THE KINKS

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YOU REALLY GOT ME (1964)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

The Kinks are a very underrated, yet highly influential and classic British Invasion band, which consists of front-man and leader Ray Davies who had a gift for writing great 'down-to-earth' lyrics and superb melodies, brother Dave Davies who was a decent guitar player, Mick Avory on drums (until 1984), and Peter Quaife on bass (until 1969). As great a songwriter Ray was, he hasn't developed his style yet on this, the Kinks first album, so the melodies are pretty substandard and weak. The album is typical of other records from the time period though, as there are only a few originals and a whole bunch of covers. Ray and the band were young, and nothing compared to what they would be in just a few short years, so it would take a little while for them to be considered in the same league as the Beatles or Rolling Stones.

Anyway, You Really Got Me does show promise, as the title track is revolutionary, even if amateurly simple tune, that is the ultimate highlight of the album. This major hit, is considered to be the song that directly influenced tons of heavy metal and punk groups to make up bands (this is true, even if the song is just a great riffy hardrocking 'for its time' tune). Everything else pales in comparison, even the originals are pretty substandard and dinky. Some of the covers are just plain bad; "Long Tall Shorty", "I'm A Lover Not A Fighter", "Too Much Monkey Business", and "Cadillac" are weak performances with either lazily sung, rushed vocal jobs, or high annoying vocals.

The worst though has to be "I've Been Driving On Bald Mountain", which simply has the most hilarious and dumb song title of the whole album, complete with horrible vocals, lyrics, and an idiotic simple melody. That tune was written by producer Shel Talmy (!), and so is the equally dumb-titled "Bald Headed Woman" which is actually not too bad. The Chuck Berry cover "Beautiful Delilah" is the only real good cover. Elsewhere we have some alright originals in the form of "Just Can't Go To Sleep", "I Just Took My Baby Home" and "Revenge" (which is co-written by Jimmy Page). "So Mystifying" and the nice ballad "Stop Your Sobbing" are decent though, and show that the band had a promising future. The tunes are shaky though, in this early garage rock sounding album of theirs.

A special note before I close the review: Since I don't have the new Castle and Velvel reissues (except for their later albums) on CD I'm not going to talk about the bonus tracks on the album (well, I would rather just focus on just the album anyway).

OVERALL RATING: 5

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KINDA KINKS (1965)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

By the time this album was released The Kinks already had the hit singles "You Really Got Me" (which I forgot to mention that in contrary to popular belief Jimmy Page didn't play the guitar solo in this song) and "All Day and All of The Night" (a single which was released in late 1964) under their belt. They were now a sensation in England and were ready to record their second album, which was to be called Kinda Kinks. It turns out to be a big improvement over their first album, as the melodies are stronger (though still not quite up to the standards of The Beatles), and there are only two covers this time. The sound of the record is still fairly garage-like, rough-edged, and clumsy, but the tunes are defintely more original and better this time.

The first classic ballad Ray ever wrote, "Tired Of Waiting For You", is a wistful and simple tune that opens up the album. This is just one of the many mini-highlights on here. "Something Better Beginning" is a beautiful and melodic ballad with a memorable chorus, "You Shouldn't Be Sad" is a catchy aggressive tune with effective background vocals, and "Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight" is a simple and very short piano-driven tune, complete with a great middle eight. Other tunes such as "Come On Now", which is sung by Dave, and "Look For Me Baby" are benefited by the background vocals of Rays first wife, Rasa. Both of those tunes contain that great early clumsy Kinks sound, as also does "Got My Feet On The Ground", a fast tune which Dave sings rather loud and squeakily, and "Don't Ever Change", which is a toned-down and melodic tune.

The two quieter acoustic tunes, the long-titled "Nothin' In The World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'bout That Girl" and especially the shuffling "So Long" are better than average too. The tunes on here beat out almost anything on the first album as they are excellent rough and melodic pop songs. Even the cover "Dancing In The Street" is pretty good and worthwhile even if the vocals are a little half-assed. The only not so good tune is "Naggin Woman" with its horrible vocals, but its only a cover. Like You Really Got Me this album was made in a rush, but Ray was quickly growing and developing his style as a songwriter, so it shows in this album's catchy melodies. He still had a far way to go at this point though, as he wouldn't truly find his down-to-earth and observant British songwriting style until after the Kinks got banned from America (for unspecified reasons) later in the year. Excellent early release though.

OVERALL RATING: 8

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KINKS SIZE KINKDOM (1965)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

This isn't really The Kinks' third album, as it just gathers most of their early A and B side singles, and E.P.'s together. Dating from November 1964 until February 1966, it works as an album because they all basically sound like they are from the same period, except for a few of the later tunes. Fortunately most of the tunes are on the same par as the ones on Kinda Kinks, and closely resemble the style portrayed on that album. The tunes from late 1964 though, are not as good as the others; "Louie Louie" is very similar-sounding to the real version, "Things Are Getting Better" is just a simple rushed-in-the-studio tune with some harmonica, and the other two "I've Got That Feeling" and "I Gotta Go Now" are ok, but underdeveloped and sloppy sounding.

The majority of the songs come from 1965, and there are a few gems from this period such as "I Need You", which is a riffy tune that seems to combine "You Really Got Me" and "All Day And All Of The Night" together in a successful way. "Set Me Free" is a ballad done in the gentle style of the earlier "Tired Of Waiting For You", with a well-crafted pop melody and "See My Friends" is maybe the first Indian-styled rock song, and although it is a good tune, it sounds to primitive and badly produced to be considered a revolutionary acheivement. The other tunes sound pretty typical of the early Kinks such as the ultra-catchy and simplistic "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy", "Who'll Be The Next In Line", "Never Met A Girl Like you Before", and "Wait Till The Summer Comes Along", all fine tunes.

"A Well Respected Man" is the first departure away from their early garage rock/pop sound, in that the lyrics are more observent and sung in a witty fashion. The style is still rather basic, but sounds more developed and gentle compared to their earlier riffy hits. "Dedicated Follower Of Fashion" which is sung in a great high-class conservative style with an occasional strum of an electric guitar, is a great early classic, and a continuation of this style.

Towards the end we have "Sitting On My Sofa", an average midtempo bluesy shuffle, and the June 1966 b-side "I'm Not Like Everybody Else", which is one of the top highlights on here. This melodic tune is one of their best b-sides, as it is a well-crafted pop rocker, with effective lyrics (a great lost track). This album is a decent set, with it's mixture of great, good, and OK cuts from the early years, but might be hard to find now that all these songs are put as bonus cuts on the new reissues.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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THE KINK KONTROVERSY (1965)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

This is really the Kinks third album, as Kinks Size Kinkdom was released as two LP's I believe (one in 1965 and one in 1966). There is only one cover this time, and it is the opening cut "Milk Cow Blues", which is a bluesy three and a half minute (lengthiest cut on here it is) midtempo tune. It's a decent cover with some good guitar, but the rest of the album shows the Kinks moving away from the rough garage-rock sound of their earlier stuff, to a somewhat more mature and tamed sound. This is apparent in "The World Keeps Going Round", a great melodic and poppy tune, that starts off with a piano burst before becoming a midtempo song (one of my personal favorite tunes on here).

Still, their sound hasn't changed too much, as they have a couple of catchy riffy rockers on here that are pretty typical of the early Kinks. the very simple "Gotta' Get The First Plane Home" is a little riffy rocker and so is "Till The End Of The Day", which is a highlight on this set that rivals their single "I Need You" in riffiness. "I'm On An Island" has an awesome ultra-catchy melody with some piano backing it up, and is another Kink delight. There are other great songs on here such as "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" which shows Ray going for a lazy approach on the vocals to great effect, plus it has a memorable and classic chorus, and "You Can't Win" which is a poppy tune with bluesy guitar undertones.

The charming ballad "Ring The Bells" (their gentlest to date), the other ballad "I Am Free", "What's In Store For Me" (this one uses the one chord style of "She's A Woman" from The Beatles), and "When I See That Girl Of Mine" are good tunes too that even out the album. The only weak tune out of the twelve that are on here, is "It's Too Late" which is forgettable. Unfortunately, somewhere around the time they released this album, the Kinks were banned from touring in the U.S. for 4 or 5 years (until the release of Arthur, so this would keep them from gaining any great sucess during the latter half of the 1960's here. Also this ban against them would lead Ray to write strictly about British topics and make the group almost unaffected by psychedelia and all the hype, which in turn would make the songs he wrote unique for the time being. Anyway, this is a minor, yet good album from the early Kinks. In fact you can see that The Kinks were becoming a more original band with this release, and also that they improved greatly since You Really Got Me.

OVERALL RATING: 8

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GREATEST HITS (1966)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: You Really Got Me, Tired Of Waiting For You, Dedicated Follower Of Fashion, All Day And All Of The Night.  LOW POINTS: the really short length.

Much of the early career of The Kinks wasn't really much more than the standard "release a few excellent singles and hastily record an album of mostly filler quality in a few hours", so of course Greatest Hits is one of the best representations of the early days of a special band you could have, and consists of quite a few remarkable, very catchy numbers, which occasionally pale in comparison to their later work and even sound dated at times (though not very often), but are still highly enjoyable because of Ray's incredible sense of melody.  The biggest problem with this collection, though, is it's length (23 minutes? that's a prog rock epic!) - it has since been replaced by much more thorough compilations that contain these early hits among other key tracks in their career, so chances are, you could probably get all of these tracks elsewhere plus a ton more.  Invest in something similar, if you will.

I won't be discussing the track listing here that much, but I will point out a few of the key tracks that every rock fan should be familiar with. The enourmously influential and excellent riff-rockers "You Really Got Me" (which needs no explanation, and was later covered by Van Halen in an impressively high energy fashion) and "All Day And All Of The Night" (a successful rewrite of the tune that's really almost as good) are bonafide classics, and "Tired Of Waiting For You" is a tremendous, uplifting ballad that hits that standard also.  The hilarious lyrical and vocal charm of "Dedicated Follower Of Fashion" features Ray's quirky personality coming out in such a great way.  As for the other minor standouts, "A Well Respected Man" and "Who Will Be The Next In Line?" have nice vocal melodies, too.  Although hardly thorough at all, this collection does a good job of capturing, despite Ray's ambitions becoming somewhat higher later on, the fact that The Kinks were already a force to be reckoned with when at their best.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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FACE TO FACE (1966)

(Casey Brennan's review)

The Kinks become a great pop band! Unfortunately, their hit single "Sunny Afternoon" (which is on this release) would be their last hit in America until four years later, since their success in the U.S. plummeted. A lot of good music was left unheard though, as this period showed Ray maturing into a great and original songwriter. On this album, Ray presents an excellent little bunch of songs that are melodically richer and poppy than before, with pictorial and witty lyrics unheard of on previous Kink records. "Sunny Afternoon" is a classic track on here, with a memorable descending bassline in the intro and chorus, plus a great upbeat middle eight part. The lyrics are despairing and gloomy, but also bright in parts.

The ballad "Too Much On My Mind" is equally as good, mainly because of its great melodic strength and the poppy harpsichord adds extra beauty to the song. The other ballad "Rainy Day In June" is probably almost as good, with its rainstorm sounds and gloomy melody. In fine British style Ray also delivers "Dandy" (which was covered by the Hermans Hermits' the same year), a great acoustic-strummed pop song with a wonderful melody, and "Holiday In Waikiki" which is a hip-sounding tune that was probably purposefully written with the Rolling Stones hit "19th Nervous Breakdown" in mind. The album is made more diverse with the addition of the Indian-droned tune "Fancy" on here. Not a bad tune, but I would have to say that the Kinks are less interesting when venturing into this style than other bands are.

