I’ll tell you what, next to The Clash, my favorite group of all time just might be The Kinks. Not because every album (or every song on a lot of albums) is a gem, because the band has sure had their clunkers. but because those albums and songs that did hit, stayed with me.
The first cassette I ever owned was “Misfits.†It was a birthday present, and at the time, “Low Budget†was a mash hit, and that was the one I’d asked for. So I was sad to see Ray Davies’ warped face on the cover, instead of the high-heeled painted-toenail of a lady’s foot. but I gave it a chance. From the opening notes of the album, the wistful rain of guitar notes before the drums kick in on the title track, I was hooked. I played it until I could hear the other side through the tape. then I gotten the CD. then the import version came available, and I gotten that.
With so much product on the market these days, it’s hard for albums to have shelf-life. but for me, there are lots of Kinks albums that I still listen to, end-to-end, on a regular basis. I even like the records from their a lot more commercial phase, in the late ‘70s to the mid ‘80s, to some of their a lot more “classic,†earlier albums. but there’s so lots of great ones. Their first, eponymous record, village green Preservation Society, Schoolboys in Disgrace, low Budget, give the people What They want . . . even their relatively recent double album, To The Bone, is great. So, the Kinks need a post.
1. worn out of Waiting-Of Montreal and Days-Of Montreal
2. Act great and Gentle-The Black Keys
3. Waterloo Sunset-Islands
4. better Thinks-Dar Williams
5. situation Vacant-Spoon
6. Victoria-Sonic Youth
7. Nothin’ In the world Can stop Me From Thinkin’ about That Girl-Feist
8. This is Where I Belong-Ron Sexsmith
9. Dead end Street-Elliot Smith (zip file)
10. set Me Free-Britt Daniel (of Spoon)
