MWE3 Features
Robert Silverstein: RS

Dave Davies: DD

RS: It was really great seeing you play live at Downtown out on Long Island on April 27th. Being a long time Kinks fan, it was a real revelation. It would take me at least six hours to go into detail about all my favorite Kinks albums and songs, but I gotta say after hearing your new album Bug, I really think youve reached a new pinnacle in your songwriting.

DD: Well, thank you.

RS: Ive waited a long time for an album this good. How long have you been working on the new album and could you say something on how Bug came together as an album?

DD: Yeah, well primarily, I really only had a couple of songs. I had "Fortis Green", "Let Me Be" and "True Phenomenon"that Id been doing in the set. And it wasnt until the idea for Bug came up that I had an idea to put the album together. And it all came together really quite quickly the end of last year. We went into the studio February 1st and we had it finished by the 4th of March. It just went really, really quickly. I think sometimes when I get like a theme in me head I tend to work alot faster. You know the songs are kind of loosely connected and themematic in a way.

RS: Youre quoted as saying that the basic idea of Bug is that of seemingly ordinary people walking around with mind controlling implants affecting their behavior, that could be triggered any moment by outside forces like extra terrestrials and covert government manipulation. And the idea of Bug is to exorcise these implants through the power of music. And also that Bug is also a metaphor for all the negative things that may be in us that prevent us from reaching our full potential.

DD: Yeah. Well that was kind of like my ideological idea I had when I came across the idea of Bug. It was interesting because how it started was...on my website (www.DaveDavies.com) and the spiritual planet web site people were sending me emails talking about...one particular woman who said that she thought she had alien implants that she felt was affecting her behavior and personality. So we did a bit of research and found theres quite a lot of case history...about...particularly...we also would like people to say that theyd been experimented on by the government, in a secret way, covert kind of operation ala, kind of X-files. But this woman said that she went to see a healer, a psychic healer and that shed removed these implants. And that gave me the idea of thinking about doing it with music. And what was really funny was, that night, I went to bed and I woke up in the middle of the night with this really bad mosquito bite on my arm! (laughter). And I kind of modeled these ideas together with an actual bug and the thing about the alien implants and out came the song "Bug". But then it sort of attached itself to other ideas about, like the way emotions can bug, or a bug in the machine, like in the computer. And I thought that was kind of cool and like "De-bug" can be like a de-programming process easily. So it kind of triggered alot of ideas and it sparked alot of writing.

RS: It does seem like theres alot of brainwashing going on these days. On Bugs lead-off song "Whos Fooling Who" it seems like youre saying the more media were surrounded by, the less real information we seem to be getting.

DD: I do believe that. I think were so...weve become so dependent on exterior means of functioning. We depend on everything outside of ourselves. Like the cell phone activitythe microwaves. We havent really had time to really experiment with all this new technology thats going through the airwaves and we dont think that its affecting us. But theyre finding out about alot of electromagnetic pollution that I mention on "Whos Fooling Who". Its almost like theres alot of people that believe that electromagnetic pollution actually causes certain dysfunctions in the brain. So that people cant think as clearly or they cant think straight or they get confused easily. So its a very curious time to be alive (laughter) to say the least! But on the upside, I think its kind of like a clearing process as well. Particularly with things that we have, like yoga and meditation and certain mystical practices can help to create within people a more defined identity of who they are.

RS: It kinda reminds me of the Kinks song "Brainwashed". The songs on Bug are really catchy and are compelling enough to make you face the music so to speak. Its all about trying to help elevate peoples consciousness.

DD: Well it is, thats one of the sub-themes of the album where it goes all the way through questioning like with "Whose Foolin Who", isolation with "Let Me Be" and "Displaced Persons". "Displaced Persons"the idea really came about with the Dalai Lama being in Tibet. But then I realized it was about me and it fitted in with like the whole scenario for the Bug album. And then it goes through a time of hope with like "Rock You, Rock Me"somebody searching in this confusing environment and this dysfunctional world and realizing that we do have basic tools within us to help us fight this, whatever it is. Which is faith and hope and love, which is the foundation of like meditation really and where it can take us spiritually. And it goes through these steps, if you like. And "Life After Life (Transformation)", is really a dance meditation to take people into another stage of consciousness, if you like. But it doesnt have to be that, it can just be a fun dance thing. But the intent, when I worked with Russell, my son, we worked together on (Transformation) "Life After Life"...

(at this point Dave is interrupted by our trusty interviewer who kinda asks the Kinks guitar legend to speak louder, etc.)

RS: One of my favorites on Bug is "The LIE" - which is downright scary stuff. What is "The LIE"?

