The Kinks
The Kinks |
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Formed 1963 in London, England.
The Kinks are the oft-forgotten group among the giants of the British Invasion. The young band, interested largely in American blues in the beginning, crashed into the charts and rock history by virtually inventing the distorted power chords of hard rock with "You Really Got Me." Yet the Kinks may have ended up contributing more through the egeliac, literate, sharply observed tunes about British everyday life and traditions gone by. The Kinks were among the first to put a sitar in a song (months before the Beatles) and to score a mini-rock opera (Arthur, delayed until after Tommy ). When the original quartet fractured in the late 60s, the band continued as the pair of battling brothers backed by a long line of anonymous rhythm sections. Rediscovered by punks during the first new wave and again in the Britpop movement of the mid-90s, songwriter Ray Davies was putting the band's early days in perspective in a book, "X-Ray" and a one-man theatrical piece, "20th Century Man," even as he planned for the band's continuance.
Source: MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide
Personnel
KINKSOrder from: |
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1. Beautiful Delilah |
The Kinks: Ray Davies, Dave Davies (vocals, guitar); Pete Dalton (bass); Mick Avory (drums). Additional personnel includes: Jimmy Page (12-string guitar); Perry Ford (piano); Jon Lord (Hammond B-3 organ); Bobby Graham (drums). Recorded at Pye Studios, London, England in 1964. Originally released on Pye (18096). Includes original liner notes by Brian Sommerville and reissue liner notes by Peter Doggett. Peter Dogget describes pop music careers in 1964 England like this: "[U]nless you were Cliff Richard or the Beatles you were likely to be forgotten within 12 months of your first hit." This album was initially intended as a way to cash in on the band's success before they got too stale for the fickle youth. However, history would show that this tidy R&B combo had one of the most inventive and creative bandleaders in '60s and '70s rock & roll in Mr. Ray Davies. This reissued, remastered version of the band's eponymous debut--complete with 12 bonus tracks, including the previously unreleased Davies composition "I Don't Need You Anymore"--may not hold up to the high level of The Kinks' groundbreaking work over the decade. But there are hints that Davies would become one of the most unusual and melodic songwriters of a generation. One listen to "Just Can't Go To Sleep" and it's clear the die was cast: Davies had a voice all his own. Dedicated fans will certainly enjoy THE KINKS, but this fine reissue would also be of interest to connoisseurs of young, white R&B on the order of the early Who and Rolling Stones. |
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KINDA KINKSOrder from: |
1. Look For Me Baby |
The Kinks: Ray Davies, Dave Davies (vocals, guitar); Peter Quaife (bass); Mick Avory (drums). Includes original liner notes by the Kinks and reissue liner notes by John Mendelssohn. Digitally remastered by Simon Heyworth. 1965 saw the release of The Kinks' first three albums. KINDA KINKS, their third, is more or less of a piece with its two predecessors. On the previous albums, however, the band had used covers to fill the spaces between the Ray Davies originals, and here the tracks are almost all penned by Davies (with the exception of their version of "Dancing In The Street"). Davies lovelorn songs had yet to incorporate the full flower of his celebrations of disappearing ways of life and values (SOMETHING ELSE, three years later, effectively marked that change). But his wistful melodicism can be heard in numbers such as "Something Better Beginning," "Don't Ever Change" and "So Long," which mingle quite nicely with the jackhammer insistence of "All Day And All Of the Night." With the focus so squarely on the singing songwriter, it's almost easy to forget how powerful the rest of the ensemble was--a tight little rock & roll band of the highest order. |
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KONTROVERSEYOrder from: |
1. Milk Cow Blues |
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GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANTOrder from: |
1. Around The Dial |
Includes liner notes by Peter Doggett. |
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ONE FOR THE ROADOrder from: |
1. Opening |
The Kinks: Ray Davies (vocals, guitar); Dave Davies (guitar, background vocals); Ian Gibbons (keyboards, background vocals); Jim Rodford (bass, background vocals); Mick Avory (drums). Additional personnel: Nick Newell (keyboards). Includes liner notes by Peter Doggett. Digitally re-mastered by Bill Inglot and Ken Perry at K-Disc in L.A. 2 LPs on 1 CD. |
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LOW BUDGETOrder from: |
1. Attitude |
Includes liner notes by Peter Doggett. |
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MISFITSOrder from: |
1. Misfits |
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SLEEPWALKEROrder from: |
