The Kinks Appreciation Thread

If anyone is interested...................

Poll--The Weakest Link: The Kinks Muswell Hillbillies, Round 1

 

I’m a novice when it comes to the Kinks. We’re the studio albums intended to be in mono like most of the Beatles albums?

 

Yes. I feel that this is evidenced by the fact that Kinda Kinks and Kontroversy as well as all nearly all the singles only exist in mono, while the stereo mixes of the first LP and Face to Face aren't really all that good IMO. The stereo mix of Something Else would have been better if it had been in phase, so mono wins by default on that one for me. VGPS I prefer in mono, but some tracks aren't horrible in stereo. Arthur the mono is really compressed, congested and distorted (looking at you, "Shangri-La") and the Kinks finally get the hang of stereo by this point, so stereo is king. The mono mix of Arthur is dedicated, AFAIK.

 

I agree with this all, except that I like the stereo mix of the first album more than most people. But yes, the mono is the default and better presentation up until VGPS. Arthur would be the first one in which stereo wins hands down.

 

Cool. Thanks for the reply. I’ve been thinking of buying the mono cd box off Discogs.

 

Andy Partridge on 'Autumn Almanac':

"It's a miniature movie, basically, that unravels itself as you are listening to it, and it has all these little movements or scenes. And they all seem to take place in the kind of mythical cozy London that the Ealing studios always had in their films, like The Lavender Hill Mob. The song just keeps turning and changing; you see a new facet every few seconds. But there's nothing unsettling about the fact that there are so many parts. Normally that would just be the death of a song, it would just scramble peoples brains.

The lyrics are very everyday. There's no "calling occupants of interplanetary craft" in it. All the language in it is what you'd say over a cup of tea. It's like a roller-coaster, but it's not a high-speed chromium-plated space-age roller-coaster - it's this slow creaking wooden baroque kind of roller-coaster. There are some lovely moments in it, like that sections that starts "Friday evening....." It starts off in this mournful minor thing, and you think, "Oh dear, Friday evening, the end of something," and then suddenly: "People get together" - it clicks into major, and becomes very optimistic. It just lifts your heart up another rung. And there's something very plain and uplifting about [from the chorus] "yes, yes, yes," this repetition of the affirmative.

The woodiness of "Autumn Almanac" is really appealing. Everything sounds like sticks and branches and planks. The whole song is wallpapered in dead leaves, as far as I'm concerned. The [the Kinks] touched on this same sort of thing later on, in "Shangri-La" and "Lavender Hill," but it was more mannered, a bit more ponderous.

Damn, I wish I'd written this song. I'll probably spend my life trying to. It's such a huge ghost; my entire songwriting career has been trying to exorcise it."

Kinks Alive! - Autumn Almanac

 

Kinks newb here . Just discovered Muswell Hillbillies and dig it a lot. I really love the track "Alcohol". I'm curious if this is a unique style to this song or are there others? This is the first full length I've listened to by them and haven't really heard any Kinks tunes aside from maybe four or five singles from the sixties. I'm looking forward to the journey and taking my time with each album.

 

I started digging into the Kinks over 2 years ago, and there are still several albums I haven't explored yet. It's an immense and incredible body of work, and both Ray and Dave continue to put out great solo albums. Have fun!

 

If this hasn't already been posted, this is probably my favorite live Kinks clip. And what a rhythm section Mick and Pete are!

 

You just wait until you get into their great albums starting with Face To Face. It's a hell of a ride. It's just great song after great song. Enjoy!

 

No, no, Dave, he needs to start with Kontroversy! That’s where it starts for me, anyway.

 

I got into the Kinks in the sometimes maligned 'Come Dancing' era. Loved the videos too. Now I'm no Kompletist but so many rarities and Dave numbers and '70s gems that were overlooked... a genuine pillar of rock & roll from stem (yes, even the very first couple of singles which sank in their day) to stern! If The Who is important, then The Kinks are every shred as important. A vast range to be explored still!

 

Quite right, Jake. Actually, he really needs the deluxe Kinda Kinks too. Aside from half of the album being really good, it's a must have for the singles, B-sides, EP tracks, etc.

 

I am very proud to announce that starting next Friday, September 14, luxuriamusic.com will be hosting a new all-Kinks radio show called Village Underground. Running ev-er-y Friday night, 6PM - 8PM Eastern time. I'll post the promo as soon as luxuria puts it up but I wanted you to be the first to know!

 

Thanks

 

"Come Dancing" was a huge hit and one of Ray's most personal story-songs. My favourite memory around it
was being at a gas station in South Texas when it was big on the radio and seeing the some local Mexican kids
dancing around to it. Definitely a big 'crossover' success here.

 

That is so cool.

 

Really digging their output from the 'theatrical era', which I think has been unfairly maligned. I'm enjoying 'Preservation, Act 1' and 'Schoolboys in Disgrace' as much their 60s output.

That being said, I have yet to seriously tackle 'Soap Opera'.

 

Love "Preservation Act 1". Some great songs.
I think "Preservation Act 2" is great in spots, but too long and more focused on story and plot development than music. However, when it's on, it's great ("Artificial Man", "Money Talks", "Nobody Gives", "He's Evil" and a couple of the ballads are great underrated gems in the Kinks Katalog).
"Soup Opera" is one of my favorites, totally underrated and hilarious to boot. Find the "Starmaker" video for a different look at "Soap Opera".
Never took greatly to "Schoolboys" or "Showbiz", although "Celluloid Heroes" is one of the best Ray songs ever and the live album is a lot of fun.
"Muswell Hillbillies" (although not really part of the theatrical period is from the RCA period, so to me I lump it in) is another killer.
From the Arista years, "Give The People What They Want" is another absolute favorite.
The Pye years have the undoubted masterpieces, but post Lye there is a lot of amazing lesser known gems.

 

I saw them on the "Soap Opera" tour in '75. Very amusing show, but the "Schoolboys In Disgrace" tour in '76 had better funny bits and more serious rocking going on. Dave was on fire.

 

The problem with 'Schoolboys' is, it's too short!

 

Is the mono cd box worth buying? Is the mastering good and does it have good sound quality?

 

I am just starting to buy Kinks records at age 56. I just got two beautiful Deluxe Editions of Arthur, and Something Else, and I have a compilation. with 48 tracks of singles and album cuts. I ordered a few more CDs including Lola, Muswell Hillbillies, and Sleepwalker. I'm looking forward to digging in.

 

You won't believe how much gold you'll find.

Dont forget Face To Face and VGPS (maybe hold off on that one until the new reissue comes out).