Ray Davies

Ray Davies, one of rock and roll’s most successful and influential songwriters, releases his eagerly anticipated solo album Other People’s Lives on V2 Records, February 7, 2006. Written, produced and arranged by Ray, the LP features 13 stunning new songs recorded in Konk Studios, London.The new and long-awaited LP is Ray’s first official solo album and is a veritable masterclass in songwriting. “The first words on the album are ‘Things are gonna change, this is the morning after.’ This indicates that I’m going to do things differently from now on,” says Ray.Much of the inspiration for the album comes from Ray’s experiences of living in New Orleans, where he found both emotional and physical sanctuary. “I found I fitted in somewhere for the first time since I left Muswell Hill,” he comments.“The first thing I did (with the album) was to make demo recordings of everything I had written or half-finished and not released,” he says. “Every album I’d recorded with The Kinks, the material was written as I recorded it, I had no time to think about the songs until I found myself on tour performing them.”Combining Ray’s distinctive vocals with astutely observed lyrics, the new album brims effervescently with Ray’s heady, unmistakable style and talent. Each song is a gem both lyrically and musically and tells the influence, journey and direction of Ray’s creative process.