Type: Soundtrack, Lyrics are included with the album
Genre: Rock
Review
The only album ever credited to Kinks singer/songwriter/guitarist Ray Davies contains "music from the motion picture": Return to Waterloo is a film written and directed by Davies depicting the daydreams (and nightmares) of a commuter taking a one-hour train trip from the London suburbs to Waterloo train station. The format allows Davies to write a series of story-songs, including "Going Solo" and "Missing Persons," both of which refer to the commuter's daughter, who has left home, "Sold Me Out" and "Not Far Away," punk rock rave-ups expressing the anger of the young people on the train, and "Expectations," a Davies reflection on one of his favorite subjects, the decline and fall of the British Empire. In other words, this is a good Kinks album. And, in fact, three of the songs had appeared on the last Kinks album, 1984's Word of Mouth. But Return to Waterloo is credited to Davies, and the musician list includes all the members of the Kinks except guitarist Dave Davies, which may be the reason for the solo billing. In any case, the billing didn't help sales much, and the film's limited distribution (which seems to have been limited to a TV showing or two and release on home video) didn't promote the soundtrack, either. The album failed to chart and went out of print the year after its release. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
David Baker (Engineer), Ian Gibbons (Drum Programming), Damian Korner (Engineer), Ray Davies (Sound Effects), Ian Gibbons (Percussion Programming), Ian Gibbons (Programming), Dave Baker (Engineer), Ray Davies (Audio Production), Ray Davies (Piano), Ray Davies (Producer), John Rollo (Mixing), Louisa Davies (Vocals), Ray Davies (Synthesizer), Ian Gibbons (Keyboards), Ray Davies (Gong), Ray Davies (Guitar), Jim Rodford (Guitar (Bass)), Ray Davies (Vocals), Ian Gibbons (Synthesizer), Ian Gibbons (Vocals (Background)), Alan Silverman (Remastering), Valerie Hollerman (Spoken Word), Mick Avory (Drums), Robert Henrit (Percussion), John Rollo (Engineer), Bob Henrit (Drums), Bill Crowley (Reissue Supervisor), Ray Davies (Piano Effects), John O'Donnell (Percussion), Ray Davies (Special Effects), Jeff Gilligan (Reissue Art Director), Robert Henrit (Drums), Jim Rodford (Vocals (Background))
Return to Waterloo is an album and hour-long film by Kinks' leader and chief songwriter Ray Davies. Several of the tracks on the album release were also available in near-identical form on The Kinks 1984 release Word of Mouth.
From the DVD release sleeve-notes.
Ray Davies of The Kinks, well-respected as one of rock's best storytellers, makes his film-making debut as director, writer and composer of RETURN TO WATERLOO. This hour-long feature is a unique approach to the synthesis of music, video and cinema. Instead of dialogue, the story is told through music and lyrics. The haunting songs, unavailable on any Kinks album, take renowned actor Ken Colley on a suspenseful journey through his imagination, as he confronts reality and fantasy, love and violence. Also starring: Valerie Holliman, Dominique Barnes, Tim Roth and (briefly) Ray Davies himself.
This film, a cult-classic, is a watershed event in the development of the music video art form, as it was created for itself rather than to promote a record, concert, or grouping of promo videos.
While the special effects are dated and in today's day and age almost humorous, you are seamlessly brought into the mind of the traveler as he muses over his past and what could have been, (and what he may be) as he travels on his daily journey. "Missing Person" is a particularly haunting melody that brings you into both the despair of himself and his relationship with his wife.
RETURN TO WATERLOO embraces Ray Davies' satirical (and occasionally comical) view of modern society, as reflected in over thirty albums over a remarkable twenty-five years with The Kinks.
