''Low Budget'' is the eighteenth studio album by English
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
group
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 ...
, released in 1979. Following the minor success of their 1978 album ''
Misfits
Misfits or The Misfits may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift
* ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film
* ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...
'', the band recorded the majority of the album in New York rather than London. Unlike the more nostalgic themes of many Kinks albums prior to ''Low Budget'', many of the album's songs allude to contemporaneous events. Musically, the album is a continuation of the band's "
arena rock
Arena rock (also known as AOR, melodic rock, stadium rock, anthem rock, pomp rock, corporate rock and dad rock; ; ) is a style of rock music that originated in the mid-1970s. As hard rock bands and those playing a softer yet strident kind of po ...
" phase, resulting in a more rock-based sound and more modern production techniques.
Despite being a relative failure in the UK, ''Low Budget'' was a great success for the group in the US both critically and commercially, not only becoming their best-selling non-compilation album but also peaking at number 11 on the American album charts. The lead single, "
(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman", was also a minor hit in the US, reaching number 41.
Background
After spending the majority of the 1970s focusing on lofty concept albums, such as the two-part ''
Preservation
Preservation may refer to:
Heritage and conservation
* Preservation (library and archival science), activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record while making as few changes as possible
* ''Preservation'' (magazine), published by the Nat ...
'' album, the Kinks began to lose the commercial success they had regained with their 1970 hit single "
Lola
Lola may refer to:
Places
* Lolá, a or subdistrict of Panama
* Lola Township, Cherokee County, Kansas, United States
* Lola Prefecture, Guinea
* Lola, Guinea, a town in Lola Prefecture
* Lola Island, in the Solomon Islands
People
* Lola (fo ...
". However, upon switching from
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
to
Arista Records
Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...
in the summer of 1976, the band gradually began to regain commercial success in America. Abandoning the conceptual work they had created during their RCA years, the band's 1977 album ''
Sleepwalker'' and 1978 album ''
Misfits
Misfits or The Misfits may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift
* ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film
* ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...
'' were both modest hits in the United States, as were the respective first singles, "
Sleepwalker" and "
A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy
"A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" is the lead single and fourth track from The Kinks' 1978 album ''Misfits''. Written by Ray Davies, the song was inspired by the band's then-tumultuous state at the time, with two members leaving the band during the rec ...
".
However, throughout this period, the band's lineup began to fluctuate, not only with both bassist
John Dalton
John Dalton (; 5 or 6 September 1766 – 27 July 1844) was an English chemist, physicist and meteorologist. He is best known for introducing the atomic theory into chemistry, and for his research into colour blindness, which he had. Colour b ...
(and his short-term replacement
Andy Pyle) and keyboardist John Gosling departing from the band, but founding 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 considered leaving. Avory eventually agreed to stay, while ex-
Argent
In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
bass player
Jim Rodford
James Walter Rodford (7 July 1941 – 20 January 2018) was an English musician, who played bass for several British rock bands. He was a founding member of Argent, which was led by his cousin Rod Argent, and performed with them from their formati ...
, and keyboardist Gordon John Edwards were recruited, the latter having played with
the Pretty Things
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
on their album ''
Silk Torpedo
''Silk Torpedo'' is the seventh album by the English rock band Pretty Things. This is their second album without Wally Waller, the group's rhythm guitarist/bassist since 1967. The album has more of a glam rock feel, a contrast from their early R ...
''. Edwards was shortly afterwards fired from the group for failing to show up to sessions for ''Low Budget'' (although he recorded piano on at least one of the album's tracks),
[Doug Hinman (2004). ''The Kinks: All Day and All of the Night''. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 226. .] being replaced with
Ian Gibbons following the album's release.
Recording
Recording for ''Low Budget'' began in early 1979 at the band's own
Konk Studios
Konk is the name of a recording studio and record label,
[ ...]
in London, where "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman", the result of Arista founder
Clive Davis
Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000.
From 1967 to 1 ...
's request for a radio-friendly hit, and the album's title track were cut. After these sessions, the rest of the album was recorded at the
Power Station
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid.
Many p ...
and Blue Rock Studios in New York City. Studio engineer John Rollo said of these initial sessions, "The album before ''Low Budget'',
'Misfits''was beautifully recorded, but not that rock and roll. I think the first two songs I did,
(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" and "Low Budget"went extremely well and the band wanted to spend some time in New York, to get away from distractions and kept it as a raw band recording."
Recording in New York began in April 1979. After recently hiring and firing several keyboard players in quick succession, Ray Davies decided to play all of the keyboard parts for the tracks himself.
Along with the tracks that appeared in the final running order of ''Low Budget'', versions of songs that would appear on the album's 1981 follow-up ''
Give the People What They Want'', such as "
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
" and "
Give the People What They Want" (and possibly "Yo-Yo" and "
Better Things") are attempted. Also tried during the sessions were "Massive Reductions" (the B-side in the UK of "Better Things"), which was later re-recorded for the band's 1984 album ''
Word of Mouth
Word of mouth, or ''viva voce'', is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one pe ...
