I was surprised to see an article titled: "In praise of Muswell Hillbillies" when I received the weekly online version of The Lancet last Friday. 'Certainly,' I thought, 'this cannot be about the 1970s album by the Kinks.' But it actually was (check the end of this post for the full reference). I have personally only owned this recording since sometime in the 1980s - and I found out after searching for more details last week that it was actually released in November of 1971. So, what was I doing at that time, I wondered? Below is a picture of me from December (25th) of 1971. Note the very groovy faux suede fringed vest over famous mouse t shirt, accessorized with beaded headband and jewelry. (I will also point out that this is proof that I really was a 'natural' blond, once upon a time.) I also had a decent overbite which was later 'corrected' with braces. I continue to wonder if I might not had been a better vocalist (thinking of the late, great Freddie Mercury here) had my teeth been left alone. So what does (or did) an English rock band who were at the peak of their popularity (in my estimation) between the late 1960s and middle 1980s, have to do with health? When you look at mental health, and, in particular, the link between mental and physical health, as Yawar did in the article, you just might find that songs about substance abuse, eating disorders, and schizophrenia are extremely relevant - at least as relevant now as in 1971. And also sort of strange subject matter for pop albums. My years of seriously listening to the Kinks began around the time of my first real full time corporate job. I could use headphones while I did paperwork and I started out with a 'best of' compilation called 'Kinks Kronikles' and gradually acquired many other releases, thanks in part to some Rhino Records reissues of some of those that were less commercially successful. I have to admit that this choice probably did not have a positive influence on that career path - a few times listening to tunes like 'Shangra-la,' and 'Get back in line' probably made me more likely to question the values system that I was exposed to than to embrace it. (On the other hand, a co-worker who was a devoted "metalhead" - he would have considered Metallica too tame - is, I believe, still working in insurance brokering.) I am still amazed at how accurately Ray Davies managed to capture the hopelessness of the middle (and lower) class existence (that phrase might well be borrowed but I cannot recall from who) given that he was living the much different life of a successful pop star, at least he was after some of the band's early management and financial problems were straightened out. I tend to think, though, that some of the Kinks biggest hits were sort of accidents more than attempts at writing for the top 40. The subject matter was sophisticated, or mundane, or both, and I think sometimes of the satire was lost on people underneath usually very singable tunes. I could write a lot more but I am certain many other have, and have done a much better job, including Yawar in The Lancet. To some extent, though, Muswell Hillbillies speaks for itself - and I think it has held up very well during these past many years.
Yawar, A. (2014). In praise of Muswell Hillbillies. The Lancet, 384(9951), 1340-1341. doi:
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AuthorI am Sheryl L. Chatfield, Ph.D, C.T.R.S. I am a member of the faculty in the College of Public Health at Kent State University. I also Co-coordinate the Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Research and I am a member of the Design Innovation Team at Kent State. Archives
February 2024
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