Six Eras of the Kinks
All of them (almost) worth listening to
Just a reminder, because so many forget so many things, the Kinks were huge back in the day — my day — not just once, not just twice, but three separate times. The first time I heard them, my sister had just seen them live and was playing One for the Road (their amazing live album) all the time. She also had Low Budget (on eight-track), featuring the songs, “Superman,” and “Catch Me Now I’m Falling,” which namechecks Captain America. Enough of a hook to pull me in and make me a fan for life.
The history of the Kinks is interesting in that it has clear divisions (which can be argued about), but it also has a unifying thread throughout, which is the compositional voice (and actual voice) of Ray Davies and his brother Dave.
The British Invasion Era
From Kinks to Something Else
Right from the beginning, the Kinks told us who they were. The hit from their 1964 debut, The Kinks, was the iconic, “You Really Got Me,” which was not only great but which inspired greatness in others (looking at you, Eddie Van Halen). Even in that primitive sounding recording — guitars that struggle to distort, a very dated reverb — the raw energy comes through. It’s a tight miniature kick in the guts that compares favorably with the Beatle’s or the…
