Dave Davies - Glamour

Name: Dave Davies
Album: Glamour
Year: 1981
Style: Prog-Metal
Similar Bands: Babys, Journey, Axe, Accept
"One-Word" Review: Horrid-Pretal
Based Out Of: London, England
Label: RCA, Victor

Glamour - Cover & Sleeve
Glamour - Back & Lyrics
Glamour - Record

Glamour (1981)

1. Is This The Only Way (4:50) (Sample)
2. Glamour (4:49) (Sample)
3. Reveal Yourself (4:34) (Sample)
4. World of Our Own (6:06) (Sample)/
5. Body (5:09) (Sample)
6. Too Serious (3:22) (Sample)
7. Telepathy (3:35) (Sample)
8. 7th Channel (3:24) (Sample)
9. Eastern Eyes (5:24) (Sample)

Album Rating (1-10):
3.5

Members & Other Bands:
Dave Davies - Produced, Written, Composed, Arranged, Vox, Guitars, Keys, Percussion (Kinks, Ravens)
Bob Henrit - Drums (Buster Meikle & The Daybreakers, The Hunters, Unit 4 + 2, The Roulettes, Argent and The Kinks)
Benedict Tobias Fenner - Engineered
Robert Ludwig - Mastered
Nick Sangiamo - Photos
JJ Stelmach - Design
Robert LaCourte - Make-Up
Patti Wilson - Stylist

Unknown-ness: I have definitly heard of Dave Davies. However, as that was as part of the Kinks, I was not 100% sure this was the same guy. To me, the photo and imagery show that of a sleek, composer of metal. The explosion on the back, and the destruction on the sleeve inside, the dark clouds behind Davies on the cover, the red font of the album's name all led me to believe that perhaps, this was not the same Davies of the Kinks. I later found that it was, which is what I originally hoped for when I bought the album. I was completly unsure as to what the content would be.

Album Review: Not knowing what to expect, “Is this the Only Way?” sounds like metal. Heavy guitars, echoy high-pitch whine-singing, and keyboards are featured at the beginning of the track to categorize it as such. There is a more melodic section after the high “singing” that is more in line with harder classic rock like The Who, than the sound of the Kinks, and it does not save the song. Next, is a basic 2-beat drum intro for “Glamour” whiny guitars transfer into heavy guitars after he begins singing in a metal style. The song is a staggering rhythm, which never really gets interesting. It is just slow, progressive metal. “Reveal Yourself” starts off in a more rock sense: heavy, but non-metal guitars and a dancier beat. But the vocals just overlap the music on their own melody, and seem like an after thought for the most part. When he sings faster, and the music supports the tempo and melody, there are sparks of interesting and goodness, but they soon fall to the waste side, and the song equals parts catchiness and annoyance. “World of Our Own” begins as an prog-electronic, slow shuffle. The vocals are quiet, and buried under waves of synth. About 2 minutes in, the drums of prog kick in, and the song picks up the pace a half-step.

“Body’s” intro is a mid-tempo drum and guitar interlude. Then the instrument fall in line, and the high pitch whiny lyrics begin. Part Journey, but not even close to as listenable. The song is well composed pop song musically, but the vocals, most important in my estimation, really ruin the song. But then the musical break comes on and where it is supposed to be a musical hook, the instrumentation falls apart and heads off in different directions. They come back for a powerhouse ending, but nothing could have saved the song. “Too Serious” starts with some classic rock/ Mike Ness guitar, and the drum/bass groove creates a perfect rock beat. The vocals are double layered, one low, and one high, with the lower vocals taking lead more often. There is a clever musical hook supplied by the keyboard for a brief moment, and it repeats a few times. But there is an odd fade out to end the song. A Midnight Oil Beds Are Burning guitar/drums beat begins “Telepathy” but the song sounds very one dimensional. The vocals are sing-song laid over the driving music for the verse. Then the song just drags on as echoey loud vocals are introduced in a new section. The song picks back up on the driving guitar sound of the chorus “telepathy/ for you and me.” “7th Channel” is more upbeat progressive than before, but too much echo is involved in the vocals. But perhaps that was a conscious decision, and they might sound better that way. “Eastern Eyes” finishes off this record with deep synth sounding like it is coming out of a zoob tube. It feels like terrible theme music to a terrible Mad Max rip off. The vocals are controlled and neither high nor low in pitch. It is a slow driving song, pushed through by the bass played like a guitar.

This is a terrible album. One of the worst listens and struggle-throughs of the records I’ve made it through. I can enjoy this type of music, but there is just something so wrong with this album. I barely can pick a stand out track, but at least Too Serious is more listenable than the rest. If you are a fan of the Kinks, then don’t go this route to get this album. If you are a fan of Dave Davies, I’m sorry.

Stand Out Track:
Too Serious

Links:
Dave Davies - myspace
Dave Davies - allmusic
Dave Davies - wikipedia
Dave Davies - website
Dave Davies - #88 of top 100 guitarists
etc.