The Kinks - "Kinks" (1964) - Sanctuary Records
Hello Friends,
In the early 1960's, a bunch of British pasty white kids with bad teeth and shaggy haircuts picked up some instruments and tried to learn (and emulate) black American R&B tunes. What could possibly go wrong?
Actually, everything went completely right and the rest went down as rock & roll history! No shit. Who woulda thunk it?
One of the greatest of the British Invasion bands is, of course, The Kinks. Hailing from the North London hamlet of Muswell Hill, The Kinks were founded by the infamous brothers Davies, Ray & Dave. Ray, 20, would do most of the singing and songwriting, while younger brother Dave (only 17) would provide the perfect foil with his punk-tinged lead guitar stylings. Their debut album (simply named Kinks in the U.K and re-titled You Really Got Me here in the States) captures a bunch of gangly, pasty British boys with more attitude than talent.
The album, produced by the great Shel Talmy, would be an above average debut for any band. However there was one standout on the album that really catapulted to band into a stratosphere that most young musicians can only dream of!
"You Really Got Me" was a career-maker, full of distortion, attitude & power chords. A self-described "love song for street kids" and arguably the world's first punk song. It would reach Number One in the U.K. and Number Seven in the U.S. It would give the band International success and acclaim. Luckily for us, the story didn't end there and The Kinks enjoyed a 30+ year career with dozens of amazing songs and albums.
Besides "You Really Got Me", the other Davies compositions on this record include the Stones-y "So Mystifying", "You Can't Go To Sleep" (a typical merseybeat number with a very Kinks-ian middle eight), "I Took My Baby Home", "Revenge" and the great, great, great "Stop Your Sobbing" (famously covered by The Pretenders as their first single, a couple of years before Chrissie Hynde & Ray Davies would actually start dating! You go Ray!)
There's also the obligatory R&B covers here as well (all good by the way!) including two Chuck Berry tunes ("Beautiful Delilah", "Too Much Monkey Business"), "Long Tall Shorty", "I'm A Lover Not A Fighter", a Bo Diddley call-and-response rager ("Cadillac") and a Slim Harpo classic ("Got Love If You Want It").
Producer Talmy even contributes two songs, his arrangement of the bluesy "Bald Headed Woman" and "I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain"... geez, did the guy have an obsession with losing his hair?
On most of these early tracks, what would become Ray Davies distinctive vocals are hardly recognizable. Also, there's a raucous, sneering speed to most of the songs. The arrangements are pretty straightforward and the acoustic guitar work* is sparse. The closest the album gets to a ballad is Davies beautiful and fragile-sounding, "Sobbing".*** Let's face it though kids, The Kinks didn't pull off the American R&B sound as well, or as convincingly as, bands like The Stones, The Yardbirds or even The Who did. It didn't matter. The stories and songs swirling around in young Ray Davies mind would provide the soundtrack to one of rock & roll's most beloved bands!
* It should also be mentioned that for years there have been a slew of rumors that Jimmy Page played guitar throughout the album. What seems to be confirmed is that Page, who played as a hired session guitarist** on almost everybody's record recorded in London at the time, played acoustic and 12-string guitar on a couple of tracks.
** In addition to Page, the legendary keyboardist Jon Lord (Deep Purple) was also rumored to be in these sessions as well.
*** The two most well-known songs on this record are, of course, "You Really Got Me" and "Stop Your Sobbing", which sort of become a yin and yang of the record. One is abrasive, punkish and full of 'tude; the other is more contemplative, apologetic and is performed in more of a 1950's teen idol style. One is written by Davies as a streetwise Angry Young Man; the other still has plenty of bite, but is written by a sweeter, more nostalgic young man. Both are great and both even had great success while being covered by bands in the late 70's (Van Halen & The Pretenders, respectively!)
Finally, it should be mentioned that the record we've been spinning tonight is part of a Kinks' reissue series to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Its beautifully remastered and restored to its original Mono. On 180 gram vinyl, its doubtful that this album ever sounded so goddamned good!
RATING: 4.5 bald headed women gonna make me mean, yes, love, it'll make me mean out of 5
