The Kinks - Album by Album (song by song)

But third hit in a row!

 

Little bit of advice from someone who made this mistake: don't put "Tired Of Waiting For You" on a mix tape for a girl you're dating.

Please forgive me for jumping ahead in time (and space) for this next part...

I'm on the road, watching the TV offerings in various hotels and I came across Avengers: Endgame, which features a Kinks tune! It's playing in the background as Hulk and Rocket Racoon head down to New Asgard to recruit the now beer-bellied Thor to the cause...

 

Thanks for this! It turns out that the list I remember is distinctly different, a lot more list-like, and included some different early songs. I don't know whether it was a re-editing of this interview, or just a different item. It was in some old rock book. Maybe one called "The British Invasion", Nicholas Schaffner? I checked the old "book of rock lists" and couldn't find it.

 

Hello all,
New to this forum, but I have read up on this thread over the past week and am just excited to go through the Kinks discography with such a community.

I came to the Kinks in the mid-late 90s when a friend in high school pointed me towards Sunny Afternoon and Tin Soldier Man. I knew Lola, YRGM, and All Day and All of the Night, but that was really it. I then discovered Green Day’s cover of “Tired of Waiting for You” in the late 90s, and just fell into the Kinks. Mostly from VGPS to MH, but I have gone back earlier and just love all their different styles and changes from 64-71, and then in the late 70s and early 80s. Haven’t really explored their mid 70s stuff, but looking forward to when this thread gets there.

couple thoughts to add to recent songs here as I catch up:

stop your sobbing: never heard this one before (wasn’t familiar with the Pretenders version either.) to me, I hear some “baby, it’s you” by the Beatles in there. A good early kinks song!

All Day and All of the Night: the sheer energy of uniqueness of this energy, the language, and riff is just unmatched. it can only be the kinks. I agree it’s like if YRGM is a high school rocker, ADAAOTN is graduated and the big man on college campus.

Tired of Waiting for You: my favorite early Kinks song that points to where they are going. The repeating of the words reinforces the tiredness, like the waiting just goes on and on longer than it seems. “So tired. Tired of waiting. Tired of waiting for you.” And the back and forth just repetitive chords and slide up and down... it just works so well in the theme of the song. It’s pop perfection.

 

I remember a friend sending me this back in 2011. At least it let us clearly hear what Pete’s singing was like!

 

Tired Of Waiting
Kinks magic is really getting under way now. Such a lovely dreamy ambiance to this and there's almost a psychedelia before its time lilt to it. It also reminds me of Gerry & The Pacemakers' "Ferry Across The Mersey" and The Searchers' "Needles And Pins" as Steve E pointed out.

Come On Now
A real early 60s beat group feel to this. Rather quaint but not a favourite Kinks toon of mine.

 

Yeah, I realised my error after I posted that, but I thought it was their 4th. Ok, I've lost another single!!

 

That's kind of what I meant. Kind of.

 

"Yodel-lay-ee-ee!"

 

There was indeed twenty songs on the album which I found to be incredible. An embarrassment of riches!
Later picked up volumes 2 and 3. More treasures but again very thin sounding.

 

This was actually released in the US a few days after Kinda Kinks, but for reference I thought I would throw it in...

Kinks-Size


Studio album by
the Kinks
Released 17 March 1965[1]
Recorded August - December 1964[1]
Genre Rock and roll
Length 23:22
Label Reprise
Producer Shel Talmy

Kinks-Size is the second US-only album by the English band the Kinks, released in 1965. It consists of songs that were left out of US presses of the Kinks' previous albums, as well as songs from UK-released EP's.

The album takes its name and all four tracks from the Kinksize Session EP, adding two tracks left off the US version of their debut LP ("I'm a Lover Not a Fighter" and "Revenge") and their two recent hit singles ("All Day and All of the Night" and "Tired of Waiting for You") and their respective B-sides ("I Gotta Move" and "Come On Now").

This was the Kinks' second-most successful album of the 1960s in the US, reaching #13 (Greatest Hits!, a compilation album, reached #9).[2]

The album was issued in the US and Canada in mono and stereo versions.[3] It was reissued once on cassette in the US in 1988 and once on CD in Japan in 2018, but has otherwise remained out of print since 1988.[3] Selected tracks off the album are currently available on the extended CD version of Kinks.

