I like your ideas here, and I am one who loves to fiddle with track listings too.... With the amount of songs the Kinks recorded, and certainly the fact that a large percentage of the singles weren't on the albums, there is certainly room for fiddling with track listings. I guess my problem is, I don't think I could cut any songs.... I would be more likely to make the albums cd length with additions lol ... or perhaps three sided records At the end of the day I probably wouldn't change anything, though the double album for Village Green is somewhat of a draw for me.
I have seen his son Eric Bibb perform up close and there sure is a resemblance but from this one cut I can't say it is musical.
"Enviable" is quite the understatement. If this is “singles day” on the thread, I'll argue that this sixties run of quality singles is almost unparalleled in pop and one of their most indelible legacy. For the most part, I wouldn’t want those songs on the LP’s, even though they certainly could/would improve the albums’ track-lists. In his attempt at improving the Face to Face and Something Else track-lists, it's interesting to note @jethrotoe purposely left the singles out of the equation and I think it’s the right way to go: respect and acknowledge the two parallel discographies, like that of the Beatles, Stones and Who, or even more so. This two-ways career is a joy for the newbie fan. If you come to the Kinks from the singles’ hillside, you’re in for a big surprise once you get to the albums. And if you listen to the albums first, just wait till’ you discover all those fantastic extra songs, A-sides and B-sides!!! It’s one of the beauties of that band’s output. There’s always more. They’ve been hailed as heavy metal pioneers, but in truth, the melodies were their strongest suit ; they’ve been called a singles band but their albums (and concept albums) are extraordinary ; they’re often reduced to their sixties catalogue but we’ll see in no time that they have dozens of stunning masterpieces all through the following decades! There’s always more to the Kinks, you can’t reduce them to a preconceived idea. Well, you can, but it will be your mistake… and your loss.
Here's my two-disc Kinks sixties "only my faves" selection, though there's space for a few more songs to round off the RCA years. So I might post an update when we get to that point in the story. Disc One You Really Got Me All Day and All Of The Night Something Better Beginning Set Me Free I Need You See My Friends I Go To Sleep Till The End Of The Day Where Have All The Good Times Gone Ring The Bells The World Keeps Going Round I'm On An Island Sunny Afternoon Dandy Rainy Day In June Fancy Dead End Street Waterloo Sunset Disc Two David Watts Two Sisters No Return Harry Rag Lazy Old Sun Afternoon Tea End of the Season Autumn Almanac Wonderboy Polly The Village Green Preservation Society Do You Remember Walter? Village Green Phenomenal Cat All My Friends Were There Victoria Drivin' Australia (edit) Shangri-La
Just some stray observations & thoughts: 1. Yes, the Kinks had a great run of UK single hits from 1964-68, but the Hollies were close behind them in that period. I think that they had more hits & about the same US top 40 hits during that period. I think that the major factor is the brilliance of Ray's songwriting & how it evolved from "YRGM" to "Days". The fact that Ray wrote all those songs is an achievement in itself. Even the Beatles & the Stones needed two people to write their hits. Pete Townshend was probably the closest to Ray in that regard. I just think that the Hollies are somewhat underrated. 2. Headmaster Winstanley seems puzzled as to why the Kinks seemingly lost their popularity in the UK in the late 1960s. I'm not so puzzled. I think there were several factors, some that I mentioned previously, such as an old fashioned record company, changing music styles & the ability or inability to change. I will also add that the Kinks probably "burnt their bridges" when it came to music promotors. In the late 1960s their only major concert tour in the UK was the ill fated one w/the Herd in 1968. They didn't otherwise tour in the UK, except for the cabaret one. Even earlier, they missed out on plenty of gigs & appearances. This meant that the Kinks had a reputation of being erratic at best in showing up for gigs & had problems trying to get a promotor to take them on.
Well I do playlists on paper, digital or otherwise lol It's all those years of putting together albums and set lists
Correction: your list is 60 songs (not 61). I just compared mine with yours and find that you have 19 songs listed that aren’t on my list. That means, I think, that I have 21 that you don’t include. (As I start with two more tunes.) Conclusion? The Kinks have a heckuva discography.
I knew it was 60.... like I say, I could add more songs easily, but it would end up being everything but a few covers I had to draw a line somewhere
Since we're just about in 1970, but are still talking about The Kinks' 60s singles, it seems like a good time to post this (apologies if somebody beat me to this pages back...I hadn't seen this till recently. I wish there was more footage):
The Kinks in the 60s The Kinks are probably my favorite band. I really like the Beatles a lot, but the Kinks mean a lot more to me and I never quite get the same emotional depth with the Beatles as I do the Kinks. Not to say it isn't there of course, but for me the Kinks are the 60s band, and the 60s was the best decade musically in my opinion. The stretch of albums from Face to Face to Arthur is flawless. Every track, including singles and outtakes, is pure perfection. I'd be inclined to extended that time range to their first single up to Everybody's in Show-Biz too... but the late 60s Kinks are truly Something Else. My ranking would probably go like this: Something Else VGPS Arthur Face to Face Kontroversy Kinda Kinks Kinks My top 10 songs from the 60s would probably be: Waterloo Sunset Shangri-La See My Friends Sunny Afternoon You Really Got Me Autumn Almanac Village Green Preservation Society Till Death Us Do Part Death of a Clown Dead End Street
Come to think of it, they did stop having hits around the exact same time that Petula Clark stopped having them, but I'm not so sure that PYE was entirely to blame. Wasn't this around the exact same time that The Status Quo began having hits? I'm not sure what the deal was with the PYE label, as there was really no one label that represented them here in the states. Over here, Donovan's early singles were released on the "Hickory" label, and The Status Quo were on something called "Cadet Concept."
