Give me a starter course on the Kinks

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Their late 60's stuff is easily their best. The crucial albums are: Kink Kontroversy Face to Face Something Else Village Green Preservation Society

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You have a glaring omission in Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) , which contains their possible magnum opus in "Shangri-La" **




Eta:
** Waterloo Sunset being the other magnum opus

I had the same realization about 3 years ago. For me their best albums, hands down, are Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur, and Muswell Hillbillies (in that order). Their pre-Village Green stuff is very much singles-focused, as was common in that early 60s style, with a bunch of filler tracks. And after the mid-70s they had a bizarre shift into cock rock. And for the record Ray Davies is a better songwriter than McCartney and Lennon combined, but that should be pretty obvious to everyone.

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Their late 60's stuff is easily their best

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I disagree. Their early 70s stuff is the best IMO. Powerman vs Lola is an awesome album. The contenders, Lola, powerman, and apeman are some great songs. From their on, their albums were a little more put together if you ask me.

Late 60s might have produced some of their best tunes though, so I could see why one might say that. Like someone else said, take a look at Kink Kronicles and go to the album of the songs you like best.

The Kinks are a very English band. I recall reading something that they were banned from the US or something, so everything they wrote was very British in theme. Kind of have to adapt to that mindset while listening, like watching a British television show.

They are up there with Beatles and stones with the amount of quality music they put out. Their catalog is required listening if you ask me.

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British pop music observers say that Ray and his brother Dave often fought on stage. Their angry antics during the first U.S. tour got them in hot water with the American Federation of Musicians who then barred them from further appearances here until the Kinks apologized.

Ted Dreber, assistant to the President of the American Federation of Musicians, could not find any reference to the Kinks on file. But he did say that, in general, the Anglo-American musician's reciprocity agreement allows either union to withhold permits for a group if they behave badly on stage or fail to show for scheduled performances without good reason.

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Loraine Alterman, Rolling Stone Magazine, 12/18/69

I had completely forgot about Honeymoon Suite.

Most of what I could say has already been said (nice to see some Kinks fans around here -- where were you when the Phish bishes were flooding the board?) but I'll add my 2 pence worth anyway.

The Kinks had one of the great album runs from 1966-71. These are all classics:

Face to Face
Something Else
Village Green Preservation Society*
Arthur
Lola
Muswell Hillbillies

*Perhaps my favorite album of all time

At this point Ray went a bit off the rails in his quest to be a glam rock superstar, but if you search you can still find some great songs ("Sitting In My Hotel" from Everybody's In Show Biz, "Sweet Lady Genevieve" from Preservation Act One). For the record I do not care for one of Ray's most famous songs, "Celluloid Heroes" (from EISB).

As someone mentioned, The Kink Kronikles is probably the best compilation/intro. Then the albums from their great period of '66-71.

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Ray Davies is a better songwriter than McCartney and Lennon combined, but that should be pretty obvious to everyone

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This is not a competition

Please, no wagering

The Kinks are and were the most criminally underrated band of all time. At the time on a par with the Beates and Who. Kicked the Stones asses all over the place IMHO. "Face to Face" was their best also IMHO. God Save the Kinks.

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You have a glaring omission in Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) , which contains their possible magnum opus in "Shangri-La" **

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Yeah that's my favorite Kinks album.