Ray Davies Articulates Music Real Good

We’re big fans of The Kinks here at Post-Rockist HQ (which, by the way, is located only at the interwebs). So it was a refreshing couple hours at work today when I diverted myself with Ray Davies interviews on NPR here and here.

If you want to learn more about the history of pop music or learn how to sound like you know about the history of pop music…and from someone who actually does!…listen to these interviews. For as many times as I’ve heard it, I’m always impressed that so much thought went into the making and goes into the explaining of “You Really Got Me.” I mean, it’s just two chords, over and over again. But there’s something about that song that always gets me, and listening to it today made me think of Ray’s melody and how it tiptoes around the riff in very subtle ways.

Ray would be a great professor of pop culture, and his soothing, almost meek voice, which even causes his interviewers to lower their volume, really helps bring home the points he’s making. I’ve learned lots about songs and songwriting just listening, in addition to the added bonus of forgetting momentarily the endless deadendness of my job.

Apparently, you can learn about songwriting here too.