No worries! As has been well documented here, there's just too much good stuff in the Kinks katalogue for any komp to be kompletely satisfactory. That being said, I was long kontent with Spotlight On The Kinks for the 60's era, even though it includes a few 70's songs (which were among the ones I swapped out above), and Come Dancing for the later material (I've recently upgraded to that set's SACD edition), so technically it can be done. Of course, once I heard more of the album cuts, mostly via YouTube and elsewhere online (which absolutely was not possible back in the day as has been previously observed), I eventually purchased almost the entire lot (all the 60's albums currently being discussed less Kelvin Hall). Easy on the ears, but hard on my wallet!
This list came across my news feed today. Definitely out of sync with my rankings, although there's so much greatness in the katalog, it's hard to fault most any Kinks top 10. Still, surprised to see Village Green and Arthur down at #s 5 and 6, and among the later albums, Low Budget all the way down at #t #20, even behind Think Visual. The Kinks Albums Ranked
Wait, I can’t have 27 songs on my top 25 Kinks songs of the 60s list??? Guess I’ll have to come up with a new list.
Just skimming through the rankings and the one thing that caught my eye were the album covers. Generally, horrible (from here on out; minus Lola and Muswell).
Updated list! Removed Come On Now and Situations Vacant and replaced them with Where Have All the Good Times Gone and Animal Farm. See My Friend I Need You This Strange Effect Where Have All the Good Times Gone Too Much On My Mind Rainy Day in June Fancy Little Miss Queen of Darkness Dead End Street Big Black Smoke Two Sisters Love Me Till the Sun Shines Lazy Old Sun Waterloo Sunset Lavender Hill Johnny Thunder Animal Farm Big Sky Wicked Annabella This Man He Weeps Tonight Mindless Child of Motherhood Some Mother’s Son Brainwashed Shangri-La Young and Innocent Days
That was a thorough and well written review, it's author would fit in well here . I'm looking forward to the thread getting to some of the later albums that I haven't yet explored in depth.
That was an interesting and well-written read. But wow, Dancing in the Street is the best track on Kinda Kinks!? It's amazing how wildly divergent opinions on music can be!
Interesting, clearly Ray & Dave liked the compilation but considering these selections and how modest they (the Kinks) were at the genre I wonder just how big the group's R&B listening library was?
I don't tend to plug my radio show here much but I'm particularly proud of our setlist for tomorrow's "Autumn Show" 3pm Eastern on z93hv.com: Big Star - September Gurls Zep - Ramble On Simon & Garfunkel - Leaves That Are Green Van Morrison - Moondance Kinks - Autumn Almanac Don Henley - Boys of Summer R.E.M. - Fall On Me CCR - Bad Moon Rising Justin Hayward - Forever Autumn Aerosmith - Seasons of Wither The Band - King Harvest Green Day - Wake Me When September Ends
When they give favorite song on each album, i feel like this a joke list. Their cover of Dancing in the Streets as a top song on any album? Nooooooo Not in any world.
This subject has been touched upon more than once and totally agree…most of their album art is not impressive. Not one cover is totally iconic(I’m coming around on Lola and think VGPS is pretty cool). The music is 100% but the art doesn’t match up. I’m honestly flummoxed on that.
I agree with you, as you know. The problem with TVGPS album cover is not the cover itself, but the fact that it doesn’t really fit with the music. It’s a dark, mysterious image but the album is neither. It’d be a great cover for an 80s alt-band or a 90s grunge band even. The back photo of them walking in the tall grass would be a lot more appropriate sleeve, considering the album’s theme. There are a bunch of shots from that Hampstead Heath photoshoot that would have worked.
Is it at all possible that at some point Ray dug his feet in and put down a mental marker that noted to self: My music is quality and should sell on it's own merits regardless of external cover art and if it doesn't too bad. Or could he in all actuality just be fairly clueless in this area?
