So, What About That Dave Davies DVD?

Well, um... it's probably more fun to sit around listening to Kinks albums and yakking about that reunion that will probably never happen... hey, there's always the new documentary Do It Again: One Man's Quest to Reunite the Kinks which will be screening soon.

By Lee Zimmerman

Who could blame a Kinks Kultist for drooling in anticipation of a DVD chronicling Dave Davies' coming of age? After all, wasn't it Ray's younger brother who crafted the patented riffs that fueled the band's earliest entries and subsequently composed a series of solo outings that typified their innate English charms? 

Unfortunately, for purchasers of Dave Davies Kronikles: Mystical Journey (E1 Entertainment), those expecting a thorough history of Dave's musical trajectory will likely find themselves sorely disappointed after viewing Davies' overly long and deadly dry narrative describing his path to inner enlightenment. In fact, for all his endless musings about the meaning of life and the connection to the cosmic workings of the universe, Davies' philosophical offerings come across as so much intellectual pabulum, both tedious and tiresome. 

While the commentary becomes hopelessly mired in these paranormal possibilities, suffice it to say Davies makes no excuses about his beliefs in unexplained phenomenon, extraterrestrial and otherwise.  He claims his older sisters possessed a measure of psychic ability and that his extraordinary mental connection to his siblings, Ray included, took root early on. However, his urge to get metaphysical breaks down into a ponderous series of discussions with like-minded believers and cult practitioners and scenes of Davies walking aimlessly around his old childhood haunts, driving towards unknown destinations in the countryside and illuminating himself in reverse images of various landscapes that supposedly reflect mystical possibilities. 

Despite a precious few home movies of the fledgling Kinks, some scattered personal recollections and a soundtrack culled from Davies back catalogue, his fabled musical legacy takes a back seat to his philosophical discourse, which, by the way, sounds as if he's reading from some sage text.  A menu of bonus features provides no further respite, consisting mainly of fuller conversations with like-minded disciples -- save a performance of his classic "Creeping Jean" rendered recently with his Dave Davies Band. 

Davies does make a point when he speaks of the artist's obligation to serve his spirituality through his music.  In this case, all would have been better served by letting the music speak for itself.