1. Life On The Road |
The Kinks: Ray Davies (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Dave Davies (vocals, guitar); John Gosling (keyboards, background vocals); John Dalton (bass); Mick Avory (drums). Additional personnel: Andy Pyle (bass). Recorded at Konk Studios, London, England between July and December 1976. Originally released on Arista (4106). Includes liner notes by John Swenson. Digitally remastered by Bob Ludwig (Gateway Studios, Portland, Maine). |
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SCHOOLBOYS IN DISGRACEOrder from: |
1. Schooldays |
The Kinks: Ray Davies (vocals, guitar, piano); Dave Davies (vocals, guitar); John Gosling (keyboards); John Dalton (bass); Mick Avory (drums). Additional personnel: Nick Newall (tenor saxophone); Alan Holmes (saxophone); John Beecham (trombone); Pamela Travis, Debbie Doss, Shirley Roden (backing vocals). Recorded at Konk Studios, London, England in between August and September 1975. Originally released on RCA (5102). Includes liner notes by Matt Resnicoff. Digitally remastered by Bob Ludwig (Gateway Studios, Portland, Maine). |
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SOAP OPERAOrder from: |
1. Everybody's A Star (Starmaker) |
The Kinks: Ray Davies (vocals, guitar); Dave Davies (vocals, guitar); John Gosling (keyboards); John Dalton (bass); Mick Avory (drums). Additional personnel: June Ritchie (spoken vocals); Alan Holmes (saxophone); Laurie Brown (trumpet); John Beecham (trombone); Pamela Travis, Shirlie Roden, Lyndsey Moore (background vocals). Recorded at Konk Studios, London, England between August and October 1974. Originally released on RCA (5081). Includes liner notes by Matt Resnicoff. Digitally remastered by Bob Ludwig (Gateway Studios, Portland, Maine). |
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EVERYBODY'S IN SHOWBIZOrder from: |
1. Here Comes Yet Another Day |
The Kinks: Ray Davies, Dave Davies (guitar, vocals); John Gosling (keyboards); John Dalton (bass); Mick Avory (drums). Additional personnel: Alan Holmes, Davy Jones (baritone saxophone, clarinet); Mike Cotton (trumpet); John Beecham (trombone, tuba); Dave Rowberry (organ). Engineer: Richard Edwards. Compilation engineer: Mike Konopka. Recorded at Morgan Studios, London, England from March to June 1972 and live at Carnegie Hall, New York, New York on March 2-3, 1972. Includes liner notes by Peter Doggett. All tracks have been digitally remastered by Bob Ludwig (1998, Gateway Mastering, Portland, Maine). This 1972 double-album is one of the last from the Kinks period that began with ARTHUR; after they abandoned the quaintness of '60s pop, but before they surrendered to the bombast of '70s rock. On the first, studio-recorded half, the Kinks exude a sense of fun that was refreshing during a time when the Vietnam war and youthful rebellion were at their height. While tracks such as "Unreal Reality" betray Ray Davies's well-known leanings towards cynicism, others such as "Supersonic Rocket Ship" (a hit in England) and the moving "Celluloid Heroes" recall the sweetness that marked classics of his such as "Waterloo Sunset." The second half, taped at a March 1972 performance at Carnegie Hall, is a fine reminder of a time when the live Kinks really seemed to be "enjoying" themselves. |
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MUSWELL HILLBILLIESOrder from: |
1. 20th Century Man |
The Kinks: Ray Davies, Dave Davies (guitar, vocals); John Gosling (keyboards); John Dalton (bass); Mick Avory (drums). The Mike Cotton Sound: Mike Cotton (trumpet); Alan Holmes (clarinet); John Beecham (trombone, tuba). Engineers: Mike Bobak, Richard Edwards. Compilation engineer: Mike Konopka. Recorded at Morgan Studios, London, England from August to October 1971. Includes liner notes by Peter Doggett. All tracks have been digitally remastered by Bob Ludwig (1998, Gateway Mastering, Portland, Maine). MUSWELL HILLBILLIES holds a special place in the hearts of many Kinks fans, as well as the band themselves. Released in November 1971, it has an anachronistic, rootsy quality that flew in the face of the blues-rock acts then diddling themselves all over FM radio. The unaffected, country-influenced, back-to-basics feel was similar to what the Rolling Stones attempted seven months later with EXILE ON MAIN STREET. However, while the theme of MUSWELL HILLBILLIES was about getting back to the roots, it was Ray and Dave Davies' own roots, in London's Muswell Hill neighborhood, that inspired Ray to pen the album. Although that might sound like an arcane theme for listeners outside of London, the album in many ways widened the Kinks' audience. After all, nearly everyone, at some point in their life, had seen a beloved old neighborhood torn down in favor of something "modern." The one track which resounds strongest for Brits is "Have A Cuppa Tea," a witty satire on the traditional English belief that a simple cup of tea can cure all things. |
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SOMETHING ELSE BY THE KINKSOrder from: |
1. David Watts |
