Kevin Ayers - The First Four LPS - Whatevershebringswepoll

"Song from the Bottom of a Well"

If "Song from the Bottom of a Well" isn't a prototype for the first Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds record, I dunno wot is.

― Andy K., Monday, January 14, 2002 8:00 PM (8 years ago) Bookmark

It's hard to pick just one song because part of Ayers's charm is his magpie way of flitting from style to style. "Shouting in a Bucket Blues" is a favorite though.

Yeah, these records are extremely varied between the four of them without breaking it down to individual songs, even.

May I? Have sentimental feelings for Singing a Song after all those years thinking it was a Syd Barrett song due to it appearing on a Syd bootleg.

I love the beginning of "Stop This Train"

apparently there is another version of "stop this train" on one of the remasters of The Confessions of Doctor Dream and Other Stories

standouts off the top of my head:
"whatevershebringswesing", "the clarietta rag", "song for insane times", "lady rachel"
also I really like "champagne cowboy blues", a silly song

I really like the beginning of "Rheinhardt & Geraldine / Colores Para Delores"
and I think it may have been two separate tracks on the the original LP
not that "Colores Para Delores" is bad or anything, I like it too

eleanor's cake

RelExp..

There's one version with Syd doing the twiddly bits,and the final released version where Kevin (presumably) is playing exactly what Syd played...

I love "Girl On A Swing"

"Decadence"

As Ayers is my all-time musical hero, this is more than a little tricky. But as of this morning, I'd order them thusly:

1. Hymn
2. Town Feeling
3. Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
4. Decadence
5. May I?
6. Take Me To Tahiti
7. Song for Insane Times
8. Whatevershebringswesing
9. Shouting In A Bucket Blues
10. Song from the Bottom of a Well
11. There Is Loving/Among Us/There Is Loving
12. Gemini Child
13. Girl On A Swing
14. Margaret
15. Oh! What A Dream

"Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes" but yeah there are way too many good songs on here, I could have voted for half a dozen as my #1 track!

I'm gonna listen to all 4 back to back before - make an answer

I voted for Lady Rachel as the first thing I got was a compilation of his that had that on, it blew me away at the time. I didn't realise until I bought Joy of a Toy a bit later that it was actually the single version on the compilation which is quite different. Either version would still get my vote.

I also love May I, Girl On s Swing, There is Loving/Between Us, Rheinhardt & Geraldine / Colores Para Delores and Butterfly Dance. The bass line when Butterfly Dance gets going is just one of those moments.

I would probably go with "May I", for sentimental reasons. I dunno. 'Shooting At the Moon' is a top-10 all-time album for me. Out of the thousands that I love. But, strangely, when I want to listen to Kevin I usually tend to pull out this CD:

http://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/1803/cover_5726518122005.jpg

..Bedford, Oldfield, Coxhill, etc live in concert just ruling so hard on so many of these tunes, May I, Lady Rachel, Delores, plus Why Are We Sleeping ... such a ruling kick-ass disc

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I better bump this.. I haven;t even picked yet

whatevershebringswesings encompasses his worldview completely and features one of my favorite guitar solos ever.

OTM, plus the harmony vocals from Robert Wyatt in the chorus are the icing on the cake.

last chance to vote

last hour

whoa glad i saw this!!
only know the first two, and love may i, song for insane times, girl on a swing, singing a song in the morning, and lady rachel. i think girl on a swing gets it today.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Would've voted for "Oleh Oleh Bandu Bandong" if I'd seen this poll in time.

I ended up voting for "Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes"

Stormy: I had to have that disc, it's purchased off e-bay and will be here, tomorrow maybe?

Oops, I guess I forgot to vote. Would have been 1 vote for "Shouting in a Bucket Blues".

2. Shouting In A Bucket Blues 0

This got robbed!

^ But I might have voted for Town Feeling though.

This poll ran before I got into him, would've voted "Decadence". His brilliance burned brightly during this period.

One of the all-time hot streaks of recording artistry

I just got the five cd cheapie set, which is why the revive.

Been playing "Bananamour" the most

since going ayers nuts in 2003 my order of favorites has evolved thusly

joy of a toy, then bananamour, currently shooting at the moon. Whatevershebringswesing hasn't had its turn at the top yet for some reason.

finally coming to appreciate the bananamour era tracks on the odd ditties comp after years of lifting the needle when it got to them, time i investigated it. my vote would have gone to song for insane times (though very much a soft machine joint), or oyster and the flying fish, or... etc, etc. just so much goodness on these.

