BCB 100 - The Kinks
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Album - I hesitate to say because so much of my experience comes from various collections. I have very few of their complete LPs. VGPS is certainly good all the way through.
Nobody has mentioned any of their 80s stuff at all; I find a few of my favorite songs on State of Confusion. Haven't played it in years but I remember that one being pretty good front to back.
Song - All Day & All of the Night. They'd go on to write technically better stuff but that one, oh wow, possibly the most perfect song ever. That snare hit during the break before the guitar solo, the one that hits like a kick to the solar plexus? Yeah, it's pretty fucking great, innit?
Nobody has mentioned any of their 80s stuff at all; I find a few of my favorite songs on State of Confusion. Haven't played it in years but I remember that one being pretty good front to back.
Song - All Day & All of the Night. They'd go on to write technically better stuff but that one, oh wow, possibly the most perfect song ever. That snare hit during the break before the guitar solo, the one that hits like a kick to the solar plexus? Yeah, it's pretty fucking great, innit?
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The Unique Modernist! wrote:I'd agree with everything you say there as well John. A kind of sloppiness, perhaps even indulgence, comes into the later albums, the earlier period and singles in particular seem so much more focused. But I don't want to seem overly critical, I enjoy Arthur.
I nearly picked Dead End Street as my favourite Kinks song.
Me too. It's a beautiful song. Perfect, in its way.
Sir John Coan wrote:The Unique Modernist! wrote:I'd agree with everything you say there as well John. A kind of sloppiness, perhaps even indulgence, comes into the later albums, the earlier period and singles in particular seem so much more focused. But I don't want to seem overly critical, I enjoy Arthur.
I nearly picked Dead End Street as my favourite Kinks song.
Me too. It's a beautiful song. Perfect, in its way.
Have you seen this J? The person who posted it claims Davies directed it.. dunno if that's true or not, but a fascinating promo nevertheless.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ozEAvgtalAo
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The Unique Modernist! wrote:Sir John Coan wrote:The Unique Modernist! wrote:I'd agree with everything you say there as well John. A kind of sloppiness, perhaps even indulgence, comes into the later albums, the earlier period and singles in particular seem so much more focused. But I don't want to seem overly critical, I enjoy Arthur.
I nearly picked Dead End Street as my favourite Kinks song.
Me too. It's a beautiful song. Perfect, in its way.
Have you seen this J? The person who posted it claims Davies directed it.. dunno if that's true or not, but a fascinating promo nevertheless.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ozEAvgtalAo
There was a documentary on Ray Davies released last year (to coincide with his solo LP) where he talked about a lot of his "classic" songs and what they meant to him back then and now. It was interspersed with sometimes very trenchant analysis from Bob Geldof, David Bowie and Paul Weller (particularly from Geldof). During the documentary he described making that promo. The intention behind him wearing woman's clothing in one of the shots was to lighten up the mood, but he feels the result is that, paradoxically, the video seems even stranger and bleaker as a result! I would love it if a DVD collection of their promo works and TOTP performances could be released, they did some very inventive stuff with the medium.
Admist all the song analysis, there was an offhand comment that stuck with me. Totally unmotivated, Davies wondered to himself whether he "wrote England out of his system" with "Waterloo Sunset." I think that's an interesting point, certainly after that immediate period his songwriting became a lot looser, less structured. That adds to its charm in parts of Muswell Hillbillies and, of course, Village Green Preservation Society, but on something like Arthur the results seem overly florid and affected at times. Anyway, it was an interesting little doco, and worth checking out.
Actually as songs go, I love "This is where I Belong." There's something about his keening sense of comfort and the way that the melody (the little organ part) seems as beguilling as the rest of the song. To think he tucked away that sort of stuff on B-sides is beyond me, really. Actually that's the reason why the Sanctuary reissues of the mid-60s get my vote, they finally put all the singles tracks beside the LPs where they should be.
Last edited by The Write Profile on 11 Jan 2007, 09:33, edited 1 time in total.
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The Unique Modernist! wrote:Sir John Coan wrote:The Unique Modernist! wrote:I'd agree with everything you say there as well John. A kind of sloppiness, perhaps even indulgence, comes into the later albums, the earlier period and singles in particular seem so much more focused. But I don't want to seem overly critical, I enjoy Arthur.
I nearly picked Dead End Street as my favourite Kinks song.
Me too. It's a beautiful song. Perfect, in its way.
