SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - British rocker Ray Davies has admitted he was considering a dramatic new direction for his long career, which has included helming the legendary Kinks, painting, film roles, an autobiography and his new sophomore solo CD, “Working Man’s Cafe,” whose tour brings him to San Francisco on Friday.

He was thinking of moving to Tasmania, where his sister lives. He says, “I’ve got a strange relationship with her, because she was married when I was an infant, and she’s about 24 years older than I am. But she’s ill in the hospital now, and I saw her briefly and she recognized me. So maybe something’s telling me to look after her in what years she has left.” But he adds, “I don’t know. I just want to be a regular person, I want to have a regular life.”

It’s not easy, once he starts adding things up. He has future projects lined up: an anthology of random doodles and a new album where he’ll collaborate with new rock-band fans (like Razorlight, Vampire Weekend and the Kooks, who titled their latest “Konk” after the Kinks’ U.K. recording studio).

Davies, 63, goes on, “I want a regular life, but I still love doing music. And if I say to myself I’m not going to write anymore, I’ll get up one morning and write four or five songs … . And at the moment, I haven’t found anybody else who can perform the work better than I can. If I could find that person, I’d let them do it.”

It’s a fitting predicament for a composer who cemented his post-“You Really Got Me” stateside stardom in 1970 with a campy ode to a Soho tranny, “Lola.”

“Cafe” follows suit. Balancing ballads with rockers, Davies longs for an end to war (“Peace in Our Time”), puzzles over globalization and modern technology and lays out his life philosophy on “In a Moment.”

“Morphine Song” details his emergency-room thoughts after surviving a gunshot wound in New Orleans in 2004. That event — where Davies chased two muggers who’d stolen his girlfriend’s purse — makes perfect sense to him now, he says. He’d been considering another radical departure at the time — a move to the musician-friendly town — but he took it as his cue to exit the United States.

Today, Davies often strolls through his London neighborhood undetected, notebook in hand. “The only formal training I’ve really had is as a painter, and in trying to pick up emotions within pictures,” he explains. “And I guess I’ve learned to do that. … I can look at people, and they say something, then everything goes into slow motion and it registers inside me. I can pick up on that vital element, that significant visual, and paraphrase it. So I’m still in awe of great art, because something inside me still wants to be a painter,” he says. Like his songs, “There’s something about great art, where that moment can only exist as one thing. You can do reproductions, but there is only one original.”

IF YOU GO

Ray Davies

Where: The Warfield, 982 Market St., San Francisco

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Tickets: 39.50

Contact: (415) 775-7722 or www.ticketmaster.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

8:53 PM MST on Wed., May. 7, 2008 re: "Asia rises again with �Phoenix�"

Examiner Reader said:
Asia show at the Ballroom was fabulous. Steve was complete animated like I have never seen at a yes show. Carl Palmer, what can you say except assume? Did anyone buy the $30 wrist band of the Show? Wondering how it sounds.

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9:25 PM MST on Sat., Apr. 19, 2008 re: "Thriving Ivory heads for the big-time"

Examiner Reader said:
nice. we remember seeing the band in Dan's Bar and the G street pub in sacto and playing with other local bands trying to launch out of San Fran, and thriving ivory did it while others feel off the face of the earth. bravo.

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12:17 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 14, 2008 re: "Review: Nick Lowe's pure pop"

Examiner Reader said:
Was very disappointed with Nick Lowe. My new ex fav. Acoustic on stage with a mic for his warmup then with him. How about a band, some pub rock? It was like Donovan in a bad time warp. I remember when that bard used to rock and roll... sadly...

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9:36 PM MST on Sat., Mar. 29, 2008 re: "There's only one Ray Davies"

Examiner Reader said:
Ray Davies' "Peace In Our Time" is about a troubled relationship, not about the end of the war. Please read the lyrics before writing your article. Rolling Stone made the same error. You'd think the media in San Francisco could learn to read before writing. Thank you.

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4:39 PM MST on Wed., Mar. 26, 2008 re: "Big lineup set for S.F. summer music festival"

Examiner Reader said:
$215, plus fees, for such an ecclectic lineup? No thanks.

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10:39 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 19, 2008 re: "Come to the cabaret"

Examiner Reader said:
Regarding "Come to the Cabaret" no mention has been made of how the new Razz Room intends to include local artist or even if they will be able to book the room as in the old days with the Plush Room. While it is nice to know that the "Big Names!" in Cabaret will have a place to play, it would be nice to know that the little man will still be considered. That's what was nice about The Plush. It did provide opportunity for local talent.

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7:02 PM MST on Wed., Mar. 12, 2008 re: "Biffy Clyro lives up to its name"

Examiner Reader said:
Can't wait for this. Biffy Clyro are probably the best band on the planet at the moment.

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5:49 AM MST on Thu., Jan. 31, 2008 re: "What lies �Between Daylight and Dark�"

Examiner Reader 2 said:
Actually, spreading 'virally on the Internet' is how Ms. Gauthier seems to be getting her music heard these days. Being from Britain, of course, you don't fathom the sorry state of US radio. And it appears she wants nothing more than to share these multilingual versions of her song with listeners around the world, for free. Perhaps sparking some understanding, or at least a potential discussion, in the process. Aided, of course, by that malevolent Machiavellian device, the Internet. Does that sound like a self-centered 'celebrity' to you? We Yanks aren't as stupid as we look.

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9:10 PM MST on Tue., Jan. 29, 2008 re: "What lies �Between Daylight and Dark�"

Examiner Reader said:
I doubt that Mr.Lanham did anything more that reprint a press release, which will no doubt spread virally on the Internet and make money for Ms. Gauthier as "news." This is the problem with celebrity culture and the lack of a world view in the United States. To think that a song which stands to make the "artist" some money is going to stop the torture that is life in the Mideast is a grave disservice to the people suffering there. Celebrities are a simple-minded lot and Americans believe them. From UK visitor

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1:28 PM MST on Tue., Oct. 23, 2007 re: "Indie rock's Nick Luca promotes 'Fractions'"

Examiner Reader said:
great band - great show!

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7:54 PM MST on Sun., Jun. 17, 2007 re: "Huey Lewis, News celebrate Memorial Day with song"

Examiner Reader said:
Huey was hot in the 80's, but now it's sort of sad to see that he's becoming, well, middle aged. I'm glad to see that he can still rock and roll even though it makes me feel old!

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5:55 AM MST on Tue., May. 15, 2007 re: "Concerto�s story is a family affair"

Examiner Reader said:
I know this is a really third-rate rag and you're doing the best you can, but would it kill you to proofread a bit and spell the names of the people you quote correctly?

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12:03 PM MST on Tue., May. 8, 2007 re: "World of �Weird Al� comes to B'more"

"Weird" Michael said:
Good article! I always head that Al got his nick name "Weird Al" whilst attending university. deadairpodcast

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2:27 PM MST on Thu., Apr. 26, 2007 re: "Fans can expect �spectacle�"

MCRGirl said:
Interesting.

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