Let's face it, unless you're a completist, the only way to go with the Kinks is to find a compilation, or two, or three. You may never get all your favourites on one LP but there are about 3000 compilation albums out there.
OK, slight exaggeration - 2500, but still a lot !
It pains me to say it on a vinyl post, but probably the best way to go these days is to seek out a CD set. Putting that aside, here's a double album I have lying around from back in the day.
I'm sure there are hidden gems on the 20+ studio albums they have produced, but my relationship with the Kinks has always been more superficial and really just revolved around their better known 'radio' hits.
I was about 6 weeks away from leaving England when The Kinks released their 3rd single, 'You Really Got Me'. in August 1964. It was garage rock before anybody knew what garage rock was. It was a basic 2 minute 45r.p.m. built for speed, but it was different to anything else at the time. Their first 2 singles disappeared without a trace, but this one pressed all the buttons. #1 in the UK, #7 on the US Billboard 100 and, more importantly as I was heading to the land down under, #8 in Australia. That meant by the time I got to Australia and settled in, 'All Day and All of the Night' came along and made me less homesick. Here was the music I needed.
A few years later when the Doors did 'Hello, I Love You' there was controversy about the similarity. In fact Ray Davies said that he once played a bit of 'Hello ..' in the middle of 'All Day .. ' during a show and hardly anybody noticed ! The UK courts agreed with him and he gets royalties for 'Hello ..'.
A history of in-band fighting (Dave Davies kicking over Mick Avory's drum kit and Avery coming back by hitting Davies with his hi-hat stand and knocking him unconcious) and throwing punches at TV personnel on a Dick Clark show in America led to a 4 year performing ban by the American Federation of Musicians. Despite that their songs still charted in the US and back in England they couldn't go wrong.
'Tired of Waiting For You', 'A Well Respected Man', 'Dedicated Follower of Fashion' and the bitter and twisted 'Sunny Afternoon'. Like The Beatles 'Taxman' it was a poke at the high level of taxation being imposed by Harold Wilson's Labour Government. It obviously hit a chord with a lot of people, either musically or economically, it reached #1.
1967 saw the release of my favourite Kinks song 'Waterloo Sunset'. Because of the lyrics ..
"Terry meets Julie
Waterloo station
Every Friday night
But I am so lazy, don't want to wander
I stay at home at night"
it was long thought that it was inspired by Terence Stamp and Julie Christie in the movie 'Far From the Madding Crowd' but Ray Davies dispeled that in his 2008 autobiography. It's a nice story though.
I could just fill this post with lists of Kinks songs worth a mention, but everyone has one or two that bring memories to life.
My memory prompter isn't even a memory of mine, in fact it isn't even a reality, but every time I hear it I think of my sister in the 60's.
"Come dancing
All her boyfriends used to come and call
Why not come dancing, it's only natural ...
... Come dancing
That's how they did it when I was just a kid
And when they said come dancing
My sister always did"
Ray and Dave Davies are still around, as is drummer Mick Avory but other members and former members are fading away. Despite years of animosity between the brothers, there are always rumours of a reunion and combined projects, and they are at least talking to each other again.
The Kinks for me will always belong to the 60's and early 70's (to include 'Lola') and 'Waterloo Sunset' will always bring me peace.
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