Have you seen this J? The person who posted it claims Davies directed it.. dunno if that's true or not, but a fascinating promo nevertheless.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ozEAvgtalAo
I'd seen it before (on VH1, of all places) but thanks anyway G - I enjoyed it enormously. Wonderful stuff.
I'm sure you saw, but there are many other cracking Kinks' promos and live performances up on youtube, too - particularly noteworthy is the slowed-down, horn-laden live version of VGPS.
What a band! What a band!
And then there's this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ntbOCe4p9zI& ... ed&search=
I almost cried!
Could anybody date it? Around 1970, by the looks of it.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ntbOCe4p9zI& ... ed&search=
I almost cried!
Could anybody date it? Around 1970, by the looks of it.
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Sir John Coan wrote: How many non-single album tracks are there that are truly great? 'David Watts'? 'Village Green Preservation Society'? I'm running out...
There are fucking loads of great tracks - you just have to seek them out. Every album has some great stuff on it, until you get to UK Jive, which is total and utter pap.
Corporate Whore wrote:Sir John Coan wrote: How many non-single album tracks are there that are truly great? 'David Watts'? 'Village Green Preservation Society'? I'm running out...
There are fucking loads of great tracks - you just have to seek them out. Every album has some great stuff on it, until you get to UK Jive, which is total and utter pap.
I agree that every album has great tracks on, but to call the Kinks a genuinely great album band, there would have to be a couple of tracks off each album that are as good as the singles. And there aren't.
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Sir John Coan wrote:Corporate Whore wrote:Sir John Coan wrote: How many non-single album tracks are there that are truly great? 'David Watts'? 'Village Green Preservation Society'? I'm running out...
There are fucking loads of great tracks - you just have to seek them out. Every album has some great stuff on it, until you get to UK Jive, which is total and utter pap.
I agree that every album has great tracks on, but to call the Kinks a genuinely great album band, there would have to be a couple of tracks off each album that are as good as the singles. And there aren't.
But some of us think there are.
Also the run Face to Face - Muswell Hillbillies (if you ignore the soundtrack Percy) is as good as any I can think of.
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- Tom Violence
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Sir John Coan wrote:I simply don't think they managed to put together a genuinely great, consistent collection - Village Green Preservation Society be damned. How many non-single album tracks are there that are truly great? 'David Watts'? 'Village Green Preservation Society'? I'm running out...
Not a problem, 'cos they're still perhaps our greatest ever singles band. Really - ever. I can't think of a band that evolved so naturally, so sweetly, and yet were so consistently fucking great, and so in tune with the times.
Thankyou.
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Another band I can't talk about without going back to childhood...
I'm starting to realize how much influence tv commercials had on my musical development. I was practically a latch-key kid back in those days. My parents were busy divorcing, changing partners, blaming each other, and largely leaving a lot of the day to day job of raising my brother, sister and I to a series of housekeepers. The housekeepers would in turn entrust us to the television.
I was not a casual television viewer. I took it all in like I was preparing for a test. If I'd seen a certain celebrity appear on a game show, I felt the need to follow his/her entire career from then on. Every movie, every everything.
One of the things I loved were tv commercials for record albums. They'd play snippets of all the songs on the album while showing a montage artist footage and stills. They had one I recall for Roy Orbison, and it was incredibly moving to hear these little bits of Orbison songs while looking at his guy. He looked so sad - the whole thing was so evocative. They'd play them over and over too, so I'd get to know them by heart - as if their collage of song bits was itself a song. In a lot of cases I'd never heard the whole song anywhere else.
Anyhow - a commercial showed up one day for an album called The British Invasion. On top of footage of Carnaby Street, cute mod girls, and interchanging british bands came a medly of "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter," "Doo Wah Diddy," " Ferry Across the Mersey," "I'm Teling You Now," and others. But right smack dab in the middle the narratoer mentioned 'the Kinks" and then there was this un-fucking-believable riff followed by a voice singing , "girl, you really got me now. You got me so I don't know what I'm doing" ---and then that was it. They moved on to another song.
I got to know that commercial pretty well - always waiting in anticipation of hearing that amazing few seconds. I was a Kinks fan already and I'd only ever heard about 6 seconds of their music. I was dying to hear the entire song. So I begged my mother for the album, who kindly presented me with a cassette version a few weeks later.* Finally I would hear that song all the way through.
It was massive. Undoubtedly the greatest thing I'd ever heard.