On the more poppy side, there is "Session Man" which opens with the burst of a very fast harpsichord, the harmless and bleaker "Rosy Won't You Please Come Home" which has some more harpsichord, and "Most Exclusive Residence For Sale", with its effective 'ba, ba, ba, ba' background vocals. Face To Face is full of little gems like this, but their are a few tunes that keep this album from being a classic. "Little Miss Queen Of Darkness" isn't too melodic, although it's not that bad, and "I'll Remember" is a harmless and simple throwaway tune. The fine rocker "House In The Country", the opener "Party Line", and "You're Lookin' Fine" make up for some of these shortcomings though. This album is slightly stronger than Kink Kontroversy because the tracks have a better melodic sense than before, and also Ray is starting to hit his stride. Like Revolver and Aftermath this could be considered another biggie of 1966. Also there are some fun and very Kinkish liner notes on here. Enjoy.

OVERALL RATING: 8

(Nick Karn's review)

HIGH POINTS: Sunny Afternoon, Rainy Day In June, Too Much On My Mind, Dandy.  LOW POINTS: Fancy.

The Kinks as many know them on their classic period Britpop albums get their start here.  What generally distinguishes Face To Face from the earlier output of the band is their use of rich use of instrumentation (harpsichord is pretty prominent here, for one) and sound effects, which fit in with the spirit of the 'classic' albums from 1966 and the way this production style is combined with the numerous excellent melodies here and Ray Davies' ever increasingly complex lyrical palette of British life contributes to a fine listening experience.  In fact, Ray was so intent on moving into artsier territory that this album was actually supposed to be a concept one (a move that wouldn't be unusual for him later, but at the time it would have been quite revolutionary), with the sound effects connecting tracks and such, but unfortunately, the record company wouldn't allow it - more proof that those guys are evil spawns of Satan or something like that.

But oh well... although the album is still a little too short on truly great songs to match with the bigger releases from the period, there are quite a few gems here from start to finish.  The most well known of these is of course their last hit in America for awhile, the truly excellent pop classic "Sunny Afternoon", with the best melody on the whole album, plus clever lyrics that brilliantly alternate between upbeat and depressing.  The great bridge adds to it quite a lot, too.  It's probably the best song on the album, but "Rainy Day In June" comes really close to it (two antithesis songs on the same record!) - it's only a little over three minutes long, but it really feels like a slowly building, gloomy epic, with an awesome ominous melody, appropriate noises and a great chorus ('everybody felt the rain...').  "Too Much On My Mind" sounds a lot like Ray's earlier ballads, with a fantastic melody that's right up there with the best of them, and great use of harpsichord that really adds to the richness of the song.

There are several other songs on the album that at least come close to hitting really great status, and they all have very interesting features.  The acoustic "Dandy" is probably a quintessential song for Ray's signature Britpop style, and not surprisingly, it's extremely catchy and charming in that way.  There's also the tribute to Nicky Hopkins, probably the greatest "Session Man" in all of rock history, and it's really a lost gem, with an awesome harpsichord burst at the beginning driving the song, thoughtful lyrics, plus another first-rate melody.  The Chuck Berry-esque "Holiday In Waikiki" is a really addictive, stinging guitar rocker with a memorable and fun riff going through the verses and an excellent break, and the opening track "Party Line" rides a great rocking energy, with a fine bassline, more great lyrics, and a countermelody that the Stones probably ripped off for "Connection" a year later.

As for the rest of the album, it's mostly filled with more minor songs that aren't really all that brilliant, but are at worst somewhat enjoyable.  The only weak link here I can think of is the Indian tune "Fancy", which sacrifices the melody and British tone the other tracks did so well for a boring, droning atmosphere.  It isn't awful, but I'd much rather listen to, for instance, the uptempo chorus of "House In The Country", another fine energetic number in the Kinks tradition, more irresistible witty pop in stuff like "Most Exclusive Residence For Sale" or nicely silly bass heavy grooves in the form of "You're Lookin' Fine".  To a lesser extent, the other minor filler on this album would have to be "I'll Remember", which isn't the Madonna song of the same name, as it's a less memorable, lightweight tune that ends the album on a slightly disappointing note.

Rounding out the album are two other groove-based numbers I haven't mentioned, the darker edged "Rosie Won't You Please Come Home" (another track where Ray seemed to love using the harpsichord) and the decent loungier song "Little Miss Queen Of Darkness".  Now were I George Starostin, I would probably rave over the bonus tracks on the new reissue and count them towards the rating of the album, upping this one to a 9, but I consider that cheating.  I will say, though, that three of these songs, "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" (a fantastic song of alienation), "Dead End Street" and "Mister Pleasant" (two phenomenal poppier tunes, the former having a fantastic uptempo chanting chorus, and the latter a hilariously witty and incredibly catchy song) deserve special mention, as these are actually better than most of what made the album.  As it stands, though, I'll leave the rating at 8.5, which is certainly not a bad mark for a very solid set of Kinks numbers, and it only got better from here.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5

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SOMETHING ELSE (1967)

(Casey Brennan's review)

Ray had fully flowered into a great songwriter on this, their 5th full length album. He writes about down-to-earth and imaginary characters that live within English society, and the unequality of the different classes of people. He sets these little stories to a big British pop sound that is unique compared to the many acid and psychedelic rock records that came out in this innovative year of 1967. While The Beatles were releasing the experimental Sgt. Peppers the Kinks were working on this product; a fairly unpsychedelic release that doesn't really use the studio trickery of that Beatles classic.

Of course, the record does use various instrumentation in parts, and sometimes has an echoic feel, but the style Something Else portrays is what makes this album successful. The production is echoey and strikingly impressive, with a big poppy, yet occasionally atmospheric sound (especially "Waterloo Sunset") that really makes the melodies all the more effective. Face To Face may have had it's fair share of great pop songs, but this album is better in that there are no weak tunes this time (although I used to not like "End Of The Season") and also because of the proper (with some childishideas thrown in) and magnificient style.

This is all apparent in the first track, the classic "David Watts", a tune about a dislikable preppie English schoolboy, which has a rollicking piano and instantly memorable melody. This fast-paced tune which has glorious echo-filled vocals, is full of great 'fa-fa-fa-fa..' background vocals and a sharp piano sound that is continued on "Death Of A Clown", the first of three Dave Davies songs that are on here. "Death Of A Clown" is a folkish pop tune, with the most melodic and probably best background vocals on a Kinks album, that shows Dave had really come into his own as a songwriter.

The melancholic harpsichord-laden pop ditty "Two Sisters" (which is a gem) and the beautiful gentle acoustic-shuffle "No Return" are short tunes that follow in fine fashion. "Harry Rag" is a humorous pop tune, about 'evil' weed that is highlighted by military drums on each verse, while "Tin Soldier Man" is a dumb but enjoyable tune, with a jovial and bouncy melody complete with big band horns, that make me feel like a little child in a toy factory. Rounding out the first side of the album is "Situation Vacant", an R'n B' inflicted tune with an awesome melody. It starts off with a playful piano intro, and then turns into a midtempo tune with some abrasive organ at the end of each verse, before coming to an end with two effective fade-outs.

Opening the second side is another Dave Davies tune, the guitar-based "Love Me Till The Sun Shines" which is a good tune, enhanced by some more loud organ. Next, is the only full-fledged pyschedelic song, "Lazy Old Sun", which packs the same amount of punch as any other track on here, with its odd and lazy, but interesting melody. "Afternoon Tea" follows, and is defintely one of the top highlights on here, since it has such a jovial and great sing-a-longy melody. It is simply a classic pop tune, that I think is the best song to put on to uplift the spirits of a sad person.

The last Dave tune "Funny Face", has slightly harsh-sounding vocals on the verses that contrast well with its smooth acid-inspired pre-choruses, and then comes "End Of The Season" which starts off interesting, before turning into a sappy and corny Vaudeville era ballad. I used to not like this song, but it is still an effective and good song. Last but not 'least' is "Waterloo Sunset". This is the ultimate highlight of the album, and one of the best 1960's singles ever, with a perfect atmospheric melody that can really take you to where Ray is singing about. It is a perfect way to end their third best album (in my opinion), which just reaches a deserving classic 10 rating.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

(Nick Karn's review)

HIGH POINS: Waterloo Sunset, David Watts, Death Of A Clown, Afternoon Tea, Situation Vacant, Tin Soldier Man.  LOW POINTS: None.

Although Face To Face was certainly an important record for the band in getting their trademark sound started, this album is even more impressive in establishing the direction The Kinks were heading in at the time.  Unlike Face To Face, it was not originally conceived as a full-fledged album, but rather patched together from 1967 singles and B-sides, and as a result, it may not flow quite as immaculately, but Something Else does have its' predecessor beaten in terms of consistency of material and amount of absolute classic tracks, the amount of clever, often brilliant instances of lyric writing and storytelling, and probably the general atmosphere as well.  It was certainly a tempting thing during the time period to be all psychedelic and trippy (even the Stones went in that direction!), but impressively, this album goes against the trends, largely avoiding that style in favor of a more 'old fashioned' and straightforward (though not without its' share of great subtle embellishments) sort of music hall sound.

As long as we're talking about the 'music hall' style, nothing's on here gonna beat the opening "David Watts" for quality in that department.  The melody and 'fa fa fa fa....' chanting might sound simple, but it has a simply genial flow with the uptempo piano/guitar lines here to create a rousing atmosphere, with extremely appropriate lyrics about that certain popular guy in school we all either looked up to or hated.  And there's all sorts of extremely striking pop gems like that on the rest of the album, even when they fall into the category of 'extremely stupid on the surface but very infectiously catchy' (the total singalong charm of "Tin Soldier Man").  "Afternoon Tea", meanwhile, combines that same sort of wonderfully quirky subject matter with the subtlety and true uplifting spirits classic pop music.  I just love that irresistible chorus, especially when Dave Davies chimes in on backing vocals.

Speaking of Dave, this is probably his shining moment as a songwriter for the band, as he has an unprecedented three contributions here.  And they're all good, especially the Dylan inspired "Death Of A Clown", where he takes on that sort of vocal intonation and lyrical style over an absolutely awesome vocal melody.  And those backing vocals in the 'sort of' chorus are just incredibly gorgeous.  "Love Me Till The Sun Shines" may not be as substantial, but this organ-tinged pop gem is extremely fun to sing along to, even though the whole tempo and melody is really not that much different than your average hit from the time period on the surface. And finally, "Funny Face" is hardly one of the stronger songs on here, as it seems really ordinary in comparison to the others, but while the song's on, it's quite nice to listen to.  Nothing really bad about it or anything.

But back to Ray's material, which of course, is the main focus here, though granted, not all the rest of his songs are knockouts.  For instance, he acoustic ballad "No Return", while not exactly awful (it does have a minor beauty to it), is a little too much a tossoff that takes a few listens to even make an impression at all, mainly because it's almost devoid of personality or fine melody in comparison to the others.  I'm not really huge on the opening verse of "Lazy Old Sun" either - the overall vocal melody goes a bit out of its' way to be depressingly ugly, though once that eerie refrain comes in ('kiss me with one ray of light from your lazy old suuuuuuuuun....') comes in, the rest of the song becomes considerably more powerful and attractively melodic.  I personally think the 'moody' vibe is done better on "End Of The Season" - the liner notes call this one the 'saddest comedy song of all' or something to that effect, and the depressing vaudevillian atmosphere of the chorus here surely backs that statement up.  Pretty intriguing, I must say.

