Formed as an R & B band by guitarist Dave Davies, The Kinks soon became the vehicle for the songs and singing of his elder brother Ray, one of the most acute and witty social observers in the history of British rock.

 

Their first hit(# 1 in 1964) was " You really got me " . It was the heaviest British recording yet made, driven by a distorted garage riff and delivered by Ray in an excitable shout.

 

Over the next few years a succession of hits took them towards a softer, more reflective sound, with hits like,

 

All day and all of the night, Tired of waiting for you, Set me free, Dedicated follower of fashion, Sunny Afternoon, Dead end street, Waterloo sunset, Autumn almanac and Lola.

 

Influential and Innovative band who had few equals in the 60's.

Great band - so many good songs!

They're one of those bands who totally ruled in the 60's but as soon as 1970 clicked over they lost all the powers. :( I wonder why???

They're one of those bands who totally ruled in the 60's but as soon as 1970 clicked over they lost all the powers. :( I wonder why???

 

the mood was changing... the kinks generation was growing up and many had progressed into rock and the emerging prog-rock. a new generation of pop music fans were into things less challenging, glamrock.

 

tbh i think the kinks are still one of our best ever popgroups, i think that few have matched their songwriting skills and many have copied. tracks like 'see my friends' tackling the then illegal homosexuality was a very brave move and actually lost them some of their initial fans. of course the whimsical 'dedicated follower of fashion' confirmed it somewhat but was a 'swinging 60's anthem'.

Basically you've got a string of classic albums and hit singles right up to 1970. Then they change labels, from Pye to RCA and the hits dry up. After Muswell Hillbillies you NEVER hear a good word about ANY of the later albums. They had the same lineup, same producer/songwriter but no more hits. Whereas bands like The Stones and The Who went thru a golden period in the early 70s the Kinks slipped back to the level of The Searchers and The Ivy League.

Not a huge fan but the "Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society" is one of my fave albums ever

I think that "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night" by The Kinks were really two of the songs that inspired Punk Rock (along with The Who, natch...), as Brian said, the relatively heavy, distorted riffing characteristic in those songs was just taken to another level by the Punk movement, and much of what exists in the "indie" scene today owes a huge debt to the Kinks, especially bands like The Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things, Arctic Monkeys, etc... I also think that we tend to over-praise The Beatles somewhat at the expense of The Kinks.. For my mind Ray and Dave Davies cast just as big a shadow over the current scene as Lennon and McCartney ever did, but they dont get the same credit due them. Which I feel is kinda wrong....

^Then session guitarist & future legend of Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page played guitar on You Really Got Me & All Day & All Of The Night. In an interview with NME's Nick Kent, Jimmy claimed he was paid £10 for the session including a gagging order to talk about it for 10 years...

 

They were a fantastic band and a good singles collection (Waterloo Sunset, Sunny Afternoon, Days, Dead End Street, Autumn Almanac, Victoria, etc) of their singles up until 1970's Lola & Apeman is essential.

 

However I own their then flop album Village Green Preservation Society from 1968 and it is fantastic.

 

They did have a large amount of success in the USA in the late 1970s & early 1980s.

 

But their definitive song IMHO comes from 1974:

 

The Kinks - Celluloid Heroes

 

The best way to remember the Kinks though is from an old Absolutely Fabulous episode when Edina was talking to her daughter Safron ".... aahh the sixities were great for British music darling... The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks..."

 

Safron "The Who?"

 

Edina " Yes them as well sweetie.."

 

I think that "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night" by The Kinks were really two of the songs that inspired Punk Rock (along with The Who, natch...), as Brian said, the relatively heavy, distorted riffing characteristic in those songs was just taken to another level by the Punk movement, and much of what exists in the "indie" scene today owes a huge debt to the Kinks, especially bands like The Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things, Arctic Monkeys, etc... I also think that we tend to over-praise The Beatles somewhat at the expense of The Kinks.. For my mind Ray and Dave Davies cast just as big a shadow over the current scene as Lennon and McCartney ever did, but they dont get the same credit due them. Which I feel is kinda wrong....

 

actually in some ways id argue that they cast a bigger shadow over the current music scene then lennon/mccartney. the beatles were busy exploring many different avenues of music making, the kinks though were more focused on basic grass roots life for young people in the 60's.

They did reappear in the chart with Come Dancing in 1983. And they sort of reappeared with Parklife although they called themselves Blur at the time :lol:

They did reappear in the chart with Come Dancing in 1983. And they sort of reappeared with Parklife although they called themselves Blur at the time :lol:

 

And as Oasis in the 21st Century with the track "The Importance Of Being Idle" :lol:

 

 

I think that "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night" by The Kinks were really two of the songs that inspired Punk Rock (along with The Who, natch...), as Brian said, the relatively heavy, distorted riffing characteristic in those songs was just taken to another level by the Punk movement, and much of what exists in the "indie" scene today owes a huge debt to the Kinks, especially bands like The Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things, Arctic Monkeys, etc... I also think that we tend to over-praise The Beatles somewhat at the expense of The Kinks.. For my mind Ray and Dave Davies cast just as big a shadow over the current scene as Lennon and McCartney ever did, but they dont get the same credit due them. Which I feel is kinda wrong....

 

Yeh man too right!!! The thing about the riff i've read/heard a few times recently about 'it could be seen as the first heavy metal tune'*

 

yeah equate britpop with the kinks, ian dury, madness, blur, kc and the frats etc etc

 

*this being a versh of Metal that includes the Hair Bear bunch :lol:

 

And as Oasis in the 21st Century with the track "The Importance Of Being Idle" :lol:

 

note to 7AOR researchers: YOU'RE FIRED!!! :lol:

I am loving Shangri La at the moment - it's the song from the Carbon Footprint ad.

Those who remember the single Lola may recall that it was originally banned by the BBC for advertising.

They were on a stateside tour at the time and had to fly back to re-record just one word.

 

The line in question had:

She drinks champagne and it tastes just like Coca Cola

They had to re-record the word to become Cherry Cola

 

I have the original recording which was never changed on the album - just on the single.

Edited July 18, 200717 yr by Euro Music

They did reappear in the chart with Come Dancing in 1983.

And the follow-up minor hit was Don't Forget To Dance