For a little over a year that would be all I'd know about the Kinks. I think it was all I wanted to know. They didn't need any other music. This was perfect. But then one day in 1977 I opened up the Calendar section of our Sunday LA Times and come across an add for a concert: Alice Cooper, The Kinks, The Tubes, Nazereth, and Sha Na Na - live at Anaheim Stadium.**
A chance to see the Kinks live. And on a bill with Alice Cooper - other than Elton John, the only performer my older brother and I both liked. My father had taken us to a few concerts already when he picked us up on weekends, but those were not quite as "rock." We'd seen Cat Stevens, Elton John and Wings already. But would he take us to this one?
As it turned out he did. And I finally got to hear more of the Kinks - live. They were already deeply into their "stadium" era. I don't recallmuch other then the fact that they played "You Really Got Me," Ray Davies mugged to the crowd a lot, and they were loud. But it was plenty for me. I was more than satisfied.
After that I had no more curiousity about the Kinks. I thought I knew all about them. I'd seen them live after all. They sang "You Really Got Me." End of story. Great band. Great single. Perfect.
Fast forward four mor years. I'm 16 now, and my best friend has just become the first kid I knew to get his own apartment. I hang out at his place a lot, listening to music, drinking, hanging out. One day he pulls out this stack of records his uncle sent him. His uncle worked for Warner/Reprise and often sent stacks of lp's. This particular bunch was all Kink's titles. Face to Face, Village Green Preservation Society, Something Else, Arthur, and Lola Vs. Powerman And The Money-Go-Round - all in protective plastic sleeves. His uncle had never sent records in plastic sleeves before, and for some reason it convinced me that these were very rare and valuable albums. Albums I could not just go out and buy on my own.
Anyhow - for months we delved into those albums. One after the other, thinking somehow that we alone had discovered them. These songs were amazing. Such a perect blend of rock physicality and lyrical sophistication. I was amazed at how much more there was to this band then just a single perfect rock song. Songs like "Shangri-La," "Autumn Almanac," "Dead End Street," and "Get Back in Line" seemed like they were in endless supply, as were straight ahead rock gems like "All Day and "All of the Night," "Tired of Waiting," and "Stop Your Sobbing." It was all very heady. It felt like discovering the Beatles all over again.
Over the years Ray Davies has been a musical guiding light for me. When I started writing songs it was his shadow that loomed largest for me. More than anyone, he is who I wanted to be. I loved the empathy he showed his characters, from the twisted soul in "Killer's Eyes" to the dowdy housewife in "Two Sisters." There has never been another songwritr who could write as naturally, truthfully - and lovingly as Ray Davies. And the fact that he did it in the context of such a raw and primative band made it all the more perfect. Sure they'd fall into stadium rock excess - and later mediocrity. But wasn't it great while it lasted?
Favorite Album: Something Else
Favorite Song: This Is Where I Belong
*This was also the cassette that introduced me to The Zombies' "She's Not There," which as some of you know, had a huge effect on me as well.
**This show was filmed and released under the name Alice Cooper and Friends - but the Kinks performance was cut out of it for some reason. To this day, whenever I've seen the concert mentioned in print, the fact that the Kinks were there is always excluded. But dammit - they WERE there. I saw them! I know I did.
I'm starting to realize how much influence tv commercials had on my musical development. I was practically a latch-key kid back in those days. My parents were busy divorcing, changing partners, blaming each other, and largely leaving a lot of the day to day job of raising my brother, sister and I to a series of housekeepers. The housekeepers would in turn entrust us to the television.
I was not a casual television viewer. I took it all in like I was preparing for a test. If I'd seen a certain celebrity appear on a game show, I felt the need to follow his/her entire career from then on. Every movie, every everything.
One of the things I loved were tv commercials for record albums. They'd play snippets of all the songs on the album while showing a montage artist footage and stills. They had one I recall for Roy Orbison, and it was incredibly moving to hear these little bits of Orbison songs while looking at his guy. He looked so sad - the whole thing was so evocative. They'd play them over and over too, so I'd get to know them by heart - as if their collage of song bits was itself a song. In a lot of cases I'd never heard the whole song anywhere else.
Anyhow - a commercial showed up one day for an album called The British Invasion. On top of footage of Carnaby Street, cute mod girls, and interchanging british bands came a medly of "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter," "Doo Wah Diddy," " Ferry Across the Mersey," "I'm Teling You Now," and others. But right smack dab in the middle the narratoer mentioned 'the Kinks" and then there was this un-fucking-believable riff followed by a voice singing , "girl, you really got me now. You got me so I don't know what I'm doing" ---and then that was it. They moved on to another song.
