Kinks Fans - where to start?

Not the Kinks per se, but Ray's "Workingman's Cafe" is stellar>

Hi Steve,
I have their Pye box set containing their first 8 albums they are good, and whilst they contain some strong tracks, for me, there are too many fillers on the albums.

I would buy one of their singles collection such as "The Very Best Of" which is a Polydor remaster absolutely brilliant.

The first band I ever saw in the mid '60's.

Cue ROTF?

Village Green Preservation Society is good.

The stellar four from the mid-60s are the best starting place:
Face to Face, Something Else, The Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur. These four have very little filler and are one of the best streaks in music. The extras on the remastered discs are also quite good as the Kinks, like so many bands of the period, often released singles not on albums - the remasters brings these together.

If you have to go a Compilation the 2cd Ultimate Kinks is worth listening to.

regards,

Giles

some great value on Amazon at the moment with all the Kink's 60's albums between £2.98 and £3.99.

Like Steve I have none of their original albums but I thought I couldn't go wrong at the price and have ordered a shed load of them.


SJB

Hi Steve,

I'm not sure how they sound on CD or ripped since I only use vinyl, but for sheer lyrical and musical fun "Schoolboys in Disgrace" and "Muswell Hillbillies" can be recommended. Oh yes, and "Lola Vs. the Apeman"

Best Regards,
Mark Dunn

Of the more "recent" albums Misfits is well worth a listen and should be in the $1/1 euro/1 pound bins sadly.

Start with "Muswell Hillibilies" and go back from there.

Lola vs Powerman, Village Green, Muswell Hillbillies, are top notch.

Thanks everyone, I've got the SHM disc on it's way while it's still there, and will look at the three that Mike/Dallas has mentioned after that.

Regards,

Steve

Kinks Kronikles is a great compilation of hit songs, and very goood b-side tracks.
"You really got me", & "All day/all of the night", being the only 2 songs, annoyingly left out that would otherwise make this album a must have.

Max
p.s. I always think of those two above listed songs as THE sound of '60's British rock!

A rare opportunity for me to be able to contribute some info to the music room, as I am a fan of the Kinks!

Might I suggest:-

1) Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround
2) The Village Green Preservation Society
3) Arthur: Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:
Cue ROTF?

Village Green Preservation Society is good.

Sorry to disagree Howard, but The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society isn't good, it's g-r-e-a-t (said in a Tony the Tiger type voice) - an amazing record. The Kinks are, of course, Britain's greatest 60s band along with the Fab Four. Village Green is my favourite Kinks' album and has a collection of the most British songs you'll ever hear. It is Sir Ray Davies's finest hour. I would, of course, recommend the triple-album with all the bonus tracks (Earmark) - yes the tracks Ray and his mates left on the cutting room floor are almost as good as the album and better then anything written Pete Townshend (who also wrote a good song or three in his day).

In second place by a short head is Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) - this is little short of masterpiece.

Then of course there is Something Else By The Kinks - another brilliant album. The album that gave the world one of the greatest songs every written Waterloo Sunset.

Others to check out are Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround Part One, Face To Face and the unfairly underrated Sleepwalker.

But start on the Village Green and work your way through from there. Was Ray Davies the greatest songwriter of the 60s - 'not 'arf (said in a Fluff type voice) and he was pretty good in the 70s too and writes a good song or three now and don't let anybody tell you it's only juke-box music because when you get hooked you'll want to play it all the day and all of the night.

If an evening of Floyd or Zeppelin or the Kinks was on offer then I'd be listening to Ray and just sitting back in my old rocking chair, knowing I need not worry, or need not care, I wouldn't go anywhere, Shangri-la, shangri-la, shangri-la. Fortunately, we don't have to choose, but if we did then I'd be a muswell hillbilly.

ATB Rotf

There you are ROTF, have you been in exile?

H

quote:

have you been in exile?

No ... I've been in Chelmsford.

I've been getting treatment for a rare condition called Freemanassimulati - which is where you suddenly find you are turning in to a 1960s DJ and go around saying greetings pop pickers.

As the Captain once said I may be ugly, but I sure ain't weird.

ATB Rotf

BTW You can buy re-masters of Village Green and Arthur from the Amazon and still have change from £7. Bargain of the year? Not 'Arf.