is one for YOU.) Artist Rating: 10 (Ray did a nice job of deviating from what his producers and fans wanted and gave us a solid ALBUM. The lyrics too, you should have fun interpreting.) Track Reviews 20th Century Man 10/10 Ray Davies gives us a pleasant, bouncy little Americana number to begin the album with … Of course, this isn’t something that he saw a huge hit with, but this one has such an excellent melody that you simply shouldn’t take for granted. (Really … this dude was talented!) I love every bit of this song, and I think that you would, too. The performances here, also, are wonderful. And, that includes Ray’s spirited vocals. Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues 9.5/10 Never been much of a fan of ragtime, but in the hands of Ray Davies, the genre becomes enjoyable. The instrumentals here (which are all the traditional ones used in old ragtime) are simply splendid all around. And, of course, the melody here is enjoyable and catchy. A highly entertaining song all around. Holiday 10/10 Ouch! Watch out, boys! Ray is on a roll! This is an old time Americana folky number (sporting an entertainingly goofy lead vocal performance from Ray). The melody is rather simple, but the song manages to remain a pure delight. Skin and Bone 9.5/10 This one comes rather close to being a regular old rock-and-roll number … let’s call this an early R&B type ditty. The electric guitars on this are crunchy and well played. The melody is perfect, again. Alcohol 9.5/10 Now, look, Ray! Would you quit being so spankingly awesome? I want to insult you! … Okay, I guess I’ll have my moment later on. Right now, I think I’ll just sit back, keep my banter to myself, and enjoy the great music while it lasts. An appropriately lazy vocal performance from Ray is the primary beneficiary to this song. The melody is great, of course, and the dreary instrumentals were arranged and played skillfully. Yet another entertaining song. Will the entertaining-stuff ever end? Complicated Life 9/10 I hate those! I think complicated lives should be banned forever (via my patented “complicated life” eliminator. This song is really quite skillful and entertaining in all its aspects. Not as much so as the previous songs, but … yeah, it’s still a solid 9. Here Come the People in Grey 9/10 An early-type R&B number. Good tune. Good instruments. Good performances. Nothing much else to say! I am still sitting back and enjoying this. Have a Cuppa Tea 9.5/10 ANOTHER entertaining and interesting song! I’m not quite sure what to categorize this song as … maybe it’s country-rock with a slight touch of gospel … I don’t know. I don’t care either. I’m having too much fun listening to it. Holloway Jail 9.5/10 This is YET ANOTHER nice old-time folky-jazz song. I usually don’t like the original stuff that much. (I mean … when I see the sexy ladies singing in nightclubs in all the old movies singing songs like this, my eyes start to go droopy.) But this truly captures my attention and makes me NOT drowsy! (Well … actually … I happen to be a bit drowsy at the moment, but I promise that this isn’t the reason for it.) Oklahoma U.S.A. 9.5/10 Uh oh. It’s a slow song. And I’m still not bored! FREAKING CRAP! WHAT A GREAT ALBUM! I’M STILL ENCAPSURED BY THE SLOW STUFF? THAT HAPPENS, LIKE, NEVER! … OH, DEAR. I’M TYPING IN ALL CAPS AGAIN, AREN’T I? … TIME TO GO GIVE THE THERAPIST A LITTLE REVISIT. EXCUSE ME FOR A MOMENT. Uncle Son 9/10 This song is still a 9, but it’s a weak 9! It manages to encapsulate me throughout the whole thing, but it’s not phenomenally interesting or anything. Still a good song! Ray rules! Muswell Hillbilly 10/10 Perhaps, this is the most memorable song on the album. This is one has a verrrrry skillful and catchy melody! (Really … I love the melody a lot.) And the country-rock (albeit it’s more heavily influenced by old-time country) here puts most established country rockers to shame. Really. This is suuuuuuuuuuuuuper. BONUS TRACKS We get two bonus tracks with Muswell Hillbillies, and both of them are pretty good. “Mountain Woman” has a great tune to it … but I would probably say that it’s sub-par compared to most of the songs that appeared on the album. “Kentucky Moon” is a sort of lazy ragtime number. It would have worked fine if they hadn’t decided to cut it from the album, but it would have dragged it down a bit. It’s an 8. Freaking hillbillies need to send me comments about this album here!

All reviews are copyrighted by Michael Lawrence. He is *not* from Arkansas.