But of course, that's still not all the material here (for an album that lasts only 36 minutes, there's actually quite a lot of discussion that can be had about it).  There's also the excellent harpsichord ballad "Two Sisters", which can boast equally strong melody writing, dramatic mood, and extremely well written lyrics (it's a little too short for me, though!), and the 'pot' singalong "Harry Rag" has another first-rate infectious melody, an engaging military tempo and fun little handclaps in the chorus, all of which make it a minor gem on here.  And of course, there's arguably the most dynamic song here in the form of "Situation Vacant", an extremely well-arranged pop number, from the great build in the piano melody and the way it melodically flows in the verses to the great organ 'response' to each line in the chorus to the subtle but effective use of organ, piano lines, guitar soloing and even a false fadeout, it's all awesome.

Not as awesome, though, as the most deservedly celebrated song on here, and one of the absolute finest singles of the 60's.  Yup, it's the closing "Waterloo Sunset" I'm talking about, a song that almost undeniably has one of the most effective atmospheres of any ballad I've ever heard.  The main melody here is probably one of the most gorgeous and unforgettable moments The Kinks ever did, and one of the best examples of Ray's obvious melodic talents, but there's other key embellishments that make the song special, from Dave's repeating 'ugly' guitar line that actually works to the background 'oooooooooh la la la' harmonizing.  Coupled with "David Watts", those two songs form one of the greatest pair of bookend tracks ever to be found on an album, and push this somewhere close to 10 status.  It doesn't quite make it there for me, mostly because of several songs here that aren't that good, but Something Else is an essential nonetheless, and possibly a good place to start with the band.

OVERALL RATING: 9.5

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LIVE AT KELVIN HALL (1967)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

HIGH POINTS: It's a concert - I'm not too sure.. but I'll have to say that I'm On An Island is interesting.  LOW POINTS: the most inaudible tracks.

Can anyone say SCREAMING GIRLS!!! Yes that's right... a bunch of immature SCREAMING GIRLS!! Like most other British invasion band concerts of the mid 1960's, the band is pretty hard to hear above all the hysteric screaming. The Kinks may not seem like a band that girls would scream about when looking at very British albums like Face To Face and Something Else, where Ray Davies sings about afternoon tea and writes characters sketches about session men, but in the early days the Kinks tore young girls hearts with the best of them on tracks like "You Really Got Me" and "Till The End Of The Day", both of which are on this live record. Of course, when the Kinks recorded this live album in April of 1967 they weren't exactly hip (they were banned from touring in America at the tail end of 1965 - which hurt their album sales a bit) since the band was already fully into their quintessential British period.

Despite that though, The Kinks were still in their pre-Something Else days, which means that they were still regarded by many as a garage Rock band at this time. Thus, the band plays in its' early rough style throughout this all-out live set. The problem though, as I mentioned before, is that half the time the band is not heard well above all the noise, and also that at a mere nine tracks, this is a way too friggin' short live album. I won't complain too much about the length of it since concerts were usually less than half an hour anyway at the time. However, all those SCREAMING GIRLS do keep me from enjoying the quieter, more mature songs on here, such as "A Well Respected Man", "Sunny Afternoon", and "Dandy". Those three work better in the studio no doubt.

It's only on the riffy numbers "Till The End Of The Day" and "You Really Got Me" that the Kinks really let it rip, somehow going above the noise and sounding as good as the originals. A good job is also done on "I'm On An Island", which has Mick Avory hitting the hi-hat drum loudly each time during the verse to good effect. Quite neat. The other three tunes generally fall in the category of sounding the same as the originals (with all that screaming of course), or just a bit more messy than I would like (I'm talking about the haphazard medley here). Probably sounded great being there though. In any case, the Castle reissue gives you the choice of hearing the concert in up-front Mono, or the stadium-feel Stereo mix... I personally prefer the former because it sounds tougher. In the end though, I'll just stick to listening to the studio albums. This is just ok.

OVERALL RATING: 5.5

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THE KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY (1968)

(Casey Brennan's review)

The Kinks continue their classic period with The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, which is a 'concept' album about tudor houses, china cups, vaudeville, strawberry jam, and other British subjects. The songs this time around don't exceed past three minutes in length (except for "The Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains"), and the production of the record is very different sounding than it's predessor. Whereas Something Else had a music-hall tinged pop style and sharp production, the production on here is rather low-key and jagged, with the songs themselves being rather lazy and catchier. This album is even better though, because all the songs are great! Fifteen irresistably catchy and hummable tunes. The album requires a little more patience to get used to because of the haziness and homely sound, but the instrumentation is detailed and the melodies are excellent.

The classic title track sings sums up the whole album, as it's lyrics are very pictorial and are a homage to old British things (i.e.'God save Donald Duck, Vaudeville and Variety'). The song moves along in great clumsy manner, with its effective and repetitive melody plodding along to a somewhat quiet organ in the background. "Do You Remember Walter?" is a great slice of quirky upbeat pop, "Village Green" is a neat little ditty with a chorus that really makes the grade, and "Starstruck" has a soaring melody backed by some orchestration in the background. These are just a few of the highlights on here. There are memorable melodies abound in tunes like "Picture Book", an irresistible pop song (which is highlighted by the line 'A picture of you in your birthday suit'), "Phenomenal Cat", a flute tune with an elf singing 'la, la, la' in the background, "All Of My Friends Were There", a bouncy tune, and the very short "People Take Pictures Of Each Other"(the part where Ray sings 'aye yai yai' is great).

The only rocker on this album is the four minute "Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains", a bluesy tune that is not as great as most of the other songs on here, but still very worthwhile. Anyway, Ray has hit a zenith when it comes to writing good songs and melodies, as some of these tunes get stuck in my head every now and then. Even when the sound is rather clumsy or primitive such as on the tune "Johnny Thunder", the comfortable mood the song carries, along with the background vocals and the way Ray sings, make it something special. "Big Sky", "Sitting By The Riverside" (which is Ray at his most sentimental), "Monica", and especially "Animal Farm" continue this effective hazy and comfortable mood.

Only "Wicked Annabella", which has some distorted guitars at the end of it, and is probably the creepiest tune you'll ever hear, is the oddball out. It comes as a surprise at the end of the album, and is an awesome highlight. This was the first Kinks album I had bought, and this stuff really captivated me. Not surprisingly it only sold, I believe, 17,000 copies when it was first released because of the ban that was put on them (soon it would be lifted though). Compared to many other great Rock releases that came out in 1968 such as ones by Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles, the Kinks music sounded unhip and slightly out-of-the-times. This music is certainly great though, and I have hardly heard a more satisfying selection of pop melodies.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

(Nick Karn's review)

HIGH POINTS: The Village Green Preservation Society, Do You Remember Walter, Phenomenal Cat, Animal Farm, All Of My Friends Were There, Picture Book, Sitting By The Riverside, Wicked Annabella, and pretty much all the rest.  LOW POINTS: None.

Yeah, that's a lot of high points up there.  But I can't help it - although I really don't like making statements like these, if I ever hear a more perfect album out there in terms of the sheer power of hooks than Village Green, I will be absolutely stunned.  Even The Beatles had several songs on their classic albums where creative ideas and emotional impact overshadowed the quality hooks.  But this album, on the other hand, has irresistible singalong power all over every single song - almost all of them even have at least one or two timeless melodies that are such high quality you might still be able to distinctly remember them for the rest of your life.  Now, as far as its' place as the single greatest album ever, it's only a little short, as the actual arrangements aren't as imaginative or mindblowing as Beatles quality stuff, and the sound is mostly concentrated on quirky Britpop, but these are about the only real complaints I could have against the album, as the songs themselves are pure flawless perfection for what they are.

Plus, although the hooks dominate the landscape, don't think that's all the songs get by on.  The lyrics here are just as effective if not more so at nailing down the aspects of British life than Something Else was, and they are indeed a major attraction to the sound, with appropriate musical atmospheres for each particular atmosphere Ray concentrates on (for instance, the quaint and gentle romantic atmosphere of "Sitting By The Riverside", complete with accordian and 'orgasmic' buildup in the middle).  Plus there's a ton of great subtleties that make the very best pop music great, whether it be a well-placed charming backing or counter vocal here ("Starstruck" is a great example of this, with Dave singing along in the chorus over the irresistible repetitive hook, and the slightly orchestrated, rhythmic vibe here is pretty timeless), or a great bassline there, maybe even a weird singing approach.

Plus, the first two songs here are just absolutely immaculate.  Well, the whole album is, actually, but these in particular are.  I would only name the opening title track the best one at gunpoint, but only because it simply does the greatest job of defining the album than anything else - the playful, bouncy tempo, fantastic guitar riff after each line, subtle use of organ, and key change in the middle of the song are considerable strengths as it is, but the lyrics, culminating in the chorus lines of 'preserving the old ways from being abused / protecting the new ways for me and for you' are gloriously British in their charm and delivery.  But what about "Do You Remember Walter"?  That's one of the greatest pop songs ever written right there!  The interplay between simple repeated piano and guitar lines effortlessly flow with one of the most perfectly written melodies ever conceived by a mortal human.  Actually two of them, but you get the point.

I look at the remainder of the track listing, though, and I'd be hard pressed to find anything that isn't excellent in some way.  Even the more conventional "Last Of The Steam Powered Trains" (the only song here to go over three - or four - minutes) has a brilliant train-emulating ending in the last minute of the song that I totally adore, and the rest of the song's an addictive guitar and harmonica romp, even if it is the weakest song here.  "Big Sky" even uses a repeating one-note sitar background for a spoken word verse that works a lot better than you'd expect (especially since the other two vocal melodies in the song are just prime stuff - especially the 'don't let it get you doooooown' one), "Monica" has a fantastic use of swirling organ and quirky tempo to counter its' immortal 'I - I - shall die I - I shall die if I should... lose Monica...', and the closing "People Take Pictures Of Each Other" is one of the bounciest and most naive fast pop songs I've ever heard.  Mind you, these are among the more minor tracks on here.

What about the other major ones, though?  Among the more 'rocking songs' are "Picture Book", one of those Kinks numbers whose main hook is actually the bassline (which is addictive throughout the song, too bad Pete Quaife would leave after this), but the absurdly childish quality of the lyrics and backing vocals (along with Ray's chants of 'Scooby Dooby Doo'!) among those brilliant melodies is an even bigger pure pleasure.  Then there's the heaviest moment in "Wicked Annabella", a distorted and creepy riff rocker sung by Dave, with great use of high vocals to complement the atmosphere and the typically great melody, and "Johnny Thunder", despite being more poorly produced and clumsier than the others, has another simply genial and uplifting hook (the 'thunder and liiiiiightning' line followed by those backing vocals, especially).  And they never feel out of place with pure harpsichord pop paradise like "Village Green" (no, not the opening track) at all!  Phenomenal!

Speaking of that, there's also the beautiful flute-driven fantasy ballad "Phenomenal Cat", with a couple typically gorgeous melodies and amazingly appropriate elf-style backing vocals. Are they from one of the band members?  Or just a varispeeded vocal effect?  Either way, they rule - that 'fum fum diddleum di... la la la la la la la la...' hook can't be beaten!  And finally, I close off by saying "All Of My Friends Were There" and "Animal Farm" are both among the most effective 'shifting tempo' pop songs I've ever heard - the verse melody in the former is bouncy again with its' high speed delivery, and the way it shifts into the gorgeous slow acoustic chorus is golden ('not just my friends, but their best friends, too') and the ultra-clumsy delivery of the opening lines of the verses in the latter somehow works perfectly with the rest of this God-like tune.  In short, if well-written hooks are your thing, it is an absolute requirement to have this, in my opinion.  The single catchiest album I've ever heard, by far, and nothing from it is ever played on the radio.  What a world.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

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ARTHUR OR THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (1969)

(Casey Brennan's review)

Shortly after the previous album's release, bassist Pete Quaife left the Kinks because of his dissatisfaction with their lack of success, so he was replaced by bassist John Dalton. At the same time, after four years of being banned from the states, The Kinks were allowed to tour there again. Before they started touring in the states again though, they recorded and released this, their most accomplished and elaborate album. After the simple pleasures of the Village Green album, Ray decided to take a much broader approach on here, by giving Arthur very expansive production, and writing more ambitious melodies. Simply put, Arthur is the absolute pinnacle of the Kinks career, as Ray's songs are at his most superb and infectious, in a great conservative manner.