DD: Well, "The LIE" is everything that takes us onto the wrong path. Its everything that makes us not work properly. We dont work properly as human beings, thats why we were not getting on terribly well with our environment, were not getting on terribly well with each other at all. This dysfunctioning, this mis-communication is "The LIE". You know, some of it conspiratorial, which I believe it is, I think some of it is whats happening in the global economy. Everything is focused on commerce. I feel personally, that its a dangerous path to take because weve worshipped money for too long. I believe that we should utilize money and make it a force for good to help people, not to gain power over people. Its always the intent behind our actions that makes our future whether its on a personal level, on a group level, or on a racial level or a planetary level. I think thats what were going through at the momentwere paying for all the lies. "The LIE" is trying to clarifyits about all the things that piss me off as well (laughter). Thats homelessness, and how can people be homeless and hungry when we really do have the technology and the will to feed everybody on the planet. Why do they have to necessarily pay for it? Why should people really have to pay for something that grows out of the earth and our planet, which doesnt really belong to us. "The LIE" is many, many issues that I see in the world that make me unhappy.

RS: The song trilogy that closes Bug"Bug", "De-Bug" and "Life After Life (Transformation)" sounds like theyre connected. It almost sounds like youre trying to make contact with the spirit world.

DD: See, Im a great believer in multi-dimensional intelligence, potentially, that were multidimensional beings. Ignorance of these things...it seems so curious that some of the so-called religions of the world have helped dull our consciousness rather than heighten it. Because its back to this greed and control thing. Well, what are they so scared about? What the hell are we gonna do? Maybe if everything was open, and nobody liedand thats a silly ideological thing to saybut if everybody was open and free and liked each other and tried to get on and didnt lie, maybe things would start working out a bit better for us. Because maybe we might be falling more in harmony with nature. Nature doesnt lie. Its there, it does its thing and thats what it does. Maybe we need to get more back in tune with the Earth and nature to find out where were going as a race. I think that we interact much more with the spirit world than we think we do. I think the more that we try and understand the spirit world and the other worlds that are around uswhich Ive had alot of experiences withI think that we will be helped. I really do think that were not here all alone, just trying to scramble through each day the best we can. I think that if we reach upwards and reach up to higher ideals I think well be surprised how much we will be helped. And thats really what the trilogy (laugher), as you call itwhich is funny because thats what I call itthats really what it means. Take "De-Bug" and de-program, thinking about all the things you dont like about yourself and the world and trying to change them through de-programming process. And then moving on and transforming your consciousness into a higher state. Its all sort of very grand ideas, but its what I believe and its also just entertaining.

RS: Bug has one great song after the next. Perhaps my favorite rocker on the album is "Let Me Be", which is so fine. It sort of gets into another personality type on the album, like the guy thats just had enough of the world.

DD: Thats the guy isnt it...its the same character! They need to leave me alone, but hes saying it to everything. Hes saying it to the TV, hes saying it to the telephone, hes saying it to technology. Look how bureaucracy is like a distraction, its like a deliberate distraction to stop us thinking about more important things. The fact of getting through a weekeverybody, me, you, everybodyin this weird society that weve constructed around ourselves, which is kind of like a bit of a lie anyway. We spend so much time dealing with the details, paper, packing, bureaucracy...its more and more and more. And computer technology hasnt taken away the misery of all these bits and bills. Just look at the telephone bill! All the little bits and pieces on it! Where does it go? To some national lottery tax?! Theres all this kind of weird shit going on. Is it really all so absolutely necessary? And the guys screaming in "Let Me Be"just go away, leave me alone. Theres more important things I want to do, which we all want to do. Which you want to do, which I want to do.

RS: And I guess after all the trouble the guys been through hes ready for a more introspective song like "Rock You, Rock Me", which is the song of hope on Bug.

DD: Well yeah, because I think in the end, I think human beings are really resourceful creatures or whatever we are. And I think those key words are like a mantrafaith and hope and love. If we can be brainwashed by all this weird shit and all this negative stuff, maybe we could reprogram ourselves by having faith and love and hope in the future. Maybe its a similar thingjust brainwash ourselves to what we want to be and not what somebody else wants.

RS: Bug may be loaded with challenging imagery, but its also fun to listen to. The song "Fortis Green" is auto-biographical and sounds inspired by my favorite Kinks album, Village Green Preservation Society. Wasnt that song first heard on the limited edition Fortis Green album you put out privately on Meta Music?

DD: Oh right, yeah. I did a demo version of it that I put out on a CD called Fortis Green. The whole thing about Bug is its been a bit of a learning curve for me as well. Its written from my standpoint about my own life as well. And like, Ive had alot of emotional problems confronting my past and "Fortis Green" was a way of me dealing with a lot of hidden emotions about my past and growing up and how I miss certain people and all those kind of things. So thats kinda like a self-cleansing kind of piece"Fortis Green".

RS: Was there any reason why you didnt print the lyrics to Bug?

