My face when The Kinks play

[4-2-7]

I have to say The Kinks are one of the most under appreciated bands in the history of music. I think to myself that IF The Kinks came out during the none Beatles years they'd be so much bigger than they are.

Oh I don't know, they seemed to be doing pretty good in 1965 England.
You might like to see them as the headliner with all this artist.
Beatles Stones Kinks Animals more Live Full Concert 1965

0:00:38 -- Hey Bo Diddley -- Moody Blues 0:05:56 -- Go Now -- Moody Blues 0:09:30 -- Pretty One -- Freddie & the Dreamers 0:11:45 -- A Little You -- Freddie and the Dreamers 0:13:59 -- Walking the Dog -- Georgie Fame 0:16:32 -- I’ll Never Find Another You -- The Seekers 0:18:36 -- A World of Our Own -- The Seekers 0:21:16 -- Wonderful World -- Herman’s Hermits 0:23:03 -- Mrs. Brown -- Herman’s Hermits 0:25:51 -- Funny How Love Can Be -- The Ivy League 0:27:51 -- Time for You -- Sounds Incorporated 0:29:58 -- The Game of Love -- Wayne Fontana 0:32:24 -- Just a Little Bit Too Late -- Wayne Fontana 0:34:51 -- Everybody Needs Somebody -- Stones 0:35:29 -- Pain in My Heart -- Rolling Stones 0:37:32 -- Around and Around -- Rolling Stones 0:39:56 -- The Last Time -- Rolling Stones 0:42:58 -- Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah -- Cilla Black 0:45:12 -- You’re Gonna Need Somebody -- Donovan 0:49:23 -- Catch the Wind -- Donovan 0:51:49 -- Here Comes the Night -- Them 0:54:34 -- Turn on Your Love Light -- Them 1:00:48 -- Let the Good Times Roll -- Searchers 1:02:38 -- Mockingbird -- Dusty Springfield 1:05:04 -- Boom Boom -- Animals 1:09:09 -- Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood -- Animals 1:11:34 -- Talkin’ ‘Bout You” / ”Shout -- Animals 1:16:22 -- I Feel Fine -- Beatles 1:19:24 -- She’s a Woman -- Beatles 1:22:14 -- Baby’s in Black -- Beatles 1:24:32 -- Ticket to Ride -- Beatles 1:27:46 -- Long Tall Sally -- Beatles 1:29:49 -- You Really Got Me -- Kinks 1:32:02 -- Tired of Waiting for You -- Kinks

 

[Mystic]

In my mind and the minds of many other Kinks fans they are firmly entrenched on the Mount Rushmore of the British invasion along with their compatriots, The Beatles, The Stones & The Who. Ray Davies is the most under-rated songwriter in the British rock canon if not all of rock muisc. How many other songwriters can claim hits over a span of decades?

Look at the track listing on the cd posted by KeninDC,( a fantastic collection for those looking to delve into the subject matter at hand) besides the obvious hits the Kinks put out over their career, i.e.You Really Got Me, All Day & All Of The Night, Lola, Celluloid Heroes, Victoria, etc there are the timeless classics from Ray Davies pen, Waterloo Sunset & Tired of Waiting For You. Are there better songs written by ANYONE during that period? How about Set Me Free? David Watts, Stop Your Sobbing, (nicely covered by The Pretenders BTW), & She's Got Everything? Which is just a great rock song.

Even their concept album period, mentioned by Mystic, has it's gems as well. Cricket, Demolition, Money Talks, He's Evil, The Hardway, Jack The Idiot Dunce, Education, Rush Hour Blues, I could go on. Then after they were left for dead by the music industry, The Kinks release the well received Sleepwalker, garnering well deserved radio play for the title track & Jukebox Music, followed by the album Misfits and then their "commercial" period with Gallon of Gas, Superman, Low Budget...

There are rumors that the Davies Brothers are getting the old gang together to do a limited tour this summer after so many years. Having seen them a dozen or so times I can highly recommend them as a live show. Even at their sloppy worst they can summon the magic on command. I set down to create a best of track list of The Kinks in chronological order from my collection. It ended up running to 4x80 minute cdrs. Yeah, I would say The Kinks are "Well Respected" group, deserving more so than many others, their place in the pantheon of rock & roll heroes.

Terrific post RT.

One more ting about The Kinks: of The Four Horsemen Of The British Invasion, they (IMO) wrote the most beautiful number of them all, and possibly one of the most beautiful songs written in The English Language by any entity: "Waterloo Sunset".

I also give (extremely) high marks to "I'm Not Like Anybody Else", not for its beauty, but for its menace and cocksure sittin' attitude. Definitely one of the proto-Punk maneuvers of the BI era.

 

[Mystic]

P.S. Great thread @Hajidub and @ so many levels. This is the type of thread that continues my appreciation for and favouring hanging out @ Music Forums @ the AK boards.

 

[Montycat]

The Kinks have ruled my record collection for many years. Until recently they took up the most space on my shelves and still might with about 25 records total. I think I might just start playing them from first to last chronologically. But not this late, I have to turn it up and SWMBO has gone to bed.

