"A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" is the lead single and fourth track from

The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...

' 1978 album ''

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''. Written by

Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for the rock band the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing voca ...

, the song was inspired by the band's then-tumultuous state at the time, with two members leaving the band during the recording of ''Misfits.'' Released as the first single from the album, the track was the band's most successful single in years, reaching number 30.

Background

During the recording of the ''Misfits'' album, bassist Andy Pyle and pianist John Gosling quit the band, with drummer

Mick Avory Michael Charles Avory (born 15 February 1944) is an English musician, best known as the longtime drummer and percussionist for the English rock band the Kinks. He joined them shortly after their formation in 1964 and remained with them until 1984, ...

also considering leaving. Following this change, Ray and

Dave Davies David Russell Gordon Davies (born 3 February 1947) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the English rock band the Kinks, which also featured his elder brother Ray Davies. He was ind ...

got together and spent time with each other, a meeting that resulted in the writing of Ray's "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" and Dave's "Trust Your Heart." Ray Davies has since said, A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy' a very personal song about Dave and I." He has also claimed that "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" inspired by both a

Peter Frampton Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English musician and songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his major breakthrough album, the live ...

concert he attended and the death of rock 'n' roll legend

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

in 1977. He said, "It's a Method acting songwriting job. I use personal things to get something else out of me... Elvis Presley died last week and it all just added up."

Lyrics

The lyrics of "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" describe a man named Dan who is a huge fan of

. He engulfs himself in their music whenever he feels unhappy, "living in a rock 'n' roll fantasy". The song also details when

and his brother

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were thinking of breaking up

. This is evident in lyrics such as "break up the band, start a new life be a new man."

Release and reception

The track was the first from ''

'' to be released as a single. It was backed with "Artificial Light" in Britain, and "Live Life" on the U.S. version. It peaked at number 30 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in America, the band's best charting American single since 1970's "

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." It also charted at number 30 in Canada. The track is generally cited by critics as one of the highlights from ''

''.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

called the track one of the two "touchstones" of the album and named it as a highlight from the album. Ken Emerson of

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

called the song "ruthless", and went on to say, ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said it has "an excellent melodic line, strong guitar work" and fine lead vocals." The song has since appeared on the compilation album ''

Come Dancing with The Kinks The Kinks, an English rock band, were active for over three decades, from 1963 to 1996, releasing 24 studio albums and four live albums. The first two albums are differently released in the UK and the US, partly due to the difference in popular ...

.''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy 1978 songs The Kinks songs Songs written by Ray Davies Arista Records singles 1978 singles