I got to know that commercial pretty well - always waiting in anticipation of hearing that amazing few seconds. I was a Kinks fan already and I'd only ever heard about 6 seconds of their music. I was dying to hear the entire song. So I begged my mother for the album, who kindly presented me with a cassette version a few weeks later.* Finally I would hear that song all the way through.
It was massive. Undoubtedly the greatest thing I'd ever heard.
For a little over a year that would be all I'd know about the Kinks. I think it was all I wanted to know. They didn't need any other music. This was perfect. But then one day in 1977 I opened up the Calendar section of our Sunday LA Times and come across an add for a concert: Alice Cooper, The Kinks, The Tubes, Nazereth, and Sha Na Na - live at Anaheim Stadium.**
A chance to see the Kinks live. And on a bill with Alice Cooper - other than Elton John, the only performer my older brother and I both liked. My father had taken us to a few concerts already when he picked us up on weekends, but those were not quite as "rock." We'd seen Cat Stevens, Elton John and Wings already. But would he take us to this one?
As it turned out he did. And I finally got to hear more of the Kinks - live. They were already deeply into their "stadium" era. I don't recallmuch other then the fact that they played "You Really Got Me," Ray Davies mugged to the crowd a lot, and they were loud. But it was plenty for me. I was more than satisfied.
After that I had no more curiousity about the Kinks. I thought I knew all about them. I'd seen them live after all. They sang "You Really Got Me." End of story. Great band. Great single. Perfect.
Fast forward four mor years. I'm 16 now, and my best friend has just become the first kid I knew to get his own apartment. I hang out at his place a lot, listening to music, drinking, hanging out. One day he pulls out this stack of records his uncle sent him. His uncle worked for Warner/Reprise and often sent stacks of lp's. This particular bunch was all Kink's titles. Face to Face, Village Green Preservation Society, Something Else, Arthur, and Lola Vs. Powerman And The Money-Go-Round - all in protective plastic sleeves. His uncle had never sent records in plastic sleeves before, and for some reason it convinced me that these were very rare and valuable albums. Albums I could not just go out and buy on my own.
Anyhow - for months we delved into those albums. One after the other, thinking somehow that we alone had discovered them. These songs were amazing. Such a perect blend of rock physicality and lyrical sophistication. I was amazed at how much more there was to this band then just a single perfect rock song. Songs like "Shangri-La," "Autumn Almanac," "Dead End Street," and "Get Back in Line" seemed like they were in endless supply, as were straight ahead rock gems like "All Day and "All of the Night," "Tired of Waiting," and "Stop Your Sobbing." It was all very heady. It felt like discovering the Beatles all over again.
Over the years Ray Davies has been a musical guiding light for me. When I started writing songs it was his shadow that loomed largest for me. More than anyone, he is who I wanted to be. I loved the empathy he showed his characters, from the twisted soul in "Killer's Eyes" to the dowdy housewife in "Two Sisters." There has never been another songwritr who could write as naturally, truthfully - and lovingly as Ray Davies. And the fact that he did it in the context of such a raw and primative band made it all the more perfect. Sure they'd fall into stadium rock excess - and later mediocrity. But wasn't it great while it lasted?
Favorite Album: Something Else
Favorite Song: This Is Where I Belong
*This was also the cassette that introduced me to The Zombies' "She's Not There," which as some of you know, had a huge effect on me as well.
**This show was filmed and released under the name Alice Cooper and Friends - but the Kinks performance was cut out of it for some reason. To this day, whenever I've seen the concert mentioned in print, the fact that the Kinks were there is always excluded. But dammit - they WERE there. I saw them! I know I did.
Last edited by Davey the Fat Boy on 30 Aug 2006, 18:24, edited 1 time in total.
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Sir John Coan wrote:No but you see the thing is you weren't actually there.
Absolutely. Did I say I was? It was the body of work that was great while it lasted - not some imaginary moment that I might have experienced when they were "happening."
I think one of the myths we rock fans buy into is that every band and their fans have such a moment. Some might, but most don't. Being "there" is a state of mind more than anything else. Whenever I put on a Kinks record I'm "there" as far as I'm concerned.
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Re: BCB 100 - The Kinks
Let U be the set of all united sets, K be the set of the kids and D be the set of things divided.
Then it follows that ∀ k ∈ K: K ∈ U ⇒ k ∉ D
Then it follows that ∀ k ∈ K: K ∈ U ⇒ k ∉ D
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Re: BCB 100 - The Kinks
Top album is Something Else
Favourite Track is Autumn Almanac
Favourite Track is Autumn Almanac
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Zombeels/favourite_songs
I still like the Kinks
I still like the Kinks
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