THE KINKS
CLASSIC DEBUT ALBUMS
REVISTED:
THE KINKS 'KINKS'
Castle Communications have released a bunch of
original Kinks albums complete with bonus tracks, original packing, sleeve
notes and unpublished pictures. Previously, the Kinks have received rough
treatment from record companies with the release of many shoddily thrown
together budget compilations. Thankfully their unique and diverse classic
60s period is getting an overhaul it so richly deserves.
'Kinks' the eponymous debut was released
in UK on Pye in 1964 (sleeve pictured on right) and on Reprise in the
US with a different title 'You Really Got Me' (pictured below). The band
would eventually flourish around the individual talents of songwriter
Ray Davies but while the album shows a few signs of Davies' promise it
also shows the Kinks at their rawest and most primitive.
If Davies later works pigeon holed him as
a 'quintessential English maverick' one listen to the Kinks debut long
player reveals a youthful band with whom you would associate the finest
in authentic R'nB, soul and Mod culture. Brother Dave Davies (only 17
years of age) groundbreaking guitar licks on this debut are said to have
paved the way for heavy metal. Many would argue with some reason that
the Kinks were one of the first punk bands.
The 14 tracks on the original album are boosted
by a further 12 bonus tracks featuring singles released around the album.
1964 was an eventful and busy year for the Kinks. The first single 'Long
Tall Sally' was released in Feb 64 but flopped. The Davies penned 'You
Still Want Me' b/w 'You Do Something To Me' followed in April and six
months later from the debut the Kinks were number one with 'You Really
Got Me'. The rest, as they say, is history. Those singles and all of the
tracks from the EP Kinksize Sessions released in November '64 are included
as extra tracks with two unreleased tracks for die-hards. First up is
an alternate take of Chuck Berry's 'Too Much Monkey Business' recorded
at the first album sessions and the Davies penned 'I Don't Need You Anymore'
a great beat track that is part Beatles in it's harmonies, part Action
with it's soulful groove.
The great appeal of this re-issue for me,
is the inclusion of the single 'All Day and All of the Night'. Coupled
with 'You Really Got Me' it is finally restored to its rightful place
in history.
These two stunning efforts were the first
signs of Ray Davies song writing potent and boy have they stood the test
of time. The rebellious energy, carefree spirit and power of rock'n'roll
is as evident now as the day they were unleashed onto an unsuspecting
public. They make the rest of the tracks on the album seem tame by comparison
and these two songs along with their snappy version of 'Louie Louie' should
be in a staple diet for any discerning Mod. Show me a song in the current
top 40 that can make you feel so good when you hear it. Songs just don't
sound this cocksure anymore. Still strutting as proud as a peacock over
thirty years later. Nowadays, over the top 'clean' production techniques
have killed off any hope of hearing the kind of unbridled passion that
you hear in these tracks.
Dave Davies was only 16 years old when he
created a unique and distinctive sound from his guitar by carrying out
a then pioneering experiment of slashing the speaker cone of his Elpico
(a small 10-watt amplifier) with a razor blade. The distorted and jagged
roar of a riff oozes attitude in a cool, menacing and sexy way. The sound
has become a trademark amongst retro tinged bands over the years.
The early Kinks were especially adept in
interpreting the black R'n'B/Blues influences and like many other great
white hopes of the era, the debut album is packed with cover versions
and originals that aspire to be cover versions! Unlike the others (most
notably the Beatles - man, weren't their early efforts piss poor?) the
Kinks sound was so authentic that at the time people probably thought
the Kinks were black Americans. It's only with constant reference to the
sleeve notes that you can distinguish between the cover versions and Davies'
originals.
The most remarkable aspect of this release
was the fact that the group was forced to rush record the album because
Pye were desperate to cash in on the success of 'You Really Got Me'. It's
a miracle the young inexperienced band managed to record some strong original
material and capture the exciting rawness and energy that is often most
prevalent in young bands.
Whilst most bands fail to deliver the goods
with a follow up to a cracking album, there is no question that the Kinks
went onto produce far superior work. The quality of their subsequent work
probably overshadows the true power and credibility of this superb album
that deserves to be hailed as one of the all time classic debuts in it's
own right. If the Kinks should have imploded after this debut you still
would have a lost classic that a generation of Mods would cling to for
many years to come.
KINKS LINKS:
The
Kinks Preservation Society at http://www.kinks.org/home.htm
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