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THE LIVE KINKSOrder from: |
1. Till The End Of The Day |
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VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETYOrder from: |
1. Village Green Preservation Society |
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ARTHUR - OR THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE BRITISH EMPIREOrder from: |
1. Victoria |
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LOLA VERSUS POWERMAN & THE MONEYGOROUNDOrder from: |
1. Introduction |
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THE KINK KRONIKLESOrder from: |
Disc: 1 1. Victoria Disc: 2 1. Fancy |
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PRESERVATION ACT 1Order from: |
1. Preservation (Single) - (alternate mix, bonus track) |
The Kinks: Ray Davies, Dave Davies (guitar, vocals); John Gosling (keyboards); John Dalton (bass); Mick Avory (drums). Additional personnel: Laurie Brown (trumpet, flute, tenor saxophone); Alan Holmes (baritone saxophone, clarinet); John Beecham (trombone, tuba); Pamela Travis, Krysia Kocjan, Sue Brown, Lewis Rich, Lee Pavey (background vocals). Engineers: Dave Davies, Roger Beale, Mike Bobak, Graham Hogg. Compilation engineer: Mike Konopka. Recorded at Konk Studios, London, England from May to July 1973 & October 1974. Includes liner notes by Peter Doggett. All tracks have been digitally remastered by Bob Ludwig (1998, Gateway Mastering, Portland, Maine). Despite the title's similarity to that of the Kinks' 1968 album THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY (which frequently turns up on "Greatest Albums of All Time" surveys), the group's 1973 rock opera PRESERVATION ACT 1 is not nearly as song-oriented as its predecessor. As Record Collector editor Peter Doggett writes in his excellent liner notes to VelVel's reissue of PRESERVATION ACT 1, VILLAGE GREEN was more of a concept album, creating a feel without using a narrative. Each of its songs was a miniature window into English villages' fast-disappearing way of life. With PRESERVATION ACT 1, Ray Davies took the basic idea behind VILLAGE GREEN and turned it into a larger-than-life production with a highly didactic narrative. It was clear that, this time around, Davies was not going to leave listeners any room to interpret his musical statements symbolically. The result was a Kinks album like no other, a forum for Davies's wildly creative imagination and his talent for storytelling. It left many Kinks fans hungry for its sequel, PRESERVATION ACT 2, which came out six months later. |
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PRESERVATION ACT 2Order from: |
1. Announcement |
The Kinks: Ray Davies, Dave Davies (guitar, vocals); John Gosling (keyboards); John Dalton (bass); Mick Avory (drums). Additional personnel: Marianne Price (vocals); Chris Timothy (spoken vocals); Laurie Brown (trumpet, flute, tenor saxophone); Alan Holmes (baritone saxophone, clarinet); John Beecham (trombone, tuba); Lee Pavey, Sue Brown, Krysia Kocjan, Pamela Travis (background vocals); Chris Musk. Engineers: Roger Beale, Graham Hogg. Compilation engineer: Mike Konopka. Principally recorded at Konk Studios, London, England from January to March & on June 17-19 1974. Includes liner notes by Peter Doggett. All tracks have been digitally remastered by Bob Ludwig (1998, Gateway Mastering, Portland, Maine). Arriving in May, 1974, just six months after PRESERVATION ACT 1, the Kinks' double-album PRESERVATION ACT 2 better represented the scope of Ray Davies's aspirations to extend his creative talent to the arena of musical theater. It begins roughly where ACT 1 ended, with the formerly placid inhabitants of Davies' mythical English country village taking up arms against the sleazy dictator Flash. While Flash represents animal desires given free reign, opposition leader Mr.Black takes advantage of citizens' Puritan desires for good old law and order. As the two demagogues circle each other, the masses quickly become pawns in a political morality play that has little actual political content and no morality to speak of, save for Davies' obvious affection for everyday folks. Musically, PRESERVATION ACT 2 closely follows the style Davies affected in ACT 1. The songs are tightly produced, with close harmonies, a liberal sprinkling of hooks, and a high level of drama. Davies has periodically threatened to turn the entire PRESERVATION into a Broadway show, and this album is a reminder of just how close it was to the time-honored Broadway style even when he first conceived it. |
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STATE OF CONFUSIONOrder from: |
1. State Of Confusion |
Includes liner notes by Peter Doggett. |
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WORD OF MOUTHOrder from: |
1. Do It Again |
Includes liner notes by Peter Doggett. |
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THINK VISUALOrder from: |
1. Working At The Factory |
