Low Budget [Bonus Track] [SHM]

by The Kinks

Overview

Low Budget doesn't have a narrative like Preservation or Soap Opera, but Ray Davies cleverly designed the album as a sly satire of the recession and oil crisis that gripped America in the late '70s -- thereby satisfying his need to be a wry social commentator while giving American audiences a hook to identify with. It was a clever move that worked; not only did Low Budget become their highest-charting American album (not counting the 1966 Greatest Hits compilation), but it was also a fine set of arena rock, one of the better mainstream hard rock albums of its time. And it certainly was of its time -- so much so that many of the concerns and production techniques have dated quite a bit in the decades since its initial release. Nevertheless, that gives the album a certain charm, since it now plays like a time capsule, a snapshot of what hard rock sounded like at the close of the '70s. Perhaps not so coincidentally, Davies' songwriting fluctuates throughout the album, since it's dictated as much by commercial as artistic concerns, but the moments when he manages to balance the two impulses -- as on the disco-fueled "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman," the vaudevillian "Low Budget," "A Gallon of Gas," the roaring "Attitude" (possibly their best hard rocker of the era, by the way), and "Catch Me Now I'm Falling," where Davies takes on the persona of America itself -- are irresistible. Low Budget may not have the depth of, say, Arthur or Village Green, but it's a terrifically entertaining testament to their skills as a professional rock band and Davies' savvy as a commercial songwriter. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	02/26/2013
Label:	Universal
UPC:	4988005748980
Rank:	25454

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Kinks   Primary Artist
Mick Avory   Drums
Jim Rodford   Bass,Vocals,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Nick Newall   Saxophone
Ray Davies   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Guitar (Rhythm)
Nick Newell   Saxophone
Dave Davies   Guitar,Vocals,Harmonica,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

John Rollo   Audio Engineer,Mixing,Engineer
Ray Davies   Audio Production,Composer,Producer,Group Member,Original Concept,Cover Art Concept
Paul Hudson   Composer
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Bill Crowley   Research,Reissue Producer,Audio Restoration
Jim Rodford   Group Member
Cristina Battani   Reissue Art Director
Graham Hogg   Assistant,Archival Tape Engineer
Fred Schruers   Liner Notes
Jason Brabazon   Discographical Annotation
Doug Hinman   Reissue Art,Reissue Photography,Discographical Annotation
Ebet Roberts   Reissue Art,Reissue Photography
Rodney Dugan   Package Design
Ryan Tully   Assistant,Archival Tape Engineer
Shawn R. Britton   Mastering
Larry Greenbaum   Assistant Engineer
Donn Davenport   Art Direction
K. Lee Hammond   Reissue Art
Albert Pinheiro   Assistant,Archival Tape Engineer
Rob Gillis   Liner Notes
The Russell Smith Orchestra   Reissue Art,Reissue Photography
Sam Llanas   Composer
Earl Hudson   Composer
G. W. Miller   Composer
Mycle Konopka   Compilation Engineer
Darryl Jenifer   Composer
Nick Newell   Group Member
Kurt Neumann   Composer
Gary Gross   Photography,Original Cover Photography
Ron Kellum   Art Direction