Ray Davies

See My Friends (Decca)

Square-peg/round-hole pairings of the Kinkster and guests seldom jell as duets (Bruce Springsteen), but covers from Lucinda Williams (“Long Way From Home”) and Jackson Browne (“Waterloo Sunset”) make for choice B-sides. Genuine thrills include Big Star Alex Chilton (“‘Til the End of the Day”) and Mumford & Sons’ rolling banjo under Davies on “Days/This Time Tomorrow.” Spoon-ing: “See My Friends.”

*.5

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.