The opener "Victoria" is a melodic rocker, with great awkward vocals sung by Ray during the verses, and an effective slower bridge. This tune is followed by the ambitious "Yes Sir, No Sir", which starts off with conservative military drums, before becoming an outstanding tune that contains some unexpected musical twists. The nostalgic and hopeful ballad "Some Mother's Son" is next, and probably Ray's most emotionally-charged song, complete with beautiful background vocals and elegant harpsichord. "Drivin'" is one of the more minor songs on here, but still has a melody that other bands would kill for, while "Brainwashed" (the only tune under three minutes) is a hardhitting track with a great melodic riff.

The side closer "Australia" is a powerful tune that starts off as an interesting pop ditty with a fun and witty vocal delivery; especially the way Ray sings the line 'Nobody has to be any better than what they want to be'. After the three minute mark the song turns into a long-winded jam that really rocks out, with powerful horns adding to the effect. In fact, horns are used effectively throughout the album, and give many of these songs an emotional or majestic quality. No more perfectively are they used than in the provocative "Shangri-La" which is an amazing tune lyrically and musically. The song which tells about the small life of an English man, has musical twists abound just like as on the equally great "Yes Sir, No Sir". The mighty and melodic "Mr. Churchill Says" contains a captivating jam in it's midsection, which shows that the lads could rock out again when they wanted to.

Next is the highly entertaining and infectious "She Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina", which contains a wonderful fast-paced bridge complete with a kazoo playing along. The wistful ballad "Young And Innocent Days" contains some fine harmonies (which predate the harmonies used on the ballads of the Lola album), and "Nothing To Say" is an upbeat and quirky pop tune, with great horns adding to the drama, and more flat vocals by Ray. Closing off this classic album is the steady and rolling title track, which is another highlight because it is highly memorable and has a great sing-a-long quality to it. This bopping number is a perfect way to end this creative and grand concept album, probably the best selection of songs every assembled on a Kinks album. This ambitious and exhilerating album captures the genius of Ray's approach to songwriting, and in all its glory and greatness, could never be repeated by The Kinks again. Now we move onward to The Kinks 1970's albums.

* OVERALL RATING:10 *

(Nick Karn's review)

HIGH POINTS: Shangri-La, Some Mother's Son, Arthur, Victoria, Yes Sir No Sir, She Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina, Brainwashed, etc..  LOW POINTS: None.

Following up on the conceptual masterpiece The Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur continues the Kinks' venture into concept album territory, a release which was originally written as a soundtrack for a television drama that never actually aired. While the soundtrack idea never really got off the ground, it was at least the starting point of an absolute classic in rock history. The story's focus is of the life and times of a main character named Arthur (not to be confused with the legendary King Arthur), and revolving around a disgust for English life in general (which is fairly self-explanatory from the album's title).  But the concept isn't what makes Arthur such an awe-inspiring achievement.  Great melodies, a vital feature for the band's sound, are all over the place, and like Village Green, it's very possible the hooks to well over half of these songs will be wedged in your head even after your initial listen.

Besides the top-notch melodies, though, the arrangements here are beyond incredible.  Nearly every song here has an unexpected musical twist, usually in the form of a sudden change of tempo or mood, and the way this aspect of creativity is combined with the melodies and clever vocal and lyrical variations is really something special and even devastatingly emotional on several occasions.  The first three songs in particular are an amazing momentum starter.  The opening rocker "Victoria" kicks things off on its' excellent guitar riff, and the vocal tone employed by Ray here is hilarious, carrying the unforgettable melody on his clever lyrics.  The chorus is a simply awesome high energy singalong, and the slower horn-laced bridge is a definite treat.  Certainly a more engaging, perfect pop song than most bands can come up with.

The next track "Yes Sir, No Sir" does a fine job of pushing the concept along.  The horns make their appearance again in the unbelievably catchy verses, with great lyrical and musical charm, but whatreally makes the song is its' shuffling tempo shift, the one led by the 'doesn't matter who you are...' melody that ranks as a perfectly executed, entertaining treat.  But the album doesn't just consist of fun Britpop, though.  In fact, "Some Mother's Son" is probably among the most powerful ballads ever written.  It's a bitter condemnation of war that gains its' power by focusing on one parent's grief in trying to cope with her loss brought upon by the horrors of war, done with poignant emotion.  It goes without saying the melody is top-of-the-line, and on virtually any other album, it would be my easy choice for best song.  Not here, though...

The next couple of tracks are probably among the more 'fillerish' here, but believe me, that's only by this album's standards.  They're in fact still good, memorable and highly well-written compositions.  "Drivin'" in particular does a fine job of disguising a political statement in an uptempo 'driving' song.  I, for one, can easily picture myself on the road while listening to this fun melody.  "Brainwashed" is certainly a fine song, too, and it succeeds on an almost punkish level. Great high energy here, with a fine singable melody, and the horns and guitar parts here merge well.  The side closer "Australia" has a lot of cleverness throughout the lyrics and vocals running through it, with a quite amusing little melody, but the main point of controversy in this track is the jam which some consider overlong. I don't see it, though - the groove its' based on is downright mesmerizing, and the guitar soloing just flows really, really well. It's fun!

But of course, this album is effective at stirring so much more emotion than just merely 'fun', and without a doubt, the second half opener "Shangri-La" proves this. It's structured like a dramatic epic, with a quietly beautiful melody over acoustic guitar that builds up to one of the best climaxes I've ever heard. It just soars with power, and the counterpoint middle melody doesn't disappoint either! An incredible song. And from there, we only get more exciting twists and turns with "Mr. Churchill Says", which is yet another charming exploration of British life from way with another cool change into engaging guitar rock. Then comes the extremely quirky masterpiece "She Brought A Hat Like Princess Marina", which has a criminally catchy and fun main melody, and it reminds me of the Stones' "Cool, Calm And Collected" in how the tempo speeds up once the kazoo backing comes in. Is it just me, or are kazoos the coolest instrument known to man?

The next two tracks are sometimes dismissed as weak points on the album, but "Nothing To Say" has a really cool, unbeatable piano intro, and it actually has one of the more unforgettable vocal melodies here, so it's impossible for me to dismiss as filler. Likewise, the ballad "Young And Innocent Days" has a charming, warm quality to it, with a chorus that's quite nice and reflective in the context of the subject matter. Oh, and I'm completely convinced that the closing title track is absolutely built on one of the most unforgettable vocal hooks ever. I, for one, will probably never forget that 'don't you know it' refrain as long as I live, and the rest of the song is no slouch either. Effective guitar work, well-written lyrics; it's a pretty complete song. A satisfying end to a thoroughly satisfying record. I personally prefer Village Green more as an album, but this is The Kinks' peak in terms of imaginative arrangements, and definitely one of the top highpoints of an already startlingly classic 1969.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

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LOLA VERSUS POWERMAN AND THE MONEYGOROUND (1970)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

This is another concept album, this time about the music industry and the pros and cons of becoming a star. The Kinks first U.S. hit in four years is the title track "Lola", which is almost as well known as their first hit "You Really Got Me". An acoustic guitar starts off this rocking tune about a transvestite (which has nothing to do with the concept, but that doesn't matter), in which the lyric 'Coca Cola' was changed to 'Cherry Cola' so that the song could avoid not getting any airplay. This is one of the obvious highlights on this mostly successful release, which contains several moving, sometimes poignant ballads, a few harder rocking tunes, and some entertaining pop ditties.

The folkish forty second tune "Introduction" starts off the concept, and goes right into the fast-paced rocker "The Contenders". The great attitude-filled and assured vocals by Ray, plus a perfect mixture of piano, harmonica, and blasting guitarwork, make this snappy song a winner. Next is the Dave Davies penned "Strangers", which is his first tune in three years (since Something Else) to be included on a Kinks album. It turns out be a very worthwhile tune, that starts off with just the slow pound of a drum, before turning into a heartfelt ballad with an overall church-feel in its organ sound. The entertaining rock n' roll ditty "Denmark Street" is a tune about the hardships of becoming a famous star, complete with amusing vocals by Ray (of course!) and great ragtime piano.

This short song is followed by one of the strongest ballads on here, the organ-drenched "Get Back In Line", which then leads into the before-mentioned hit "Lola". The concept is further employed in "Top Of The Pops", which is a direct and hardhitting tune, with a loud and great simplistic riff by Dave, plus a guitar and organ buildup midsection. It's a good tune (even though the ending is somewhat silly), simply about an artist's rise to number One and how this newfound fame changes who your friends are. The catchy "The Moneygoround" opens up side two, and is a bouncy little tune with a short and fun piano melody. The two emotional ballads "This Time Tomorrow" and "A Long Way From Home" follow; the latter one is stronger but both are effective, moderately played, slightly folkish tunes. The second Dave tune on the album is the harsh and bitter "Rats", which unlike the past few albums, rocks pretty hard.

Then comes the humorous song "Apeman". The tinkle of a piano starts off this memorable cut, which is a moderately rocking tune with silly lyrics and an excellent melody (this enjoyable song is a fairly well-known track off of the album too). "Powerman" is the hardest rocking tune here, containing heavy bass and fine guitar, along with a good bridge, and is followed by the poppy "Got To Be Free". This slight, yet still good tune, ends the album with the same line of lyrics that are found on "Introduction", except this time backed by piano and guitar too. This album lacks the depth and expansive production found on Arthur, along with some truly captivating melodies, but the tunes are still great and fun. Ray's vocals are a little more amusing and lively on here; on later releases he would use a more tacky and vaudevillian approach to singing on certain songs. Overall, this is an entertaining and sometimes sentimental selection of songs that pretty much stay with the concept and go down well.

OVERALL RATING: 8

(Nick Karn's review)

HIGH POINTS: Lola, Apeman, Top Of The Pops, The Contenders, This Time Tomorrow.  LOW POINTS: None.

What a disappointing album.... if you unrealistically expect this to be an unbelievably brilliant classic on the level of Village Green and Arthur, that is, but if you compare it to the music of normal people, many of which can't produce something even as good as Face To Face, well then, that's something else entirely!  Actually, the full title of this one is Lola Versus Powerman And The Moneygoround Part One (yeah, as if Ray's really going to drag himself and the rest of the Kinks into the studio in 2004 and record a Part Two to this - LOL), a concept album about how the music industry sucks!  I certainly approve, though I'm really not sure how the record label actually promoting their music would have taken it  In time, Kinks songs and concept albums based on stuff like this (you know, stardom and all that) would become really really tiring, but here, there's a charm to this particular record, which is probably a more straightforward, concise effort (songs generally average in the 2-3 minute range) as compared to the more adventurous arrangements of Arthur.

The 'record company bashing' concept is probably most prominent in songs like "Denmark Street" and "The Moneyogoround", a couple brief yet wildly fun and quirky piano-based tunes.  The latter actually accomplishes quite a bit melodically in its' condensed 1:42 running time, lyrically chronicling all the various moneygrubbers in the industry who just happen to be under different titles, with excellent piano pop hooks abounding, and the former especially contains some of the more humorous hard-hitting lyrics here ("you go to a publisher and play him your song / he said, 'I hate your music and your hair is too long'").  The most exciting tune in this department is probably "Top Of The Pops", the song where the protagonist hits commercial success, with a simple but ultra-memorable riff Nirvana would later borrow for "Rape Me", and excellent use of organ and a well-placed instrumental bridge section - a great mix of conceptual unity, pop smarts and hard rock energy.