'', and outtakes "Hidden Qualities" and "Laugh at the World". Final mixes and the running order for the album were worked on during June of that year.
Music and lyrics
After a decade of concept albums and songs that recalled simpler times, ''Low Budget'' marked a new direction for the Kinks by addressing contemporary issues such as inflation, labour disputes (which were especially severe in the UK during the 1978-79
Winter of Discontent
The Winter of Discontent was the period between November 1978 and February 1979 in the United Kingdom characterised by widespread strikes by private, and later public, sector trade unions demanding pay rises greater than the limits Prime Minis ...
), and the
1979 energy crisis
The 1979 oil crisis, also known as the 1979 Oil Shock or Second Oil Crisis, was an energy crisis caused by a drop in oil production in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. Although the global oil supply only decreased by approximately four per ...
. Songs such as "Catch Me Now I'm Falling", which was Davies' take on America's declining influence in the world, "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman", "Low Budget", and "A Gallon of Gas", epitomised these themes.
Mick Avory said of the album's lyrics, "Ray's writing was
reviouslytoo subtle. When we did the big arenas in the late seventies he was writing harder stuff that would come across. When we signed with Arista, Clive Davis would always talk about getting us into the bigger venues and the music changed so we could get them across in the large places. When we made ''Low Budget'', that was a turning point really."
Release and reception
Prior to the release of ''Low Budget'', "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" was released as a single in early 1979, backed with "Low Budget". Although the single failed to make an impact in Britain, it became a modest hit in America, reaching #41. ''Low Budget'' was then released on 10 July 1979 in America and on 7 September 1979 in Britain. The album proved to be a major success in the United States, reaching #11 on the
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
(the band's highest charting studio album to date). Despite the great commercial success the album achieved in America, the album, like every Kinks album since 1967's ''
Something Else by The Kinks'', was unable to chart in their native Britain. Follow-up singles to "Superman" were issued ("
A Gallon of Gas
"A Gallon of Gas" is the ninth track from The Kinks' album, ''Low Budget.'' It was written by Ray Davies.
Background
"A Gallon of Gas", like many songs by The Kinks from this period, tells of economic problems of the time, in this case the gas ...
" and "
Catch Me Now I'm Falling" in the US, "
Moving Pictures" and "
Pressure
Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...
" in Britain) but they failed to chart.
''Low Budget'' generally received positive reception from music critics, despite most feeling the album was not perfect. ''
Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' spoke positively of the album, saying, "''Low Budget'' is actually worth spending money on." ''
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 ...
'' also praised the album, saying, "the Kinks haven't mounted this kind of rock & roll attack since 'Lola.
They concluded, "''Low Budget'' may not be the best of their twenty-odd albums released in America, but it's not bad either."
Philip Bashe of ''
Good Times
''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first African ...
'' wrote, "Strangely, ''Low Budget'' is an encouraging album. ... Their playing on this record is heartier than ever, and Ray himself is no longer coy in his delivery
''
Trouser Press
''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...
'' critic Mark Fleischmann said of ''Low Budget'', "Flaws aside, it's still a great album." ''
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 ...
'' mentioned the album's grittiness and topical lyrics thought that the song "Little Bit of Emotion" should become a classic.
In America, a version of "Low Budget" was issued on the 12" single of "Superman" that had the addition of two more verses; this version runs 4:48. This version, like the extended "Come Dancing" four years later, has never been issued as a bonus track, despite many reissues of the album, and can only be found on vinyl.
The Kinks launched an extensive concert tour in America to support the album. Six of the eleven songs from the album are included on the double-live album ''
One for the Road'' which was recorded in 1979 and 1980 during the ''Low Budget'' tour.
Track listing
Notes
Personnel
The Kinks
*
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 ...
– guitar, keyboards,
vocals
*
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 ...
– guitar, background vocals
*
Jim Rodford
James Walter Rodford (7 July 1941 – 20 January 2018) was an English musician, who played bass for several British rock bands. He was a founding member of Argent, which was led by his cousin Rod Argent, and performed with them from their formati ...
– bass, background vocals
*
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, ...
– drums
Additional personnel
*Nick Newall – saxophone
*Gordon Edwards – piano on "Low Budget"
Technical
*John Rollo – engineer
*"Special thanks to"
Scott Litt
Scott Warren Litt (born March 10, 1954) is an American record producer who mostly works with artists in the alternative rock genre and is best known for producing six R.E.M. albums in the late 1980s and early to mid-1990s during the band's most suc ...
and Raymond Willhard
*Gary Gross – photography
*Cover concept by Ray Davies
References
Sources
*
*
{{Authority control
1979 albums
The Kinks albums
Arista Records albums
Albums produced by Ray Davies