X-Ray (book)
Encyclopedia
X-Ray was Ray Davies
' first major attempt to write prose outside of his musical career as founding member of the British
rock
band the Kinks
. Robert Polito
calls it an "experimental non-fiction
" and describes Davies as "a prose
stylist of Nabokovian
ambition."
," employs a nameless 19-year-old first-person narrator hired by 'the Corporation' to seek out and interview a slightly demented geriatric version of Davies himself ten to twenty years after the time of the novel's publication. Thus, while technically an autobiography, the work has an unreliable narrator
. In many ways a work of fiction, it reveals many factual details concerning the Kinks and other important figures of the swinging sixties, but tends to do so in a literary fashion. By employing this narrative device, Davies was able to shed some light on the life of the Kinks without resorting to the usual pedestrian 'he said/she said' mechanics often associated with memoirs of celebrities.
who was living the wild life of a hipster during that period.
In addition to themes of isolation and spiritual longing, the book gives a great deal of insight into the Kinks' disintegrating relationship with Pye Records
which ended around 1971 and resulted in the album: Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround
(which is quite critical of Pye and mirrors many of the themes found in the book).
The text also addresses, but ultimately does not really explain, the notorious episode in which the Kinks were banned from performing music in the United States
for a period of approximately four years after a 1965 tour.
Within the book the reader "experiences" the viewpoint of the young narrator who at times merges with the character of Ray Davies. One receives insights into Davies' impressions of other famous musicians of the British Invasion
. John Lennon
, in particular, is portrayed as a bit of a bully.
The story narrated in the text ends in 1973 on the eve of the recording of Preservation
, so readers interested in such things as Davies' relationship with Chrissie Hynde
or his current career as a solo singer-songwriter
will have to look elsewhere.
Ray Davies
Ray Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
' first major attempt to write prose outside of his musical career as founding member of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band the Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
. Robert Polito
Robert Polito
Robert Polito is an American academic, critic and poet. He has been Director of the Writing Program at The New School since 1992. He received the National Book Critics Circle Award and an Edgar Award for Savage Art: A Biography of Jim Thompson....
calls it an "experimental non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
" and describes Davies as "a prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
stylist of Nabokovian
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
ambition."
X-Ray
The book, subtitled as an "unauthorized autobiographyAutobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
," employs a nameless 19-year-old first-person narrator hired by 'the Corporation' to seek out and interview a slightly demented geriatric version of Davies himself ten to twenty years after the time of the novel's publication. Thus, while technically an autobiography, the work has an unreliable narrator
Unreliable narrator
An unreliable narrator is a narrator, whether in literature, film, or theatre, whose credibility has been seriously compromised. The term was coined in 1961 by Wayne C. Booth in The Rhetoric of Fiction. This narrative mode is one that can be developed by an author for a number of reasons, usually...
. In many ways a work of fiction, it reveals many factual details concerning the Kinks and other important figures of the swinging sixties, but tends to do so in a literary fashion. By employing this narrative device, Davies was able to shed some light on the life of the Kinks without resorting to the usual pedestrian 'he said/she said' mechanics often associated with memoirs of celebrities.
Basic storyline
The young narrator interviews the demented Davies, with the bulk of the story focusing on Davies' early apparent success juxtaposed against his feelings of failure and isolation as he finds himself married worrying about how he's going to make ends meet while the band's management and record company hoarded all of the profits from the Kinks' early successes. He also juxtaposes his life as a young married rock musician against that of his brother Dave DaviesDave Davies
David Russell Gordon "Dave" Davies is an English rock musician best known for his role as lead guitarist and vocalist for the English rock band The Kinks....
who was living the wild life of a hipster during that period.
In addition to themes of isolation and spiritual longing, the book gives a great deal of insight into the Kinks' disintegrating relationship with Pye Records
Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
which ended around 1971 and resulted in the album: Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround
Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One
Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part OneAlternatively titled Kinks Part One: Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround; commonly abbreviated to Lola Versus Powerman is the eighth studio album by British rock band The Kinks, recorded and released in 1970...
(which is quite critical of Pye and mirrors many of the themes found in the book).
The text also addresses, but ultimately does not really explain, the notorious episode in which the Kinks were banned from performing music in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for a period of approximately four years after a 1965 tour.
Within the book the reader "experiences" the viewpoint of the young narrator who at times merges with the character of Ray Davies. One receives insights into Davies' impressions of other famous musicians of the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
. John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, in particular, is portrayed as a bit of a bully.
The story narrated in the text ends in 1973 on the eve of the recording of Preservation
Preservation: Acts 1 & 2
Preservation: Act 1 is a 1973 concept album by the English rock group The Kinks.Preservation was not well-received by critics and sold poorly , though the live performances of the material were much better received...
, so readers interested in such things as Davies' relationship with Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
or his current career as a solo singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
will have to look elsewhere.