Curiously, however, the most popular hit song and obvious top highlight here ("Lola") is actually one which is completely unrelated to the concept (isn't that always how things go?).  It chronicles Ray's incredibly catchy encounter with a transvestite, and while it's certainly been overplayed on classic rock radio, it definitely deserves total classic status - everything works, from the criminally catchy 'Lo-lo-lo-lo-lola' chorus, Dave's chiminig in on backing vocals, and how it builds up to a rocking singalong arrangement from its' acoustic beginnings.  Actually when I think of it, the other major highlight "Apeman" doesn't have anything to do with the concept either - it's a hilariously infectious song with Ray singing in an almost Jamaican-style accent incredibly naive but charming lyrics about how living life in the wild as an 'apeman' is preferable to modern society.  Yeah, just try not to sing along to this one - it's damn near impossible.

There are several other mostly compact tunes here, sometimes sounding a bit too underdeveloped, but not one of them can really be called weak.  Even the nostalgic "A Long Way From Home" is fairly beautiful, it just might take a few listens for that melody to become wedged in your head.  "The Contenders" and "Powerman" bring the rocking drive back into the fold, which for all their perfect Britpop songwriting qualities, the last few albums didn't really have much of. Witness the furious interplay between the main riff and harmonica playing during the former song especially, not to mention the friggin' awesome fast-paced vocal melody that keeps me excited.  I just wish it were longer than only 2 minutes - it deserves more time than the overly lumbering and slightly repetitive latter song (though you won't find me bashing that one too much - it still has very conviction-filled vocals and lyrics that keep it interesting).

The remaining songs save for "This Time Tomorrow", another snappy acoustic-based reminder that Ray Davies was once a master of creating multiple brilliant pop melodies in his sleep, aren't too spectacular, but still quite well-written by those aforementioned normal standards.  The Dave Davies songs, the rhythmic organ-laced "Strangers" (with a heartwarming 'we are not two, we are one' refrain) and the energetic, almost paranoid-sounding rocker "Rats" are pretty good, as are "Get Back In Line" with its' almost 'walking' guitar line and the closing "Got To Be Free", which reprises the folksy 40 second opener "Introduction" in a longer and more rocking form ('got to be free to do what I want' - yeah Ray, I know what you want to do is spend the rest of the decade making hokey concept albums!  You don't fool me!).  All in all, Lola isn't anything classic like the late 60's work, but still very well recommendable.  For the next full studio album, the band would go into a direction which, as far as I'm concerned, was even more interesting than this one...

OVERALL RATING: 8.5

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PERCY (1971)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

This isn't a real Kinks studio album, but rather a soundtrack to some rare film named Percy, which is a film about a penis transplant (what?). Ray Davies wrote all the songs to this soundtrack, which like most soundtracks is fairly weak, yet several of the tunes on here are noteworthy. Basically being that it was recorded right after Lola was released, the record's overall sound continues with that style (although a few traces of Muswell Hillbillies can be found on here). There is an interesting instrumental version of "Lola" on here, with just a guitar and organ workout that proves that even without the lyrics it's still quite a good tune.

The strongest tracks on here are in the form of ballads, especially the heartbreaking "Moments" which has shaky vocals by Ray (the part where he goes "Don't know why..") plus an excellent melody. "God's Children", "The Way Love Used To Be", and "Dreams" are also fairly strong and pretty tunes, with the latter one rocking out slightly in parts. The other ballad "Just Friends" is an overly silly tune that people may hate, but is pretty damn enjoyable anyway. Also there is "Animals In The Zoo" (which basically has the same instrumentation as "Lola"(instrumental)), the halfbaked blues of "Completely", and a few semi-interesting soundtrack interludes called "Running Around Town", "Whip Lady", and "Helga".

Towards the end comes "Willesden Green", which is the first truly atrocious Kinks track in almost six years, because of the horrible countryish vocals (doesn't even sound like Ray sings them), and generic melody. If there are any Kinks tracks I can't stand it would have to be that one. After that though, the album ends with a short and fine instrumental version of "God's Children". This minor release was probably unknown to most people at the time, because it is completely overshadowed by the albums it is sandwhiched in between, plus it is just a halfbaked (although worthwhile) soundtrack anyway.

OVERALL RATING: 6

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MUSWELL HILLBILLIES (1971)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

After the success of the music industry bashing Lola album, The Kinks returned with the laidback and rootsy Muswell Hillbillies. The boozy saloon depicted on the front cover defines the sound of this record; a ballroom ragtime sound, with some blues and country thrown in. This album is defintely a big departure from the previous album (and even more so than Arthur), in that the melodies are much more plain and old-fashioned (along with no inventive musical ideas in sight). This isn't a bad thing though, because the record stands as a truly unique and distinctive album, that gets better each time you listen to it. It takes a little patience to get used to Muswell Hillbillies' rudimentary melodies and country intonations, but once it sinks in the record reveals its charm. Ray's drunken singing on most of the tunes sounds pretty convincing, while the style portrayed on here really works because it sounds inspired and tasteful.

The opener "20th Century Man" is different than most of the other songs on here though because it is the only tune that really contains real rock n' roll energy. The acoustic and slide guitars that pump this firey tune along, and the depressing bridge (which has an effective six-string guitar sound), along with great lyrics, make this six minute song a top highlight. The boozy brass section which makes its appearance on several of the tunes, is most effective on "Alcohol", a gloomy and depressing tune with the great chorus 'Oh demon alcohol, sad memories I can't recall..'. The title track is probably the most hick-like sounding tune on here, but the heartfelt vocals and highly memorable chorus make it another highlight on this set.

"Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues" and "Holiday" are the most old-fashioned sounding tunes, with the former having delightful piano and making good use of the Mike Cotton brass sound, and the latter one being a sentimental ballad with some soothing accordion. The countryish and bluesy midtempo rocker "Here Come The People In Grey", the hopeful "Complicated Life", and "Holloway Jail" are good and nifty songs too. Elsewhere we have the straightforward rootsy rock n' roll of "Skin And Bone" (which is a simple and enjoyable tune), the joyful "Have A Cuppa Tea", and the ballads "Oklahoma U.S.A." and "Uncle Son". "Uncle Son" is probably the strongest ballad, with its lazy and numbing melody, and gentle slide guitars giving extra strength to the tune. The tunes might not sound as impressive as they do on Lola, but the concept is probably a little stronger, and the lyrics really hit home (and are some of Ray's best). Still, the previous album is slightly better in terms of actual melody and entertainment, but this record still merits a rating of 8, because each song leaves some kind of lasting impression whether it be emotional or joyful.

OVERALL RATING: 8

(Nick Karn's review)

HIGH POINTS: 20th Century Man, Alcohol, Have A Cuppa Tea, Holiday, Complicated Life, Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues. LOW POINTS: Uncle Son.

The Kinks' followup to Lola, as described in the liner notes, was intended as a unified album without a deliberate hit single.  Listening to this record, I'm very grateful that this was the case, as Muswell Hillbillies has one of the most striking and absolutely unique styles on any record in the early 70's.  Essentially, it combines Ray's celebrated lyrical style (with his British themes and observatory wit) with an oldtime blues and country-tinged barroom feel.  Add that to his drunk and boozy-sounding vocals on almost every track, and you have a record that's way unlike anything else you'll ever hear.  The style and atmosphere of 1911 colliding with 1971 would be quite an accurate description of the album itself, and the overall effect of it is very entertaining. Ray and the band do a great job of adding depth to the sound by bringing in brass and piano textures that give the songs rich nuances.

The song least representative of the formula, though, opens up the album, and ironically enough, it's also the single strongest cut.  The much more rock-based "20th Century Man" is an absolutely smashing song, though, brilliantly chronicling through the lyrics a man who would rather stick to old fashions and virtues rather than the developing society.  The music rocks out in a great fashion, beginning with a catchy main acoustic part that flows into perhaps the strongest vocal hook on the album.  Following the great jangly bridge, it moves into a powerful riff-rocking ending. That out-of-place track, though, makes way for a remainder that is for the most part a lot more representative of the Muswell sound.  "Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues" has lyrics about as interesting as its' song title, and it's carried along even further by the highly entertaining brass section in its' memorable, fun chorus.

"Holiday", meanwhile, is an example of how this sound can make a totally clumsy and ridiculous song come alive.  The way the whole song is presented is hilarious, with Ray singing the lyrics with a cigar in his mouth, giving it a really entertaining and quite catchy mood.  The rocking "Skin And Bones" approximates roots rock, and it's also perhaps the most uptempo track here, with typically great quirky melody and vocals.  "Alcohol", meanwhile, is definitely the most 'boozy' song here - a depressing lament of the evils of 'demon alcohol', it has another great striking chorus and exceptional use of brass yet again.  Then ending side one comes the most country inflected moment here in "Complicated Life", an excellent reflective ballad with a high-quality vocal melody and relaxing atmosphere to end a quite impressive quality first half. 

The second half isn't as striking immediately, but still boasts its' share of cool tunes.  "Here Come The People In Grey" is such a clever, lighthearted lyrical ode to mental patients who don't have the ability to complain against authority (hey, we all have that feeling, don't we?), and the main melody and refrain is certainly no slouch either.  The next tune about Ray's granny, "Have A Cuppa Tea", is perhaps the most thoroughly entertaining moment on the whole album with an awesome and lively singalong chorus ('Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, Rosalie') and simply top-notch melodic arrangement.  "Holloway Jail" is another very effective track, with the use of backing singers fitting the atmosphere quite a bit more than it would otherwise.

"Oklahoma, U.S.A." is perhaps the most stripped down moment here, as it's a gorgeous piano ballad that provides a rather nice softer diversion and ends up fitting in perfectly.  Nice, emotional melody running through it, too.  "Uncle Son", though, doesn't quite have the same effect on me, as it's always been the one song on here that refuses to stick in terms of memorability, but I will admit it's a decent prelude to the closing 'sort of title track' "Muswell Hillbilly", which works on a catchy refrain that's sure to leave a lasting impression of the album for you after it's over with on a credit-rolling note.  It wraps up the theme rather well, too, I must say.  Man, this is such a fun, highly unique album.  The material might not be classic overall (though it's not that far off), but it's a very special experience, as this is almost a genre unto itself. The 'muswell hillbillies' genre - imagine that.

OVERALL RATING: 9

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EVERYBODY'S IN SHOWBIZ (1972)

(Casey Brennan's review)

The three piece brass band that was occasionally found on some songs from Muswell Hillbillies is prominent throughout this release, which really isn't a concept album this time around (although the songs basically rely on the same subjects). This is a double record, the first half being a studio album which is filled with tunes that mostly revolve around life on the road, and the second half being a messy live album. First though, I'll talk about the studio half which is obviously better. The additional sax and trumpet players on this album make a lot of the tunes sound rather upbeat and lively, which is apparrent on the fastpaced opener "Here Comes Yet Another Day". The brass band plays all over the place on the rock n' rolling "Unreal Reality", which has some amusing and pathetic vocals, while a big band sound is portrayed on "Look A Little On The Sunny Side", which I think is what "Holiday" was to the Muswell Hillbillies album.

The six minute ballad "Celluloid Heroes", which is a moving and towering tune about the good and bad sides of being famous (deceased actors names are used throughout the tune), is the definite top highlight on here, but the melodic ballad "Sitting In My Hotel" in all its glory is not far behind. The odd stop-start melody of the midtempo-ish rocker "Maximum Consumption" and the fun "Motorway" (this one's about the bad food on the road) are very worthwhile too. The nifty little rocker "You Don't Know My Name" is an enjoyable if kind of forgettable tune that would be Dave Davies last cut on a Kinks album until Misfits.

