Dave Davies says past informs present on new album, weighs in on possibility of Kinks reunion
Dustin Schoof lehighvalleylive.com contributor
Founding Kinks guitarist Dave Davies performs Saturday in Bethlehem.
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Dave Davies

Founding Kinks guitarist Dave Davies will perform Saturday at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.

(Courtesy Photo)

Dave Davies takes his guitar playing seriously.

Even as his former band The Kinks -- which he co-founded with his older brother Ray -- celebrates its 50th anniversary, Dave Davies continues his journey of self-discovery.

"(The guitar) has become part of me now. It's a part of my being," Davies says, his voice scratchy and hoarse due to a lingering cold, during a recent phone interview. "I think you're always learning. I am."

The mindset of moving forward while looking back is one that he adapted on his latest solo album, "Ripping Up Time." The song "Through My Window" is reflective of Davies' search for something new while acknowledging the past. In the song, he laments over a jangly guitar riff, "No regrets, what's done is done/The future's here with a brand new song."

"The idea of 'Ripping Up Time' came from (reminiscing) about the old days. Everything evolved from that," Davis says. "I'm always looking for new ideas and ways to approach a piece of music."

Davis hopes to sprinkle in cuts from "Ripping Up Time" during his Saturday performance at Musikfest Cafe in Bethlehem. He plans on balancing the set with some of his favorite Kinks tunes.

"I like to get out there," Davies says of touring at age 67. "It should be a lot of fun. I sort of do some of the old hits. I'm looking forward to it."

Though the Kinks, who helped pioneer the British Invasion rock movement of the mid-1960s, built a lengthy list of hit singles and albums throughout their career, the brothers' signature song "You Really Got Me" continues to influence multiple generations of aspiring musicians.

In 2003, Davies landed at No. 91 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 greatest guitarists.

"I played it and Ray came up with the riff. We knew there was something really special going on," Davis says of "You Really Got Me."

The garage rock snarl of "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night" would give way to music reflective of the band's influences, from the psychedelic folk rock of "Sunny Afternoon" and "Waterloo Sunset" to the cheeky story of a transvestite named "Lola" and the New Wave-tinged "Destroyer" and "Come Dancing."

"All our music, I think, really is what stands out. It's very diverse," Davies says. "I have a very diverse taste in music anyway, which reflects the Kinks' eclectic history of music."

Although creative tensions and low album sales sparked the Kinks breakup in 1996, the nearly two decades since have been filled with rumors, rumblings and teases of a reunion tour. Davies does not rule out a Kinks reunion but he is also not setting one in stone either.

"I just want to remain healthy and enjoy music and play and maybe if when I get back to the U.K. in December, meet with Ray and see if there's something we can do."

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