DD: Actually, its interesting that you should say that because I had thought of it and I wanted to make the artwork really striking. I worked with a great guy who was totally on the same wavelength as mea guy called Jeff Chenault at Koch Records. It worked great, I think, he really tuned into what I was trying to do. And then the artwork looked so good, I thought, theres no room for the lyrics. I know this sounds a bit silly. I suppose then we would have gone into a little booklet. In hindsight, maybe youre right, maybe I should have had a little booklet in there.

RS: The Bug cover art is really strange too. It looks like theres a bunch of aliens from the Twilight Zone on the back cover. It looks like some of the pictures are from the 50s.

DD: You see, the reason I wanted it to be kinda late 50s, early 60s is because it appears to demonstrate how everything was supposed to have been so perfect. Everything was okay in the late 50s. When the middle classes were taking over the Western world (laughter). Everything was fine, everybody had a car, everybody had a nice little house. Everything was perfect. Our government was beautiful, everyone went to church on Sunday. And I think it kind of juxtaposed my rage, if you like and the lie of it all, the deception, and the self-deception. Its cruel to keep information from people. I think thats where my rage comes from. Its easier to spot that period which was so clean and pristine and everything was nice and perfect. So thats why I used that period.

RS: Its a bit scarier in a sense.

DD: I think it makes it funnier, hopefully. You see, I didnt want to make it look too dark. When I finished the album, me and my associate producer sat down and looked at each other and we both went, Oh, shit! is it too dark?. And then we played "Why?!!" and "Fortis Green" and "Whose Foolin Who" and then we checked out the artwork. See, I think the artwork helps it get a bit lighter yknow? It was just a little phobia I had at the end of the recording, but you get that sometimes when you finish a project, is anybody gonna like it?. I was really driven, and it was really intense work for four weeks. It was like 12 hour, 14-15 hour days.

RS: Overall, Bug really rocks. Could you mention some of the guitars that were used on Bug? Kristian Hoffman, is using some great keyboard effects on the album too.

DD: Well I didnt use any fancy gadgets really. I used my basic guitar that I use on stage which is a Telecaster with a maple neck. I prefer the maple neck. It sustains better. And I use trace sensor pickups which is a kind of fairly standard package. And I use it with my Mesa Boogie amp heads, which are Mark II heads that Ive had since 1980, the same amps which I run through Marshall 4x12s. So I used that mainly. But then I used a Gibson Les Paul on some things, the de-tuning things and the more rhythmic things. And I used Guild acoustics, a couple of very standard Guild acoustics on a couple of other tracks like "Flowers In The Rain". I think Kristian...in fact the whole band did a great job on the record. Gently, we started to rehearse the songs which was like three or four days before we went in the studio. These days, theyre coming together beautifully, the songs, we want to keep it going.

RS: When I saw you play live it sounded like Kristian was using a mellotron.

DD: No, we kind of trimmed up some presets that I had for Bug. They were basic presets that I edited up to the sound I wanted.

RS: Another guitar question: Are you a big collector?

DD: I used to be a collector. And having many wives you tend to lose alot of guitars on the way (laughter). Ive got guitars that I keep that I dont take out at all because when Im on the road I go out very basically with me Fenders, a couple of Mesa Boogies, one guitar pedal and thats it.

RS: Do you want to mention some of your favorite guitars from over the years?

DD: Obviously, I always have a special feeling for my Harmony Meteormy first electric guitar which I recorded "You Really Got Me" with. Id like to try and get hold of one, one day just as a bit of a sentimental thing. The one with the cutaway. Ive still got a Tele and a Strat, early 50s, which I keep privately that I wouldnt dare take on the road. An old Martin, D-20 is it? Im so terrible with modal names. Yeah Ive got a few guitars I keep, that Ive kept.

RS: Are you living in England now?

DD: I live mainly in England, obviously thats my home. But I go backwards and forwards to Los Angeles. I have friends and family in Los Angeles.

RS: Bug came out on Vel Vel Records though Koch Entertainment. Walter Yetnikoff signed The Kinks to Vel Vel.

DD: Thats right, yeah.

RS: They did a great job on all the Kinks reissues and then he sold out to Koch. Hows your relationship with Koch?

DD: Bob Frank, who runs the company...we get on really quite well. I think what was very helpful to this project is the fact that I need people there and you can phone them up and they answer the phone. Its not like big corporate companies that you phone up and you leave 400 messages and maybe you get lucky if someone phones you back. Its more like a family set-up, which I prefer to work with.We just got the thing together very quickly. The working relationships pretty good.

RS: You also have a pretty good relationship with Sanctuary Records who recently put out an excellent double CD set of The Kinks BBC recordings and a great new double CD Kinks compilation called The Ultimate Collection. They also did a great job a few years back reissuing all the Kinks 60s albums.

DD: Yeah, and theyve done a great job. Wonderful I think, its great that weve had that much support.

RS: Speaking of Kinks reissues, I want to ask if you think therell ever be a 24 bit reissue of the late 1985/early 86 album Think Visual? That has to be one of my favorite Kinks albums.