Oh, I did get that BBC live cd I mentioned above.

Will have to dig it out again.

Is it the BBC sessions or live on the BBC? The former has some great versions of classic tracks.

Its live at the BBC.

I have a peel show on cdr which has a very communal Kevin session, great also.

amazing that "town feeling" got no votes

That but five or six other songs too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk5e6GtKvjI

Personally offended at 0 votes for “The Oyster And The Flying Fish” but maybe I just had a really good experience overhearing it at a record store

hadn't seen this informative thread, thanks for the revive. Here's another:
Kevin Ayers C/D - RIP Feb. 20th, 2013

May I is a beautiful song, the melody, the playing, the recording, but personally I find the lyrics a missed opportunity;

I just came in off the street
Looking for somewhere to eat
I find a small cafe
I see a girl and then I say

'May I sit and stare at you for a while?
I'd like the company of your smile'

You don't have to say a thing
You're the song without the sing
The sunlight in your hair
You look so good just sitting there

Songs where the singer/protagonist comes off as a serious dick without meaning to

Well, yes.

It's better in French tbh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPzfBwIiuT0

... I always think this song, like a few of his songs, seems to have a Velvet Underground influence.

I've still never really got much further than Joy Of A Toy, but only because it's such a wonderful album that I just go straight there whenever I'm in a Kevin Ayers mood, which is a lot.

Get the "Songs For Insane Times" anthology, it'll scratch that itch and then some!

I've still never really got much further than Joy Of A Toy, but only because it's such a wonderful album that I just go straight there whenever I'm in a Kevin Ayers mood, which is a lot.

― Matt DC, Friday, November 16, 2018 12:38 PM (six hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This but Whatevershebringswesing. Very few things in the world better than this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j7AIUnRf4w

Amazon's prices have gotten terrible the last few years, but they're still good on box-sets of original albums. Got this last week, new, for just under $20 (plus postage)--the four albums polled here, plus his fifth, The Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/IMAGERENDERING_521856-T1/images/I/91VSSROxxdL._AC_SX522_.jpg

Have sentimental feelings for Singing a Song after all those years thinking it was a Syd Barrett song due to it appearing on a Syd bootleg.

― dan selzer

That was my introduction to Kevin Ayers and it unfortunately put me off investigating him further for years as it's not one of his stronger songs (imo).

Went bananas (appropriately) for Kevin Ayers when i got the RI of Joy of a Toy for the version which actually features Syd.

I was obsessed with these 4 albums during a time when I was mostly interested in Brazilian and African music from the 70's, and this stuff was my only meaningful link to my UK-psych roots for a while. That led me to adopt the attitude that Kevin >>>> Syd for a while, which is clearly wrong if for no reason other than Syd's lyrics are prob the best ever written and Kevin's lyrics are... not quite, and can be a bit didactic (he is certainly advocating for an attitude/lifestyle).

Can't choose a favorite between Joy of a Toy and Shooting at the Moon, but 'Girl on a Swing' is my OPO if pressed.

Huge drop after Bananamour, I think David Bedford's role as musical director or w/e is crucial. Banana Follies very enjoyable, often overlooked release for fans of this stuff.

I still need Bananamour, thx for revive. I don't think I've ever heard it! The "Odd Ditties" collection of miscellany is pretty cool too.

Odd Ditties is great, just need these four LPs and that really (plus The Soft Machine of course)

Whatevershebringswesing is just a perfect LP, so many memories.

Really should do that Canterbury Scene poll at some point

^Please!! I would participate so hard.

whatevershebringswesings encompasses his worldview completely and features one of my favorite guitar solos ever.

― call all destroyer, Saturday, February 27, 2010 12:16 AM (thirteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Yep,, definitely would have voted for this one, like a musical bear hug from and old friend.

Kinda surprised “Oleh Oleh Bandu Bandong” got no votes. Such a bizarre lopsided groove with a hook that gets stuck in my head for days at a time.

Would've voted for "Oleh Oleh Bandu Bandong" if I'd seen this poll in time.

― inhibitionist, Saturday, February 27, 2010 7:55 PM (thirteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

it's one of my favorites, too.