Shangri-La (1969 song)
Encyclopedia
"Shangri-La" is a song written by Ray Davies
of The Kinks
. The song appeared on the 1969 concept album
, Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
.
The song describes a man named Arthur, the title character from the album. Arthur lives in a house which is called, somewhat sarcastically, a Shangri-La
. In the beginning of the song, the Shangri-La appears to be a true paradise but, as the song continues, it becomes clear that Arthur's house is as much of a prison as it is a haven. In a compassionate, ironic mood the verses depict British middle-class aspirations and material progress in the years after World War II.
The song itself is eclectic in musical sounds. It begins quietly, with Ray singing quietly over the finger-picking of an acoustic guitar. After one verse, the tension builds as brass instruments subtly add to the soundscape. Then, the finger picking becomes faster, and harpsichord as well as drums come into play, as Ray's brother Dave joins in on harmony vocals. Then the climactic and eponymous chorus comes, charging from F to A, recalling the Spector-like wall of sound productions of the earlier decade, but with the thick and heavy tones of their contemporaries. After another verse/chorus, the fast-paced rock 'middle-eight' arrives, sandwiched between the beginning and end soft rock verses. Dave Davies
claimed this is his favorite song by his brother Ray.
The song is featured in a UK advert about reducing your carbon footprint
and a UK trailer for the BBC3 comedy program The Wrong Door
.
A new recording 2009 can be found on the release The Kinks Choral Collection
by Ray Davies with the Crouch End Festival Chorus
.
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...
of 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...
. The song appeared on the 1969 concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
Arthur is the seventh studio album by English rock band The Kinks, released in October 1969. Kinks frontman Ray Davies constructed the concept album as the soundtrack to a Granada Television play and developed the storyline with novelist Julian Mitchell; however, the television programme was...
.
The song describes a man named Arthur, the title character from the album. Arthur lives in a house which is called, somewhat sarcastically, a Shangri-La
Shangri-La
Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. Hilton describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains...
. In the beginning of the song, the Shangri-La appears to be a true paradise but, as the song continues, it becomes clear that Arthur's house is as much of a prison as it is a haven. In a compassionate, ironic mood the verses depict British middle-class aspirations and material progress in the years after World War II.
The song itself is eclectic in musical sounds. It begins quietly, with Ray singing quietly over the finger-picking of an acoustic guitar. After one verse, the tension builds as brass instruments subtly add to the soundscape. Then, the finger picking becomes faster, and harpsichord as well as drums come into play, as Ray's brother Dave joins in on harmony vocals. Then the climactic and eponymous chorus comes, charging from F to A, recalling the Spector-like wall of sound productions of the earlier decade, but with the thick and heavy tones of their contemporaries. After another verse/chorus, the fast-paced rock 'middle-eight' arrives, sandwiched between the beginning and end soft rock verses. Dave Davies
Dave 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....
claimed this is his favorite song by his brother Ray.
The song is featured in a UK advert about reducing your carbon footprint
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.". However, calculating a carbon footprint which conforms to this definition is often impracticable due to the large amount of data required, which is...
and a UK trailer for the BBC3 comedy program The Wrong Door
The Wrong Door
The Wrong Door is a comedy sketch show, first aired on BBC Three on 28 August 2008. The programme is the first comedy show in which almost all of the sketches have a CGI element. As such, it was produced under the working title of The CGI Sketch Show...
.
A new recording 2009 can be found on the release The Kinks Choral Collection
The Kinks Choral Collection
The Kinks Choral Collection is an album, released 15 June 2009 in the UK and 10 November 2009 in the US, by Ray Davies and the Crouch End Festival Chorus...
by Ray Davies with the Crouch End Festival Chorus
Crouch End Festival Chorus
Crouch End Festival Chorus is a symphonic choir based in Crouch End, a northern suburb of London. CEFC was formed in 1984 by John Gregson and David Temple, who remains the choir's conductor...
.