If Ray Davies had had enough of the modern world back in 1970, lord only know how brutal the song would be today in the face of current modern politics, climate change, social media, reality TV, the world economy, Simon Cowell etc. And in a tenuous link to Ray and the Kinks, the dad of one of my best friends played in a 60s band that once supported The Kinks and the first time I met my friend's dad I greeted him with "any friend of Ray Davies is a friend of mine".