It seems like everyone in jazz is covering material by The Beatles and Joni Mitchell. Fine. They put out some great material. But still, why is no one delving into the songbook of Ray Davies, who wrote and sang for the Kinks, who came up around the same time as the Beatles, and lasted almost up through Joni’s career. Davies had a way with a melody, and ESPECIALLY with a lyric that was both innocent, sardonic and clever. His voice and style was a mix of British charm and Basil Rathbone sophistication. Here we have two releases that serve as cases in point.
The Kinks put out a plethora of albums in the 60s-80s. This one from 1971 is considered, if not THE best, one of the top three. A blend of American and English traditional music, the themes are the tried and true Kink favorite-the working class stiff. The unforgettable “20th Century Man” is begging to be updated and covered by someone, especially with it’s prescient lyrics about being raised in a welfare state, but “Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues” is a close second. “Alcohol” is a hoot, and “Oklahoma USA” is a stark poke in the eyes. The melodies are lithe and enjoyable, and go from blues to vaudeville to British roots. An apotheosis of Baby Boomer Pop. There’s also a dvd that has concerts from 1972 so you can see how poorly dressed back and hirsute everyone was back then. Once again, though, themes like “Waterloo Sunset” and “Sunny Afternoon” evoke a feeling rarely captured these days.
The two disc Essential Kinks gives an overview of the width and breath of this versatile band. You get some classic energy-grunge hits from the early 60s like “You Really Got Me” and “All Day and All the Night” which are the ultimate party songs. However, deeper thinking pieces like “A Well Respected man” and the thoughtful yet nostalgic “Everybody’s A Star” deserve a second and third look by today’s vocalists. Cheerful tunes like “Sunny Afternoon” and optimistic anthems such as “Victoria” are guaranteed smile makers, yet other such as “Who’ll Be the Next In Line” are classic kiss offs. The Kinks were always considered a poor man’s Beatles, blue collar till the very end, yet they give you a fair day’s work for a fair days pay. Check them out-they’re beyond Boomer Reunion material.
Sony Legacy