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The Kinks “Kinks Greatest Hits”

sfilzen — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 16:35:33 +0000

The Kinks “Kinks Greatest Hits” 1971. Phonodisc Records. I’m spinning this early 70′s Kinks comp in honor of the track “Lola” which was released 50 years ago today (or possibly yesterday), July 29th 1970 (or maybe July 28th) in the US. It was released in June 1970 in the UK. The track appeared on their 1970 LP Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One and the controversial single went to #2 in the UK and #9 in the US. It was scandalous (and banned from the radio in some places) at the time for centering around a cross-dressing character as well as for mentioning Coca Cola in the lyrics (the Ray Davies changed the lyrics to “cherry cola” for the single release and later comp records). 50 years later both reasons for scandal seem pretty silly. The Kinks re-released a live version of “Lola” in 1980 and it charted again, going to #80 in the US. Besides “Lola,” the rest of this album is spectacular. I love the Kinks so it’s hard to pick top tracks (ALL of them!) but I’m particularly fond of “Where Have All the Good Times Gone,” “Till the End of the Day,” “Tired of Waiting for You,” “All Day and All of the Night” and “You Really Got Me.”

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Kinks “Kinks Greatest Hits”

sfilzen — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 17:00:52 +0000

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.

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The Kinks “You Really Got Me”

sfilzen — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 16:35:34 +0000

The Kinks “You Really Got Me” 1964. Reprise Records. This early Kinks LP is a compilation of original single releases and cover songs. It includes cover tracks by rock-n-roll pioneers Chuck Berry (“Beautiful Delilah” and “Too Much Monkey Business”) and Bo Diddley (“Cadillac”) as well as American R&B composers like Don Covay (“Long Tall Shorty”) and Slim Harpo (“Got Love If You Want It”). The Kinks took their passion for American roots music and filtered it through their British lenses, adding in heavy doses of harmonica, garage lo-fi production and art school swagger to compose original selections like the hit “You Really Got Me” which established The Kinks as a top British Invasion band; it reached #1 in the UK and #7 in the US. Written by Ray Davies, “You Really Got Me” is often credited as an influence on later heavy metal and punk recordings with its prominently featured use of power chords. (Van Halen covered it in 1978, making it to #36 on the US charts.) (Dave Davies had this to say about Van Halen’s cover, “There’s the thing: good art isn’t always about having the comfiest technique. I shouldn’t encourage him, but I’m sure Eddie Van Halen played better when he was drunk.”)

One of the wonderful features of old vinyl records is the back cover writing, meant as promotional information on the band to an American consumer perhaps unfamiliar with the material. On the back of this record we learn, “Take four art students dressed like characters from Dickens whose musical appreciation ranges from Chuck Berry to Johann Sebastian Bach. Add long hair and vocal sounds reminiscent of Little Richard. Then mix in three guitars, a set of drums and a flair for rhythm-and-blues, and you have the Kinks.” And about Ray Davies, “He’s 20 years old and almost six feet tall. He composes, listens politely to what the others have to say about his compositions, and then insists that they record exactly what he wrote in the first place.” “Pete is 20…He’s the quiet one, from Devon and a Mod (sharp dresser)…He’s a fan of horseback riding.” “Mick is 19 and plays the drums…his main hobby is reading and listening to Beethoven.” Finally there is this on Dave Davies: Dave is 17, and Ray’s brother. He also sings and plays lead guitar. Although the youngest Kink, no girl passes unnoticed…Like his brother, he thinks sleeping is a great pastime.

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