The Kinks 1963-1970 : Classic or Dud + Search and Destroy

Andy Miller's recently published book about the Village Green album is a good read, if you're into that kind of thing.

i think the best kinks kompilation is "kronikles." i don't think it's been remastered? the LPs sound truly lousy, like mono reprocessed for stereo. but the song selection is pretty much definitive.

over the years i've come to like the kinks less. i enjoy the early snotty stuff most these days and have a bit less patience for things like "village green" and "arthur." "face to face" and "something else" are the best albums-as-albums in my opinion; "muswell hillbillies" is nice too. there are a lot of cool b-sides, like "creeping jean." i like earlier obscure album tracks like "i'm on an island" and "gotta get the first plane home" as well. but i listen to them far less than i do the easybeats these days. and after 1970, i think they're fairly worthless except for a smattering of tracks--those koncept albums are pretty dire.

The sound on the current Reprise CD is just as bad. However, the song selection is impeccable (add these two discs with the best-of Rhino released about a decade ago, and you have one hell of a three disc set of essential pre-1971 Kinks). If I'm not mistaken, all of the tracks on -Kinks Kronikles- have appeared on the Castle remasters - if you have all of them, you can burn your own version of Kronikles which much superior sound.

The 70s catalogue is not worthy at all. 70s-80s Kinks is heavily overrated.

I love Muswill Hillbillies and Everybody's In Showbiz, and the first Preservation album has a few good songs (like "Sweet Lady Genevieve."). Past that, yeah, I can't disagree, though there are some highlights here and there. The three albums the Kinks cut for MCA in the late 80's (UK Jive, Live:The Road and Think Visual) are quite henious, from what I remember. I couldn't bear to listen to them much.

Which is one reason why I like it. The thing is, even though they are trying to "sound American," the songs are still a series of portraits of English life ("Have a Cuppa Tea?" Not American). The title gives it away, since Muswill Hill is a section of London. If the Kinks had tried to sound American in the matter of the Rolling Stones I might not like the record. But it' still the Kinks writing songs about English life to me, just in a different set of clothes, so to speak.

The Kinks
Lola Versus Powerman and The Moneygoround Part One
50th Anniversary, Multi-Format, Album Re-issues
Out December 18 on BMG
Available to Order Now: https://thekinks.lnk.to/Lola50AnniversaryPR
New Track "The Follower - Any Time 2020" https://thekinks.lnk.to/AnyTime2020PR

Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One, commonly abbreviated to Lola Versus Powerman, or just Lola, is the eighth studio album by The Kinks, recorded and released in 1970. A concept album ahead of its time, it’s a satirical appraisal of the music industry, including song publishers, unions, the press, accountants, business managers, and life on the road. One of the all time classic Kinks albums.

Let the 50th anniversary celebrations begin, as The Kinks unveil special multi-format release plans for the album as a lovingly produced Deluxe Box Set, 1LP, Deluxe 2CD, 1CD and digitally - to be released on December 18 via BMG.

• Limited Edition, Deluxe 10” Slipcased book pack (containing 60 page book, 3 X CDs, 2 X 7” singles, 4 X color prints)
• 1LP Gatefold
• 2CD Hardback Book
• 1CD Softpack
• Digital
• HD Digital
• D2C Limited Edition Exclusives (free with boxset orders): 7” Single, Enamel pin badge

The 50th Anniversary box set campaign launches with a brand new Ray Davies’ remix / medley of the Kinks track "Any Time" (titled "The Follower - Any Time 2020 Feat: Anytime by The Kinks"). https://thekinks.lnk.to/AnyTime2020PR

Originally written by Ray as a possible B-side for "Apeman", "Any Time" includes previously unreleased versions and excerpts of several Kinks tracks from the Lola album as well as added spoken word and sound effects. It is a concept piece about which Ray states “The isolation caused by Coronavirus can give people time to re-evaluate the world and re-assess their lives. Music can comfort the lonely, transcend time and it’s not the future or the past, yesterday, today or tomorrow. It’s anytime”. He adds, “I saw a way of making this unreleased 1970s track connect to an audience in 2020. I also saw a way of showing that music can time-travel, that memory is instantaneous and therefore can join us in the ‘now’. I put this together as something surreal then realized that it was really happening. The song has found its place - after its 50th Birthday!”

awesome they're repressing it, vinyl copies are like 40 bucks minimum