The tacky-sounding "Supersonic Rocket Ship" and "Hot Potatoes" constitute as filler on this album, even though they are still harmless and decent tunes. The live side of things are decent in spots (i.e. "Top Of The Pops", "Muswell Hillbilly", "Skin And Bones") but rather horrible in other parts ("Mr. Wonderful", "Banana Boat Song", "Baby Face" - which are three lame comedic covers). The Mike Cotton sound which is used on most of these tracks is overwhelming in parts ("Brainwashed"), and shows that the Kinks were going too far away from their roots on live shows. The studio effort is defintely more worthwhile.

OVERALL RATING: 7

(Nick Karn's review)

HIGH POINTS: Celluloid Heroes, Sitting In My Hotel, Here Comes Yet Another Day.  LOW POINTS: Look A Little On The Sunnyside.

Continuing the line of the last album's drunken good time brass-led sound, the band's followup is actually a double album this time, consisting of both a studio and live half.  Originally, Ray wanted to shoot a film documenting the band's life on the road with performance footage and other stuff that documented the chaos and tension among the band at the time (for instance, Dave was uncomfortable with the brass playing such a prominent role in the sound and leading the Kinks away from guitar rock), but that was unfortunately shelved, even if part of that spirit is captured on the concert half here (a performance at Carnegie Hall recorded in March of 1972).  Of course, however, the more substantial portion of the album is the studio one - not really conceptual like Lola or Arthur, but themes of stardom and road life still run through many of these songs.

However, there are just too many second-rate retreads of the Muswell Hillbillies style on here - even though they're still decent, both "Maximum Consumption" and "Unreal Reality" are more or less the same song as "Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues" especially in vocal melody and overall feel, just with subject matter about eating food in the former song and the latter's extremely boozy atmosphere, while "Look A Little On The Sunnyside" is an irritating retread of "Holiday" crossed with the 'moneygoround' lyrical slant of several Lola tracks (mostly annoying in the totally silly way the chorus is sung - thankfully it's the only real low point on here).  Not to mention there are a couple throwaway singalongs in "Hot Potatoes" (I dig the slide guitar and Dave backing vocals on this one though) and the bouncier, rootsy track that claims 'motorway food is the worst in the world' ("Motorway") that, while still quite good and fun, I somehow doubt anyone would call top-of-the-line Kinks tunes.

"Here Comes Yet Another Day", though, is a much better attempt at this style, with the big-band sound giving this opener an upbeat and loose feel, with an incredibly catchy chorus melody I always find stuck in my head - it's one of their more overlooked early 70's songs, I think.  Additionally, Dave's songwriting contribution "You Don't Know My Name" (one of the more straightforward rockers on here, lyrically reflecting his own frustrated state during this time period) is about as worthwhile as his non-"Death Of A Clown" Something Else songs, and "Supersonic Rocket Ship" is a decent, though very lightweight, number in the same vein as the much more gloriously dumb "Apeman" (Ray even takes on the same vocal intonations here as that one).

Were the entire album the same quality, though, it definitely wouldn't get nearly as high a rating as it does.  Nope, what really pushes the album up to a 7.5 are the two widely regarded classics.  The first of these, "Sitting In My Hotel", is a gorgeous, reflective song about isolation where Ray really takes a look at himself lyrically (the 'if my friends could see me now...' lines especially), with a downright majestic melody, and the horns in the chorus, instead of reminding me of the Muswell style, actually place it much closer to the mid-to-late 60's period, which is fine by me!  And finally, the closer of the studio half, "Celluloid Heroes", should be considered one of the top 5 Kinks classics for all eternity, which basically means that, yeah, it's one of the greatest songs ever written.  Everything about it is perfect, from the epic six minute arrangement that builds beautfiully, the consistent references to old movie stars of the past as personal symbolism in the lyrics, the touching vocal performance, and of course, the glorious chorus with the most uplifting pop melody on the album.  It actually failed to chart at the time, but now it has been given its' due on the radio as one of their most enduring tunes.

Now as far as the live half of this album goes, it's definitely not essential, but in all its' sloppiness it's actually a heck of a fun time to listen to, though not really affecting the rating one way or the other.  Sure, these performances don't exactly beat the originals or anything, and I wouldn't want to listen to them very often, but they're still enjoyable!  As for particular standouts, "Top Of The Pops" and "Brainwashed" rock pretty hard, there's an intentionally lethargic and almost possessed sounding version of "Alcohol", "Muswell Hillbilly" is sped up to neat effect, and even the bizarre novelty covers ("Mr. Wonderful", "Baby Face", "Banana Boat Song") have a hilarious appeal to them, incredibly stupid and campy as they are.  It was a bit pointless to just include a snippet of the end of "Lola" as the obligatory 'crowd pleaser', though.  All in all, Everybody's In Showbiz isn't one of the band's better albums, though it is entertaining, and it does have a couple of their best songs on it, remember, so it's definitely well worth getting, especially since it's usually sold at a cheap single disc price.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5

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THE KINK KRONIKLES (1972)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

This is a double album set that contains not only great hits, but also key album tracks, b-sides, and previously unreleased songs from the classic Kinks period of 1966-1971. The twenty-eight tunes that make up this set represent The Kinks at their best. Exactly half of these tunes are from the six Kinks albums that were released during this period, but only a few of these tunes were actually hits since at the time the band was having a terrible lack of success. The majority of these album cuts are concentrated on the first 'album'. Top highlights such as the pop rocker "Victoria" and the majestic "Shangri-La" are culled from the Arthur album, while "Waterloo Sunset" and "David Watts" from Something Else are also approiately put on here.

Other album gems on part one include "Get Back In Line" from Lola, the title cut from the Village Green album, and "Holiday In Waikiki" and "Sunny Afternoon" from Face To Face. These tunes simply show The Kinks at the peak of their career. But wait! The non-album tracks are just as great. The flop single "Dead End Street" is a classic late 1966 song with a great descending bass line (like the one used on "Sunny Afternoon") and horn motif, while the late 1967 single "Autumn Almanac" is a well-crafted and interesting pop song done in the same style as the material on Something Else. "Berkely Mews" is a good unreleased pop song probably recorded in 1968 (I'm guessing it is, although I'm not very sure), that has the great lyric, 'I staggered thru your shitty dining room'.

"This Is Where I Belong" and the little ditty "Did You See His Name?" are also solid and obscure pop songs on here. The only minor gripe I have with the first half is with the inclusion of "Wilesden Green" (from Percy), which I hope was mistakenly put on here, since it is one of the worst Kinks tracks known to man. Part two has its fair share of album tracks, but is mostly made up of singles or rarities. The five album tunes include the two highlights from the Lola album ("Apeman" and the title cut), the Indian-droned "Fancy", the soft ballad "God's Children", and Dave Davies best song ever, the Dylane-sque pop tune "Death Of A Clown".

Among the best of The Kinks singles is the moving and poignant ballad "Days" from 1968, and the melodic cluttered-sounding pop ditty "Wonderboy" (this one has some enjoyable 'la-la-la's' in the background) from early 1968. The melodic and nicely arranged pop single "Mr Pleasant", plus the enjoyable B-side pop tunes "Polly" and "Big Black Smoke", are also from this highly productive 1966-1968 period. Dave Davies was also on a creative spurge during this period, as the footstomping tune "Susannah's Still Alive" and the angry "Mindless Child Of Motherhood" constitute. The rocking tune "She's Got Everything" (this is the oldest on here) and the 'heavy' "King Kong" are good inclusions to this diverse set.

If you just have a passing interest in the Kinks, this is the album to get because it has a good amount of the strongest tracks on their late 1960's albums (hell, many of the best songs of their career). A fair amount of the non-album cuts and rarities are also classics in their own right, as they are little gems. Unfortunately this set is getting harder and harder to find because the new Castle and Velvel releases are using many of these non-album cuts as bonus tracks on each reissue. Anyway, pick this up whether you are a Kinks fanatic (because of the many rare gems) or have a passing interest in it, because this is set works very well, and shows the Kinks as a very versatile band. There might not be a better definitive compilation album out in the stores.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

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PRESERVATION: ACT 1 (1973)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

By this time, Ray was getting ahead of himself with the concept album idea. Unlike the clever lyrics of earlier masterpeices such as Village Green, the songwriting here isn't as focused or intelligent. Many of the songs are actually still quite good, but the overwhelming thematic quality of the material and the newly added backup singers make everything sound overly silly and corny. Wherever the additional woman backup singers are, the music is rather bland and tacky, with horns all over the place that are supposed to make the songs sound important. But besides all these flaws that glitter the album, even the tackiest songs are at least a little bit enjoyable, well except maybe for the laughable opener "Morning Song".

"There's A Change In The Weather" and "Here Comes Flash" are two tunes that take this over-ambitious operatic approach; they are both entertaining or at least interesting tunes, even if the melodies are a little on the trite and unconvincing side. "Money & Corruption/I'm Your Man" could be called the opera's magnum opus, with a fast-paced first half that is played in a tasteless manner (complete with a 'progressive' organ section), and a slower second half which is actually quite good. "Daylight" is a pretty good tune with some great vaudevillian vocals by Ray on the part where he sings 'Worn out housewives grit their teeth....', and "Cricket" is done in a professional manner with overemphasized vocals.

The strongest tune on here though is the passionate, 50-ish flaired rock n' roller "One Of The Survivors", which contains some perfectly played honking saxes, and a good relentless beat. This is the only real driving peice of rock on here, although "Sweet Lady Genevieve" and the single "Preservation" are pretty solid tunes too, with no corny vocals or vaudevillian shtick. The ballad "Where Are They Now?", the lazy "Sitting In The Midnight Sun", and "Demolition" are less tacky than several of the other tunes, but continue with the ridiculous plot. Sure, the whole plot is underdeveloped and confusing, but I have a soft spot for many of these songs, because they are tuneful, and quite a few of the melodies (although not the best-written) are entertaining. In time though Ray's bandmates would grow considerably more bored and dissatisfied with this type of thing, as Ray grew into a manic concept album-obsessive during this era.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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PRESERVATION: ACT 2 (1974)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

This sequel to Preservation: Act 1 actually has the majority of the plot, and is somewhat more focused and clearer to understand, but the sound of this album is halfway different. Whereas on Act 1 the music was always tacky, quaint-sounding, and silly, with background singers apparent in a large amount of the tracks, this time around at least half of the songs are more seriously played, without all the vaudevillian troubadours. Even so, this album is actually weaker because the amount of decent tunes on here doesn't add up to its tiring sixty-seven minutes length. Only a little more than half of these tunes are actually good, with the rest being on the pointless side, such as all the "Announcements" which try to keep the listener informed on the story (but are annoying), or they are just lightweight fillerish ("Nothing Lasts Forever" and "Mirror Of Love").

This is somewhat unusual for a Kinks album, considering that almost all previous releases were usually consistent, with hardly any weak (or at least offending) tracks on them. Preservation: Act 2 has a few high points though admist the clutter, and actually starts off very well. After the beginning announcement, the melodically interesting "Introduction To A Solution" comes on, a plot tune that has some beefy rythems and horns adding to the effect. Next is the dreary "When A Solution Comes", a slow tune that speeds up in its second half (with some authentic vocals by Ray), followed by the midtempo rocker "Money Talks", which is a hard sleazy-sounding tune backed by some honking saxes.

The laughable "Shepherds Of The Nation" starts off a string of silly thematic tunes, with those damn background session singers again, and is interesting enough but is also the corniest and 'worst' of the lot, especially in the lyrical department.. 'Down With Nudity, Breasts that are bare, and pubic hair' (funny stuff). Strong instrumentation anyway though. "Scum Of The Earth" and the bouncy "Second Hand Car Spiv" follow in this operatic fashion; each contain bits of fast and slow narratives and choruses in their midsections(not too different than the stuff on 'Act 1').