Wow, top ten songs.... All day and all of the night Dedicated follower of fashion Dead end street Sunny afternoon Rainy day in june Lazy old sun Village Green Preservation Society Animal Farm Victoria Some mothers son Maybe, I reserve the right to change this at any time
I can't rank them but I will for fun! Something Else Arthur Village Green Face To Face (Current Favorite!) Kontroversey Kinda Kinks Kinks A nod to US "Greatest Hits" my first album of theirs bought in 1966. Loving them since 1964 when I was 10 and now at the age of 67 still loving this band! Thanks Mark and everyone else!!!
60s albums ranking: VGPS Something Else Arthur Face to Face The Kink Kontroversy Kinda Kinks Kinks It KILLS me to have Face to Face at number 4...that does not reflect how much I LOOOOOVE this album. in fact, i was just listening to it today at work and was a happy little Wondergirl. If I could have Arthur, Something Else and Face to Face as all tied for second, that would be the way to go.
Hmm, Top 10 Kinks songs from the 60's, eh? OK, I'll play (or at least try): 1. "Days": I thank them for giving us this magnificent song, which closed both my old Spotlight On The Kinks and the more popular Kink Kronikles very nicely 2. "Tired of Waiting": man, I've lived this song, which means a lot to me (along with so many of their others) 3. "She's Got Everything": this is an absolute scorcher, and seems relatively unknown to the general public, but it shouldn't be (again, like so many others) 4. "All of My Friends Were There": I've lived this one too, but haven't we all? 5. "Animal Farm": just beautiful chord progressions here with great lyrics to boot, possibly giving voice to deeply held dreams from childhood and beyond 6. "Do You Remember Walter?": another tune that recalls deep memories ("but memories of people can remain") 7. "Shangri-La": a stunning musical achievement; nothing on Abbey Road quite like it, but then Arthur probably compares more to Tommy and The Wall as has been noted 8. "Fancy": very cool atmosphere on this one, which always gives me pause ("aaaaalllllllwayys") 9. "Autumn Almanac": maybe because it's getting to be this time of year, but of course it's a great song to play anytime 10. "Rainy Day in June": a truly haunting performance that stays with you....
Reading our leader's musings on the Kinks albums of the sixties was wonderful. Everything I would say put into words by someone else, better than I could have done. I will however, just add my '60s album ratings. Arthur (or the decline and fall of the British Empire) Something Else by The Kinks The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society Face To Face The Kink Kontroversy Kinda Kinks Kinks I don't think there's any way I could do a top ten of songs, but for UK singles, I'll go with a top five of: Waterloo Sunset Shangri-la Days All Day And All Of The Night See My Friends
Okay, let's give this a shot since this is likely my favorite decade from any band ever. Ranking: Something Else Village Green Face to Face Arthur/Kontroversy (tied) Kinda Kinks A 2CD 60s-only Kinks komp? Don't mind if I do! Disk 1 You Do Something To Me You Really Got Me I Don't Need You Anymore Stop Your Sobbing All Day and All of the Night I Gotta Move Tired of Waiting For You Nothing In This World Can Stop Me Worrying About That Girl Come On Now Something Better Beginning Everybody's Gonna Be Happy Who'll Be The Next In Line Set Me Free I Need You See My Friends A Well Respected Man Wait 'Til The Summer Comes Along Milk Cow Blues Til The End of the Day I Am Free Where Have All The Good Times Gone? Dedicated Follower of Fashion Sitting On My Sofa I'm Not Like Everybody Else Sunny Afternoon Dandy Rosy Won't You Please Come Home Fancy Disk 2 Dead End Street Big Black Smoke This is Where I Belong Mr. Pleasant Waterloo Sunset Death of a Clown David Watts Two Sisters Autumn Almanac Suzanna's Still Alive Wonderboy Lincoln County Days Animal Farm Picture Book Starstruck Big Sky The Village Green Preservation Society Til Death Us Do Part Plastic Man King Kong This Man He Weeps Tonight Victoria Mindless Child of Motherhood Shangri-La Arthur Brb, gonna go make this...
I think that's the problem with doing the rating thing, it makes it seem like you don't think much of the bottom half.