Side one
1. "Tired of Waiting for You" 2:30
2. "Louie Louie" Richard Berry 2:57
3. "I've Got That Feeling" 2:45
4. "Revenge" Davies, Larry Page 1:28
5. "I Gotta Move" 2:24
Side two
1. "Things Are Getting Better" 1:57
2. "I Gotta Go Now" 2:54
3. "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter" J.D. Miller 2:20
4. "Come On Now" 1:45
5. "All Day and All of the Night" 2:22
Total length: 23:22

 

I love the sound and performance of "Tired of Waiting for You". But it's not one of my favourite Kinks songs because the lyric is so basic and unsympathetic. I may be influenced by my mother's opinion on this, she hated the lyric. I think she felt personally attacked by it!

But every time it comes on my ears still prick up and, before I remember what it is, I think "ooh! what's this one?"

Not wild about "Come On Now".

 

I'm always amazed at how short some albums were in the 60s!

 

Kinda Kinks

Studio album by
the Kinks
Released 5 March 1965
Recorded 17 December 1964 – 17 February 1965
Studio Pye Studios, London
Genre R&B[1] garage rock[2] blues rock[2] rock and roll[3]
Length 27:37
Label Pye (UK) Reprise (US)
Producer Shel Talmy

A side
1. Look For Me Baby mono mix (2:13), recorded 16, 17 Feb, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
2. Got My Feet On The Ground mono mix (2:13), recorded 15-17 Feb, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
3. Nothin' In The World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl mono mix (2:42), recorded 16, 17 Feb, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
4. Naggin' Woman mono mix (2:33), recorded 15-17 Feb, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
5. Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight mono mix (1:58), recorded 16, 17 Feb, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
6. Tired Of Waiting For You mono mix (2:30), recorded 17, 18, 24, 25 Aug 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London, with additional guitar overdub at IBC Studios, London in 29 Dec 1964

B side
1. Dancing In The Street mono mix (2:18), recorded 15-17 Feb, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
2. Don't Ever Change mono mix (2:22), recorded 29 Dec 1964 at IBC Studios, London
3. Come On Now mono mix (1:45), recorded 22 or 23 Dec, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
4. So Long mono mix (2:08), recorded 15-17 Feb, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
5. You Shouldn't Be Sad mono mix (1:59), recorded 16, 17 Feb, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
6. Something Better Beginning mono mix (2:23), recorded 22 Dec 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Side one
1. "Look for Me Baby" 2:17
2. "Got My Feet on the Ground" Ray Davies, Dave Davies 2:14
3. "Nothin' in the World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl" 2:44
4. "Naggin' Woman" Jimmy Anderson, J. D. "Jay" Miller (as Jay West) 2:36
5. "Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight" 2:01
6. "Tired of Waiting for You" 2:31
Side two
1. "Dancing in the Street" Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter 2:20
2. "Don't Ever Change" 2:25
3. "Come On Now" 1:49
4. "So Long" 2:10
5. "You Shouldn't Be Sad" 2:03
6. "Something Better Beginning" 2:26

1998 and 2004 CD reissue bonus tracks
13. "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy" 2:16
14. "Who'll Be the Next in Line" 2:02
15. "Set Me Free" 2:12
16. "I Need You" 2:26
17. "See My Friends" 2:46
18. "Never Met a Girl Like You Before" 2:05
19. "Wait Till the Summer Comes Along" (Kwyet Kinks EP) D. Davies 2:07
20. "Such a Shame" (Kwyet Kinks EP) 2:19
21. "A Well Respected Man" (Kwyet Kinks EP) 2:43
22. "Don't You Fret" (Kwyet Kinks EP) 2:45
23. "I Go to Sleep" (Demo version) 2:42