After the relative commercial disappointment of their 1983 album WORD OF MOUTH, the Kinks apparently decided that it was time to "give the people what they want." Unfortunately for the Kinks, the resulting album, THINK VISUAL, was not at all what the people wanted. That's not to say that THINK VISUAL is not a good album, but rather that it doesn't quite sound like the Kinks. Believing that hard rock was what their sizable America audience desired, Ray and Dave Davies wrote a set of songs that forsook the poignant melodies and lyrics that distinguished their previous work in favor of topical songs like "Rock and Roll Cities" and "Working In A Factory" that seemed to be written to showcase Dave Davies metallic power chords. Of course, no Kinks album would be complete without at least one brilliant surprise, and on THINK VISUAL, it's "How Are You," a heartbreaking track that sets a tale of a chance meeting with a former love against a yearning, bittersweet melody that is vintage Ray Davies. |
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GREATEST HITSOrder from: |
1. You Really Got Me |
The Kinks: Ray Davies, Dave Davies (vocals, guitar); Pete Quaife (bass); Mick Avory (drums). Compilation producer: Gary Stewart. Includes liner notes by John Mendelssohn. Digitally remastered by Bill Inglot, Shel Talmy & Ken Perry. |
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LOST AND FOUND (1986-1989)Order from: |
1. Road, The - (live) |
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PHOBIAOrder from: |
1. Opening |
Personnel: Ray Davies (vocals, keyboards, guitar); Dave Davies (vocals, guitar); Jim Rodford (bass, background vocals); Bob Henrit (drums). Recorded at Konk Studios, London, England. All songs written by Ray Davies except "It's Alright (Don't Think About It)" and "Close To The Wire" (Dave Davies). Released in 1993, PHOBIA was a welcome return to the STATE OF CONFUSION/GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT-era Kinks sound. Forsaking the heavy metal trappings of their late eighties albums for MCA Records, Ray and Dave Davies focused on creating a strong batch of melodic, lyrically relevant songs. Though many Kinks fans still feel that this sixteen-song album should have been edited down to a concise, hard-hitting ten-song set, there's no denying that PHOBIA was the best Kinks album since 1983's STATE OF CONFUSION. The track that attracted the most attention was "Hatred (A Duet)," a rocking, seething duet between Ray and Dave Davies that seemed to draw its power from the celebrated real-life tension between the Davies brothers. Elsewhere, Ray Davies seems to have recaptured his gift for crafting perfect pop songs like "Don't" and "Scattered"--two excellent tracks that blend fragile melodies with poignant, thoughtful lyrics harking back to the classic Kinks songs of the '60s. |
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TO THE BONEOrder from: |
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Disc: 1
Disc: 2
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TO THE BONE features new, stripped-down recordings of Kinks hits and nuggets. Most of the tracks were recorded live in a London studio in front of a small audience; others were recorded on tour around the same time. The album also includes two new studio recordings, "Animal" and "To The Bone." The Kinks: Ray Davies (vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards); Dave Davies (guitar, vocals); Jim Rodford (bass, vocals); Ian Gibbons (keyboards, vocals); Bob Henrit (drums, percussion). Engineers: Stan Loubieres, Richard Edwards. Principally recorded live at Konk Studios, London, England in 1994. "Animal" and "To The Bone" recorded at Konk Studios in April 1996. Includes liner notes by Ray Davies. No longer having the commercial clout to warrant an unplugged TV special, the Kinks decided to invite a small audience to their Konk Studios in London and record their very own unplugged album. It's a shame that the resulting recording never made it to TV because TO THE BONE features some of the best music the Kinks have made since the '60s. Even though most of the performances are far from unplugged, this album gave the Kinks a chance to revisit 30 years worth of their best material. The vital, stripped-down performances bring out the full wonder of Ray Davies' songs and often even surpass the original studio recordings. With a set list that ranges from the sublime "Waterloo Sunset" to obscure fan favorites like "Days" and "Picture Book," TO THE BONE is a testament to both the Kinks remarkable versatility and the songwriting brilliance of Ray Davies. TO THE BONE also includes two fine new songs--"Animal" and "To The Bone"--suggesting that the Kinks can still create new music that hold its own alongside Kinks Klassiks like "Lola" and "Dead End Street." |
THE EP COLLECTIONOrder from: |
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Disc: 1
Disc: 2
Disc: 3
Disc: 4
Disc: 5
Disc: 6
Disc: 7
Disc: 8
Disc: 9
Disc: 10
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THE EP COLLECTION contains 10 Kinks 4-song EPs, each in recreations of their original packaging. Includes a poster. |
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The Kinks |