I only saw them once, in 1981 at the Montreal Forum. After the show a friend said, as we were walking down St Catherine Street, "I think I can die now".

Definitely undervalued in rock history except by the historians for the most part, they certainly deserve their place in the top tier.

 

[Mystic]

The Kinks have ruled my record collection for many years. Until recently they took up the most space on my shelves and still might with about 25 records total. I think I might just start playing them from first to last chronologically. But not this late, I have to turn it up and SWMBO has gone to bed.

I only saw them once, in 1981 at the Montreal Forum. After the show a friend said, as we were walking down St Catherine Street, "I think I can die now".

Definitely undervalued in rock history except by the historians for the most part, they certainly deserve their place in the top tier.

Absolutely. One of my treasured late-childhood experiences was seeing them perform in Chicago at the Uptown (or was it @ The Riviera -- can never keep those two straight in my head; definitely NOT @ The Aragon Brawlroom) Theater ca '79: Second row just right of center stage, immediately @ the foot of the catwalk Dave used to "come out to the audience" for various solos, etc. He was sportin' a gorgeous circa '56 Lester Custom (modified some); Ray, who was positioned approximately 15 feet from us, had his early '70s Telecaster strapped on and one of those famously "ill-fitting" suits for which he was (in)famous. IIRC Dave was dressed in black, head to toe(s). Rodford was Rodford and Avory was hittin' per usual.

 

[Mystic]

Ray and Dave Davies were the prototype violent (toward each other) rock & roll siblings...

And the intra-band violence @ The Kinks was not limited to the siblings; I think it was Avory who planted a (drum) cymbal in Dave's skull @ some point in the late 80s or early 90s, @ which point both exited the band: Avory for ever, Dave long enough to locate & pick up the spare parts and have a surgeon replant them in is noggin. True story.

 

[Mystic]

^^^ Had to look it up: Uptown Theater, Chicago, 11 June 1978. Home from university for the summer.

 

[Mystic]

^^^ Saw 'em the previous year in Miami @ the Jai-Alai Fronton, 7 May 1977.

The '78 show @ The Uptown in Chicago was more memorable, most likely b/c they were introducing new numbers from the Low Budget album and (of course) b/c of the fine seating arrangement.

 

[Montycat]

I was too far away to see much detail but my favourite memory from the one show I was at was watching Ray running around & leaping in the air and waving wildly at the crowd and having way too much fun. My impression of his thoughts was "Look at me! I'm a rockstar!" And he looked like it.

 

[KrisM]

One Kinks memory that just came back to me was my kid getting David Watts stuck in her head a few years ago.
We were doing some running around and I had Something Else on the truck stereo. The 'fa fa fa fa fa fa fa' bit hooked her in, and for the rest of the day she wished she could be like David Watts.

 

[knockbill]

What a great thread!!! Gotta love the Kinks, and Rays' distortion! I learn something every time Mystic posts!!!
Some of their popular songs were mentioned,,, "Father Christmas" displays Ray's sense of humor,,, a perfect example of the dry Brit humor I love...
Carry on...

 

[jcamero]

I never downplay the Kinks and their contribution to music. I put them in to top 10 of my best ever. Ray can write as good as anyone. His songs are quite cerebral. They have been covered by Bowie, Pretenders, and Van Halen to mention a few.

 

[kaplang]

Apeman!

 

[Hajidub]

I never downplay the Kinks and their contribution to music. I put them in to top 10 of my best ever. Ray can write as good as anyone. His songs are quite cerebral. They have been covered by Bowie, Pretenders, and Van Halen to mention a few.

Paul Weller and The Jam do David Watts justice!

 

[exhippy]

Someone said Blondie opened for the Kinks at the show in STL summer of '78. I don't recall that...

Probably 'cause we weren't fans and hung-out in the lobby area until the real show started (ouch!)

 

[BLAH BLAH]

Terrific post RT.

One more ting about The Kinks: of The Four Horsemen Of The British Invasion, they (IMO) wrote the most beautiful number of them all, and possibly one of the most beautiful songs written in The English Language by any entity: "Waterloo Sunset".

I also give (extremely) high marks to "I'm Not Like Anybody Else", not for its beauty, but for its menace and cocksure sittin' attitude. Definitely one of the proto-Punk maneuvers of the BI era.

Yes have to agree that WS is a fine song...but as for most beautiful i'm leaning towards The Zombies with 'It's the time of the Season'...

 

[calman46]

I have to mention " Muswell Hillbillies " And "Everybody in Show-Biz " Lps We worn out the grooves on these two when they came out .

 

[KrisM]

I have to mention " Muswell Hillbillies " And "Everybody in Show-Biz " Lps We worn out the grooves on these two when they came out .

I put Muswell into my truck player yesterday.

 

[rwartner]

Debate regarding british invasion - Kinks seem to come in as number 4.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/british-invasion-whos-number-four.308621/

 

[Mystic]

Debate regarding british invasion - Kinks seem to come in as number 4.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/british-invasion-whos-number-four.308621/

Yep, that's been the usual consensus among music/social critics for decades, and probably among non-critics, too. The sort order usually goes, top to bottom: Beatles, Stones, Who, Kinks.