2011 Sanctuary Records deluxe edition Disc 2
1. "Everybody's Gonna Be Happy" (mono single (Pye single 7N 15813 (UK), 1965)) 2:13
2. "Who'll Be the Next in Line" (mono single (Pye single 7N 15813 (UK), 1965)) 2:01
3. "Set Me Free" (mono single (Pye single 7N 15854 (UK), 1965)) 2:09
4. "I Need You" (mono single (Pye single 7N 15854 (UK), 1965)) 2:23
5. "See My Friends" (mono single (Pye single 7N 15919 (UK), 1965)) 2:44
6. "Never Met a Girl Like You Before" (mono single (Pye single 7N 15919 (UK), 1965)) 2:05
7. "A Well Respected Man" (Kwyet Kinks EP (Pye NEP 24221 (UK), 1965)) 2:43
8. "Such a Shame" (Kwyet Kinks EP (Pye NEP 24221 (UK), 1965)) 2:19
9. "Wait Till the Summer Comes Along" (Kwyet Kinks EP (Pye NEP 24221 (UK), 1965)) 2:07
10. "Don't You Fret" (Kwyet Kinks EP (Pye NEP 24221 (UK), 1965)) 2:45
11. "I Go to Sleep" (demo version) 2:42
12. "When I See That Girl of Mine" (demo version) 2:02
13. "Tell Me Now So I'll Know" (demo version) 1:59
14. "A Little Bit of Sunlight" (demo version) 1:50
15. "There's a New World Just Opening for Me" (demo version) 2:31
16. "This I Know" (demo version) 2:01
17. "See My Friends" (alternative take) 2:44
18. "Come On Now" (alternative vocal) 1:55
19. "You Shouldn't Be Sad" (recorded at BBC) 1:55
20. "Tired of Waiting for You" (recorded at BBC) 2:22
21. "Everybody's Gonna Be Happy" (recorded at BBC) 2:13
22. "This Strange Effect" (recorded at BBC) 2:32
23. "Hide and Seek" (recorded at BBC) 2:13


US release


Side 1

1. "Look for Me Baby" - 2:17
2. "Got My Feet on the Ground" (Ray Davies, Dave Davies) - 2:14
3. "Nothin' in the World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl" - 2:44
4. "Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight" - 2:01
5. "Set Me Free" - 2:12

Side 2

1. "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy" - 2:16
2. "Dancing in the Street" (Gaye, Stevenson, Hunter) - 2:20
3. "Don't Ever Change" - 2:25
4. "So Long" - 2:10
5. "You Shouldn't Be Sad" - 2:03
6. "Something Better Beginning" - 2:26

--------------------------------------------------------------
So as per the debut we will go through the album itself, cover the singles as we get to them, and the EP's and bonus tracks after we have finished the album.

To me this is a step up from the debut in many ways.
We have a solid album, and again I think the originals are the better songs here.

Released on March 5th 1965, and on the 11th of August in the US ... but strangely the US Kink Size album came out March 17th in the US, and I obviously don't know but it seems like this would have seemed strange to anybody that actually knew about all the releases. I suppose back in 65, it was harder to know what was going on on the other side of the world ... but it still seems an odd schedule to me.

For the most part the album continues on in a similar vein to the debut, but we have a little more diversity, due to Ray's ever widening songwriting range.

I'll probably have more to say about the individual songs than the album, so I'm going to keep this pretty short.

I like this album, it is a step in the right direction, but again, coming from a modern mindset that I can't help but have, I would have included more singles, and I would have left most of the covers off.... but of course that isn't how it worked in 1965 ...
but just imagine how strong this album would be with the brilliant singles included on it ....

Anyway, please give us your thoughts on this album....
What did you think back then, or when you first heard this?
What do you think these days?

Please feel free to share your heart on this album, where it sits for you and all that kind of stuff.
If you want to talk masterings and such, please feel free to do that also, I know a lot of folks will want to know that kind of thing.

So Kinda Kinks? What do you reckon?

Cheers
Mark

 

The Kinks in Iceland

 

I wouldn't call Kinda Kinks a great album, but it is an interesting progression from the debut, and in many ways it's a 'path less traveled' for the band's sound, because here, instead of the R n B, blues and rock and roll influences that were to the fore on the debut, here we see a sudden influx of more contemporary soul and folk sounds.

Now, while The Kinks would go back to the folk well on several occasions later on, the attempt to replicate the sounds of Tamla Motown etc that you hear on about half of the cuts on this LP (and the next single) was something The Kinks would never return to at length for the rest of their kareer. And yes, their sole Motown cover attempt included here is fairly risible, but the original tracks that do have that influence, while not anyone's definition of 'definitive Kinks' are actually pretty good in their own way imo: and all the more fascinating to study in the greater context of the group's canon for how uniquely they sit in it. More ruminations along these lines to follow in the track by track!

 

I believe this was due to the technology of the day.... I'm no expert but I believe sometime in the early seventies they found a way to make the grooves smaller and fit more on or something like that