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	• The Kinks The Kinks Essential Records (UK), 1998 average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Essential Kinks

This album -- their first album -- is, in my opinion, essential for any lover of 60's punk/rock and roll. The Kinks were a wonderful poprock band that had a bit more edge than The Beatles. Their music mainly consisted of slightly overdriven guitars, primitive drumming, fine adaptive bass lines, and vocals that are less confined than other bands of this era and more energetic. Yet I must warn you, this is not exclusively the "harder" material by The Kinks. While you'll get rockers like "All Day And All Of The Night", you will find that most of the songs are more melodic and even hillbilly-ish. The Kinks did a fine job at not only early hard rock/punk music, but also rockabilly and poprock music. Still, in the end, I find this album quite satisfying. Within time, there will be few songs you'll skip while jammin' out to these somehow missed 60's tunes by the band that was equally under rated, The Kinks.

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great

The good old English invasion! I loved the CD! In great shape too.

So mystifying...

In 1964, probably the key year of the British Invasion, dozens of English bands dropped product on both sides of the Atlantic. Some of it was revolutionary but like any major movement in music, the mediocre was swept in with the exemplary. In October of this landmark year, a North London fourpiece led by a pair of brothers, Ray and Dave Davies, released their debut lp. The Kinks were unique in several ways from many of their contemporarties in that they were led by brothers and that elder brother, Ray, would prove to be one of rock greatest tunesmiths. What was ordinary about the band at the time was their rehash of R&B that everyone was doing. The Kinks were not as good at this as the Stones or the Yardbirds, masters of the form, so their legacy would live or die with their originals. It wasn't until their 3rd single "You Really Got Me", a true revolutionary piece of music, that the band would be formally recognized as not just another run of the mill "beat group". On 'The Kinks', "You Really Got Me" stood alongside such strong originals as "So Mystifying", "Just Can't Go to Sleep" and the classic early ballad "Stop Your Sobbin'". Both brothers handle the lead vocals on this record, with 17 year old Dave, screeching his way through "Beautiful Delilah" and three others. Again the blues and R&B covers are not that good, case in point, the Kinks' first single "Long Tall Sally" (included on this extended version)is pointless and would later be demolished by the Beatles' runthrough. 'The Kinks' is an interesting grab bag with subtle hints of future greatness but not the greatest debut for a rock legend. Four star rating for the expanded Castle version which includes "All Day and All of the Night" (another alltime classic originally released as a non-lp single), the b-sides to both "Night" ("I Gotta Move")and "Got Me"("It's Alright") and the first Kinks ep. Otherwise you may be unsatisfied with debut on its own with only "You Really Got Me" and "Stop Your Sobbin'" as truly memorable. Better days lay ahead for the brothers from Muswell Hill.

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One Mod Mother*****

To me, this record is undisputedly classic. The production, the music, the attitude, everything is just right on the money making me want to listen through even the mediocre songs. Why doesn't everybody just love this stuff? listen to "took my baby home" if thats the real title.

3&1/2 Stars, great intro to one of the most influential bands of all time

This is a great place to start if you're new to the Kinks. While it's not their greatest album (see Arthur and Village Green) it is a necessary buy in order to fully appreciate this band. Now I'm a completest and I fully believe everything the Kinks put out from 1964-1971 (Kinks thru Muswell) are must have. This album has the two mega hits that redefined rock n' roll "All Day and All of the Night" & " You Really Got Me". While these are ultimatly the best tracks on the album, there are many other gems on here you would not get by simply purchasing a Singles or Greatest Hits collection. If you have the means, you should pick up the package "3 Classic Albums" which includes this one, Kinda Kinks, and Kontroversy. It's a huge task to listen to all three albums and disect them (70 some odd songs), but well worth the listen(s).

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UK digitally remastered and expanded edition of this 1964 album from the British Rock band led by the ever-bickering Davies brothers, Ray and Dave. Contains the original album joined by a myriad of non-album tracks, rare mixes and more. 26 tracks. Sanctuary.

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