After this the album is a hit or miss affair, with the misses being the lightweight "Oh Where Oh Where Is Love?" (an ok-sounding tune), "Flash's Dream" (a plot turner narrative), and the cheesy "Scrapheap City" (is this The Kinks?), and the better cuts being "Nobody Gives" (divided into a slow and faster part like "When A Solution Comes") and the closer "Salvation Road" (a fine and melodic anthem). Many of the songs that have a dramatic arrangement actually come off quite well as "Artificial Man" proves. This fast-paced tune which tries to come off as a bombastic slice of operatic rock n' roll, has the albums best background vocals and dialouge parts.

One track I missed is "Flash's Confession" which also isn't bad. Even though it is still a halfway decent album, The Kinks albums were selling dreadfully poor, as The Kinks continued with their thematic album-based live tours (which included all sorts of different people to sing the narratives). This may be understandable due to the strange and weak concept albums Ray was doing at this time, but that doesn't mean that the Preservation set and similar releases deserved the lack of recognition or bad reputation that they did. Oh well, thats life.

OVERALL RATING: 6

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SOAP OPERA (1975)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

No one would think that Ray Davies would make yet another Rock opera after doing the exhausting Preservation set. He proved everyone one wrong though, when he released this smaller and more accessible album. The storyline is a little more concise and easier to understand than on Preservation since it is fairly direct, and explained in text after the lyrics of each song in the booklet. Basically, it's about a Rock star who trades places with an ordinary man named Norman in order to see what it's like to live the life of a working class lad. The plot is fairly normal and not too tacky, but musically this album shows the Kinks at their most thematic and vaudevillian-like.

Along with female background singers that are apparent in almost every track, there are some spoken word pieces (to help the plot flow) scattered inbetween and during a few of the tunes, some comedy shtick, and a fair amount of entertaining tune changes. This works to the advantage of Soap Opera though, as the music is very lively and exciting most of the time. Even on the most tackiest tune, the playing is pretty tight and inspired, with John Dalton's bass seeming more upfront than usual. The lead off and most known tune of the whole album "Everybody's A Star (Starmaker)" is a highlight and starts off the album on a good note.  Starting off with a great hard-hitting riff, Ray vivaciously sings against some honking saxes and, you guessed it, some background singers. The chorus 'I'm the magic maker...' is probably one of the more memorable moments of the album, and makes the song a winner.

After three great minutes, a narrative peice starts off the melodic 50ish flaired "Ordinary People", which is another excellent tune. This tune and the major highlight of the whole set "Rush Hour Blues", have tons of corny but entertaining spoken word peices between the star (who has just replaced Norman) and the wife. The previously mentioned "Rush Hour Blues" is the real showstopper; another 50s-ish flaired track with lots of entertaining parts to it that just rock out joyfully and effortlessly. After those highly enjoybale tunes, comes the short piano tune "Nive To Five" which works as a nice interlude into the the quick guitar-sax honking of "When Work Is Over" (more high-spirited playing on this one). Those first five songs almost flow rather nicely, almost like a play.

Soap Opera then drags just a little bit with "Have Another Drink" and "Underneath The Neon Sign"; the former is just an alright tune with a laidback approach, while the latter seems a little uninspired compared to the rest of the tracks, although it is nice. The fun and bouncy "Holiday Romance" follows, and contains some of the most silly and entertaining vocals on the album, plus a swinging melody. The gem "You Make It All Worthwhile"(which contains a thematic, yet sweet melody) follows, and then comes the most straightforward and rocking tune "Ducks On the Wall", a gritty and bluesy song made hilarious with the extremely loud quacking duck placed in the beginning.

Next is "(A) Face In The Crowd", which is one of Ray's great 70's ballads (at least in my humble opinion), followed by the closing "You Can't Stop The Music" (which is worthwhile). As a whole this album is better than the conceptual rock opera Preservation set, because of the more approachable plot and exciting music.Although this isn't exactly high quality Kinks here, this stuff is very fresh-sounding and the most inviting of Ray's thematic concept albums. This wasn't the last of Ray's venture into the rock opera as he would still have one more to go with "Schoolboys In Disgrace", but it was the last time that Ray would go to these dramatic measures. Never would the Kinks go so far away from their roots as they did here, a time when their live shows would be like a big play, and things such as mulitcolored afros would be worn by all the band members.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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SCHOOLBOYS IN DISGRACE (1975)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

The lively production found on Soap Opera is pretty much gone on this release, which is the last of Ray and Co.'s conceptual rock opera albums. Schoolboys is somewhat of a transitional album (just slightly though) since it shows the Kinks moving away from the vaudevillian shtick that was found on the albums before. Not totally though, as the horns n' saxes appear sometimes during at least half the tracks, and the background singers are still apparent. Novelty tunes like the funny "Jack The Idiot Dunce", which has a basic 50s-ish-styled high school bop melody, and the somewhat similar "The First Time We Fall In Love" fall in this category (OK, there are no horns). They are both pretty good songs (in contrast to what many others think), mostly because of the way Ray sings them.

The seven minute "Education", with its' sprawling melody that changes tempo from time to time is a major highlight on here. The lyrics are uniquely Ray's and the guitar solo after the line 'Can't tell me why I am' gives the song it's best moment. Elsewhere we have the two melodic rockers "I'm In Disgrace" and "Headmaster", which both start off as piano-led tunes before going into their memorable riffy choruses. These two tunes sound unlike anything found on Soap Opera and are probably the strongest of the set, although the catchy hard hitting riff of "The Hard Way" is pretty cool. These tunes make Schoolboys on the same par as the tunes on the album before; the newfound seriousness found in some of the stronger tunes on here make up for the lost fun and tackiness found on Soap Opera.

Elsewhere we have the relaxed opener "Schooldays", the hopeful "No More Looking Back" (which is a favorite of fans although I think it's just a fine tune), and "The Last Assembly" (which is a crowd-closing type tune). Although the album sounds lifeless in parts, it is a very decent effort because of the solid melodies and hooks within most of the songs. In fact I'm still singing "I'm In Disgrace" in my head. Ray's theatrical ambitions would end here, in turn pleasing his bandmates who had grown tired with Ray's ego. Signing with the company Arista and ditching the concept album idea would signal a new era of success.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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SLEEPWALKER (1977)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

The Kinks return over a year later with their first album from Arista, a collection of songs that don't follow any concept whatsoever. After the many concept/rock opera albums the Kinks released in the past few years it was a sigh of relief to everyone (including the band members) that they went for a more basic approach on Sleepwalker. On Sleepwalker they settle into a comfortable arena rock mode, so all the songs are pretty straightforward and unpretentious. This and following efforts would eventually give the Kinks a fair amount of success in the States (maybe the most they ever had).

Although this album shows Ray heading into a fresh direction, it is a little weak in comparison to some of the later releases, since Ray wasn't able to really write successfully in this formula yet. Although enjoyable songs, tunes such as "Mr. Big Man" (the most live-sounding track on here) and "Brother"(a soothing ballad with some good harmonies), are a little bit generic sounding and blandly performed. Fortunately, the album does open up excellently with the fresh "Life On The Road", which at the time really showed that the Kinks were going to be here for the long run, instead of becoming tired-out dinosaurs. Starting off with a quiet organ and down-to-earth vocals by Ray, it turns into a rockin' number with a great loud vocal delivery and clever lyrics, before ending calmly again.

Another highlight comes in the minor hit "Juke Box Music", a fairly hard rocking tune with crunchy guitars and occasional synthesizer. Besides these two outstanding tunes, we have other good tunes such as the title track, with its memorable melodic bridge and catchy lyrics, the soothing "Full Moon"(the emotional backdrop and perfectly placed piano break make this a hidden gem on Sleepwalker), and the ending hopeful track "Life Goes On". The rest is just kind of slight.  Dave Davies "Sleepless Night" shows passion but sounds to similar too his "Rats" from Lola to be that important, and "Stormy Sky" is just an average ballad (with superb vocals though as usual). These tunes and the previously mentioned "Mr. Big Man" and "Brother" are a little uneasy, so the album is marred a little by them.

Accordingly, Sleepwalker is a promising effort that shows a taste of things to come with this newfound direction. Ray would later find his nicht with this style in the following Misfits album, a release that deals mostly about the toughness of fitting in with a world of normalcy. Still, this is an enjoyable album as Kinks filler is usually at least listenable; I guess I just hold a special place in my heart to the Kinks (damn, that must have sounded corny... haha). As just a tad below the quality of Schoolboys In Disgrace (not that they sound very much alike) I give this album a high 6.

OVERALL RATING: 6

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MISFITS (1978)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

Ray Davies comes up with an excellent set of songs for Misfits, which notably sound more inspired than what you can find on the Kinks first Arista outing Sleepwalker. The lyrics, which are much better this time, mostly revolve around the misfits of the world, and how hard it is for them to cope in a society that alienates and treats them differently from the rest of the crowd. This is summed up in the classic title track, a tune with an easygoing melody and hopeful lyrics which suggest that maybe everyone feels a little strange and eccentric in this huge world of ours. The nicely strummed acoustic guitars and light synthesizer in the background create a perfect mood and give the song plenty of emotion.

Ray proves that he can still write topnotch songs and also make it as an arena rocker as is shown in the stunner "A Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy", which starts off with two highly melodic verses, before going into the mid tempo hard rock of the pre chorus and chorus. The tunes that sit in and around these two towering tracks are deliciously diverse and often humorous. There is the ska beat of "Black Messiah" (a naive and funny look at racial equality), the folky humor of "Out Of The Wardrobe" (obviously a song about transvestitism), the cool "Permanent Waves" (the clean synthesizer is a good touch to this track), and the odd "Hay Fever" (a slightly quirky rocker with shouted vocals and effective "ooh-ah's") on here. These songs may sound insignificant at first but they cut deeper after a few listens and give Misfits a certain Kinks charm, a charm that had been lacking awhile.

On the more serious side, we have Ray rocking out with passion on the hardest-rocking tune of the record "Live Life", which is a hook-filled song that showcases Dave's guitar soloing (Dave is finally allowed to rock out now). Speaking of Dave, he contributes the great "Trust Your Heart" which contains the best melody of the album. Starting off with a wailing guitar it sounds almost McCartney-esque in the first few verses, but then goes into more harder rocking territory that almost sounds forced, yet comes off as awe-inspiring. The other tunes, the hard-hitting and direct "In A Foreign Land" and the jolly "Get Up" round out this ten song album. The observations Ray makes on here, shows that he is at the top of his songwriting game again. This release is defintely a huge improvement over Sleepwalker and maybe the best since the concept album Lola. Along with a good album under their hands, the Kinks were now a successful band in the states that was clearly gaining momentum.

OVERALL RATING: 8

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LOW BUDGET (1979)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

This release shows the Kinks going for an even heavier approach, as is apparent in the opener "Attitude", which starts off with a bang when Ray screams out 'you go down the pub, you wear make up, and old dad's trousers...'. The very directness of the song and the melodic middle eight 'the 80's are here...' make this yet another in a string of great album openers by The Kinks. By the second track it is obvious that The Kinks are kind of recycling themselves a bit, and even stealing a riff or two from the Rolling Stones. You can tell that the riff from "Catch Me Now I'm Falling" is taken directly from "Jumping Jack Flash", and that the 'nervous tension, nervous tension..' part from the 'techno-sounding' "National Health" sounds just like the Stones "Shattered" released a year earlier. Nonetheless they are two of the better tunes from the album, so the Kinks just must have been Stones crazy for whatever reason! The brisk "Pressure" with its heavy metal chorus and Ray's one-time attept at disco "(Wish I Could Fly Like Superman)" round out side one.

