Ok, a little breather from the world of Asterix for a week or so (these Gauls are crazy…).
On my ‘to do’ list I have scribbled FACE TO FACE, another Kinks album about which I intend to write. All in good time. For the time being, the opening track off that album, Party Line, simply will not stop playing in my head at the moment.
In many ways going against the theme of the rest of the album, it’s a jaunty, uptempo song, very much of its time. It starts with a ringing phone, a very posh “Hello, who’s that speaking please?” (courtesy of the band’s posh manager Grenville Collins), and a characteristic early Kinks guitar riff.
Written by Ray and sung by Dave, it tells of being torn between wanting privacy while on the party line (a shared telephone line) in question, and wanting to find out the identity of the woman behind the constantly interrupting voice: “Is she big, is she small? / Is she a she at all?”. Kinky.
The Assommoir 
#1 by between channels on June 15, 2011 - 9:51 pm
Definitely one of my favourite Kinks albums – full of superficially upbeat songs that have by turns cynical, sad and disenchanted lyrics. But Party Line is ace as well!
#2 by The Assommoir on June 17, 2011 - 9:08 pm
In a couple of dozen words you’ve achieved what I’ve taken 400-odd words to do in an imminent post about the album. Not that I’m jealous. Oh no.