Celluloid Heroes

This afternoon has been spent wandering down memory lane, and playing some of the records that truly made me feel good when I was but a youngster. One in particular I've been messing with is The Kinks "Everybody's In Show-Biz"...a minor classic in Ray Davies' personal canon-though it does include Dave's outstanding "You Don't Know My Name".
But I digress-the feel good songs are such things as the quirky ode to food served at turnpike/motorway service areas, "Motorway". What wonderful fodder-

"Motorway food is the worst in the world,
You've never eaten food like you've eaten on the motorway.
Motorway food is the worst in the world,
The coffee tastes weak and the cakes taste stale
And gasoline fumes are the worst to inhale,
Your stomach rolls over and your face turns pale."


And then you get to the magical whimsy of Supersonic Rocket Ship-a little dixieland-and you know Leo Sayer stole the riff for Long Tall Glasses.

And as Mr.Davies is prone to do, after a records' worth of whimsy and humor, he closes the album with the achingly beautiful Celluloid Heroes, which finishes with the observation-
"I wish my life was non-stop Hollywood movie show
A fantasy world of celluloid villains and heroes
Because celluloid heroes never feel any pain
And celluloid heroes never really die"

I love Ray Davies...the man's an F-in' genius. I still think the song Days may just be the greatest pop song ever written. Who other than Mr.Davies could write a song thanking someone for breaking their heart, and mean it?

Anyone who isn't a fan should be. I'm just sayin'