Side two is definitely weaker, as songs like the bluesy title track and "A Gallon Of Gas" are nothing more than generic and ballsy numbers. Even "In A Space" (which has touches of synthesizer) and the ballad "Little Bit Of Emotion" (sounds like a Misfits outtake) sound a little tired. The album really does sound like it's album cover: plain, careless, and kind of smudgy. You can tell that the attitude is pretty careless and shallow just by the lyrics of "Misery", which is actually a great little rocker nevertheless. That tune also shows what the main point of this record is all about; just having a good time and rocking out. This stuff would sound really good live, and probably did. When the record comes to an end after the last track "Moving Pictures" (one of the best on here), I am left with the feeling that I've heard nothing new. Maybe so, but the guitars pack enough punch to make this record fun and worthwhile.

OVERALL RATING: 6

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GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT (1981)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

The Kinks enter the 1980's with this hard rocking release. Give The People What They Want doesn't differ from Low Budget too drastically, except that there are a few more modernized touches to the production. The album opens up with two riffy numbers; the exciting rush of "Around The Dial" (which is yet another great opener) and the obnoxious, yet enjoyable, title track. This sets the stage for the rest of the album which alternates between successful ballads, and the sometimes not so successful louder numbers. Again, the Kinks recycle some of their earlier material, most notably in "Destroyer" which is the exact riff from "You Really Got Me". It isn't necessarily a bad effort, but it just sounds a little silly since the riff isn't even reworked enough to make it interesting. The catchy and redundant "Predictable" (this one might have been their first video), the mid-tempo "A Little Bit Of Abuse", and the sleazy "Back To Front" can also substitute as harmless filler.

With the exception of the dainty "Art Lover" with it's funny lyrics, the ballads are really good. "Yo-Yo" is the most outstanding song on the album, with it's downbeat melody and uplifting choruses. The yearning "Better Things" is another great ballad by Ray, and "Killer Eyes" is a fine song that goes well after the punch the first two tracks put in. That leaves "Add It Up" left, which is a faster cut that makes the grade with its guitar fill during the 'Cartier, Cartier' section. Overall, this is a fairly straightforward effort, with an even louder guitar sound than Low Budget but minus the attitude that flows througout that album. Just like the past few releases that came before, this was another successful Kinks album in the States... exactly what the people wanted.

OVERALL RATING: 6

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STATE OF CONFUSION (1983)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

The Kinks continue with the arena rock formula on their 20th studio album (in almost twenty years), which probably has one of the corniest album covers of the Kinks whole career. Fortunately, the music is better than what the cover suggests and shows Ray's nostalgic side a little more, most notably in the minor hit "Come Dancing". This bouncy and elegant pop tune with it's horns at the end is a highlight on here, as is the other song with 'dance' in it's title, "Don't Forget To Dance". The album starts off with the killer title track, a glorious hardhitting rocker that has an immediately memorable chorus, yet another great opening track.

State Of Confusion stays rather consistent throughout the rest of its running time, and doesn't have the derivativeness in it's rockers that Give The People What They Want had in abundance. The rockers are less heavy and more enjoyable; the melodic "Definite Maybe" and the similar-sounding, hook-filled "Young Conservatives" (the most British tune lyrically) are two nifty tunes that take a more streamlined approach, while "Labour Of Love" is just a simple midtempo tune with humorous lyrics... 'marriage is a two-headed transplant'..- explain this one Ray!

On first listen the quieter tunes "Property" and "Don't Forget To Dance" appear to be bogged down by glossy mid-80's production, but are actually two of the strongest tracks on the album, with the synths on the former giving the song a comforting and soothing edge, and the melody on the latter being quite great (especially when Ray sings in this high voice). The steady "Heart Of Gold", "Cliches Of The World", and the fillerish "Bernadette" round out the album. This album is notably an improvement over the last one, and would soon be followed by the direct Word Of Mouth. Surprisingly, this would be drummer Mick Avory's last time on a Kinks record after having been with the band for twenty years, since he would be fired the following year. Maybe he was really running away from the band, instead of graffiti as suggested on the album cover.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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WORD OF MOUTH (1984)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

HIGH POINTS: Do It Again.  LOW POINTS: Sold Me Out, Summer's Gone.

Even though the Kinks had been going on for 20 years at this point, the newfound success from last years State Of Confusion saw them to still be able to bring in a decent-sized crowd at their concerts. It's almost odd to think that after twenty-some studio albums' the good ol' Kinks were still pumping out music of fine quality, but they do that again on this respectable release, which is simply called Word Of Mouth. It's probably a bit more bizarre that at this time long-time drummer Mick Avory was driven out of the band (not sure if he quit or if he was actually fired - depending on where you get your info from) after being through so many of those Davies quarrels (and straight out fights) over the years.

Whatever the reason was, it doesn't seem to affect the band one bit. Opening with the opening guitar chord you hear on The Beatles "A Hard Day's Night", the record starts off with what is probably the best song on the album, "Do It Again". After all these years it sounds like it uses a recycled Kinksriff (in fact it does.. how many simple Kinks-riffs can you make anyway?), but in typical fashion the band puts in a lot of drive, and the tune itself has plenty of decent hooks, and that all-familiar Ray Davies bridge. You know, the kind of bridge that Ray's been using since his conceptual album phase where the superficial character makes a change in his life. This album really is full of recycled Kinks melodies and riffs, and has that all too-familiar vibe, but what makes this album so enjoyable is the fact that Ray hasn't forgotten to put plenty of hooks in the majority of the tunes.

So, as plain as day, you can see that the Kinks have symbolized this album after that great early Beatles album (A Hard Day's Night of course), by using that famous opening chord and not forgetting to use hooks. This makes a good amount of tunes pretty memorable, in turn. Not a knockout by any means, as "Do It Again" is probably the only tune that approaches greatness (and even then it is just really very good), but plenty of fun, no-thrills, three and four minute Kinks Rock tunes. Dave Davies "Living on A Thin Line" is one of the more notable ones, since it is built on a very nice atmosphere, made mostly by that big-80's drum sound, and also because it contains a melodic, immediately memorable chorus. His other contribution "Guilty", which keeps the album a bit on the overall heavier side, is also very good as well, being the fine catchy rocker that it is.

The strained relationships of Dave and Ray must have made the less talented brother have a creative spurge because these two songs are as good as anything Dave has done since the Lola album. While they seemingly make up the meat of the album, the fun doesn't stop there. The title track is a fine n' catchy sleazy stadium rocker (inoffensive fun here), "Good Day" is a cute ballad that gives the album a lightweight punch (much like "Come Dancing" did on the previous album), "Massive Reductions" is a generic, but very catchy and enjoyable rocker with good vocal hooks, and "Too Hot" is another harmless up-tempo tune that will certainly get you pumping. That latter tune, I guess, must be an ode to eighties aerobics.

"Missing Persons" meanwhile, is about helping find abducted people by putting the victims faces on milk cartons (rather contemporary and dated sounding but still not a bad track), and "Going Solo" is an ok, albeit unmemorable, album closer. The hooks wear a bit thin on the other album tracks "Summer's Gone" and "Sold Me Out", as the former almost complete escapes my mind every time, and the latter is just a weak generic rocker that fills out side one of the album, but they don't put much of a dent in an album that is quite enjoyable from side to side. Unfortunately, the Kinks success would end here, and the quality of their albums would fall down a bit. All members of the Kinks were approaching middle age and ready to move onto MCA records now.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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THINK VISUAL (1986)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

HIGH POINTS: The Video Shop.  LOW POINTS: Killing Time, Rock 'N' Roll Cities, When You Were A Child.

So the Kinks moved to another record company with this album. What comes with that is a noticeable dip in song-quality, as we enter the very late-period Kinks here, and a huge drop-off in success. You'll actually find this album, along with the following U.K. Jive, in the used bargain bins. But this is the Kinks we are talking about here, so it isn't at all as bad as you would think a latter-period Kinks album would sound like; although somewhat significantly weaker than Word Of Mouth, it's still rather decent. Perhaps it's the tasteless and dull production (which is usual for dinosaur Rock bands' mid-eighties releases) that makes it seem pretty weak at first, but most of the songs are enjoyable enough, containing a decent hook or two. With that said, it is apparent that there are less hooks on here than the last couple albums', and also that by this point the songwriting has gone a bit stale.

You need to look no further than on the second half of Think Visual, which contains Dave Davies two weak contributions in the form of "Rock 'N' Roll Cities" and "When You Were A Child". The former has a memorable melody during the verses (eg. 'Rock 'n' roll cities, look out here we come'), but that's the only memorable attribute of this sub-standard sleazy rocker, and the latter tune just has a pretty unassuming melody set to bland and slightly techno-tinged instrumentation (okay at best). These two songs are certainly worse than what Dave had penned on just the previous album. The weakest tune, however, would have to be the completely forgettable "Killing Time", which turns out to be a bit on the repetitive side and a bit obnoxious.

That's really it for the bad, as the rest (the whole first half basically) is a pretty enjoyable affair overall. Some of it is what you could call filler on many other Kinks' albums, but if you get to know, or just plain dig Ray's songwriting style, even the filler comes off as usually no less than decent. Ray was so good at his craft (from doing it so long) that even the all-too familiar melodies and subject matter of his lyrics on here doesn't grate or really bother the songs at all. Containing an obvious, though quite enjoyable up-tempo pop melody, "The Video Shop" is definitely one song that takes you away into familiar kinkdom quite nicely. Though it could have been a bit shorter, it does have an infectious chorus, cute lightweight synth/horn-tinged instrumentation, and an acoustic ending that packs an appropriate punch.

The by-the-numbers opening AOR rocker "Working at the Factory", the synth-pop ballad "Lost and Found", "Repetition" (fortunately not as repetitive as the title would suggest, though not quite a memorable song), and "Welcome to Sleazy Town" (similar melody to Genesis's "Misunderstanding" here) fill out the rest of side one rather nicely. Then there is the memorable chorus of the title track, and moderately enjoyable pop-rockers in "How Are You" and "Natural Gift" as well. Nothing particularly outstanding as all the songs are just decent and generic Kinks tunes, but harmless and fun enough to still be guaranteed at least a low 6 from me.

OVERALL RATING: 6

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PHOBIA (1993)

(reviewed by Casey Brennan)

This is actually the latest studio album from the Kinks and also the heaviest one they have ever released. When I first got this album as a pre-teen I quite enjoyed it a lot, and listened to about half of the tracks all the time. Most notably, "Over The Edge", "Hatred (A Duet)", "Babies" etc. Back then I thought this was almost as good as earlier Kinks albums (Lola for instance), but taking into consideration that, #1 I have grown up, and #2 I used to usually skip over past the ballads, I now know better than to give this a high rating. The almost as heavy Give The People What They Want (from a decade earlier) took the 'good ballads, more annoying rockers approach'; 'Phobia' works inversely with the rockers being enjoyable and the ballads mostly being so-so.

The exceptions would have to be the desert island tune "Drift Away" (one of the major highlights on here), the nice "Still Searching", and maybe "Scattered" (musically nothing going on though). Out of the rockers, the earlier mentioned "Over The Edge" (a melodic and very wordy tune), which is my favorite on here, "Babies" and "Hatred (A Duet)" (a six minute tune with some funny Pettyish-Dylan vocals by Ray towards the end) are the strongest. Early on in the album there are a few enjoyable rockers such as "Wall Of Fire" and the real heavy title track, but after about halfway through the album even the rockers become dull and empty-sounding.

"It's Alright (Don't Think About It)", the cheap "Somebody Stole My Car", "Surviving" and "Close To The Wire" are just poor pieces of mid-tempo sludge. The remaining ballads are of course, no better: "Only A Dream", "Don't", and "The Informer" are scattered throughout this overlong seventy-minute(?) album. In the past I would have given this album an enjoyable rating, but the more and more I listen to this, the less welcoming and warming Phobia is to my heart.

OVERALL RATING: 5

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