Kinks “Kinks Greatest Hits” 1971. Today, June 21st, is Kinks’ founder, frontman, primary songwriter and rhythm guitarist (Sir) Ray Davies’ 75th birthday (b. 1944). The “godfather of Britpop” was knighted in 2017 and has received countless awards and accolades over the years for his songwriting and contribution to the rock canon: garage, rock, pop, psychedelia and even punk. This Canadian issued comp (on Marble Arch Records) has the best of the best of the early Kinks catalog. Side One starts off with the excellent 60′s pop classic “A Well Respected Man” (on the EP Kweyt Kinks in the UK, on the LP Kinkdom in the US) followed by the garage classic “Where Have All the Good Times Gone” (1965 The Kink Kontroversy), “Till The End of the Day” (also on The Kink Kontroversy, #8 UK, #50 US single charts), “Set Me Free” (1964 single, #9 UK, #23 US) and one of my favorites, the low-key garage-crunchy “Tired of Waiting For You” (1965 Kinda Kinks, #1 UK, #6 US single charts). Side B begins with one of the best-known and timeless Kinks hits “All Day and All of the Night” (1964, #2 UK, #7 US, appears on the US released Kinks-Size LP) that pretty much set the bar for garage rock. Then comes “I Gotta Move” (1965) the controversial, enduring and endearing “Lola” (1970, Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneyground, #2 UK, #9 US single charts), the sole Dave Davies-penned track on this comp: folky-twanged “Wait Till the Summer Comes Along” (1965 EP Kweyt Kinks) and ends with another Kinks biggie “You Really Got Me” (1964, #1 UK, #7 US) which inspired generations of hard power chord rockers. That track is in the Grammy Hall of Fame and listed on multiple best-of lists for best guitar tracks and best songs of all-time.