VIDEO'S OF THE WEEK - THE KINKS

[Niels (Mod)]

VOTW - THE KINKS special

I guess a lot of "Heavy-rock people", became familiar wih the band(name) The Kinks, when they learnt, that Van Halen's "You eally Got Me" was a cover-song. I knew the band The Kinks, when I heard VH's version back in late '78 (or January ´79, my memory ain't THAT good anymore), but I definitely wasn't a fan. It was a 60's band like The Beatles, and not the kind of music, a "normal" 13 year old danish kid would listen to in the late 70's. But later, I realized, that I had always loved the song "Lola", ever since I first heard it in the start of the 70's, but it took me quite a while, before I bought my first Kinks-album, a double "Best of" in 2001, I think. I didn't like much other than "Lola" on the album at first, but after a while, I realized, that this music was pure gold, and that Ray Davies was one of the greatest Pop/rock-song-writers of all time. I then bought a few "real" Kinks-albums, "Vilage Green Preservation", "Arthur" and "Muswell Hilbillies", and have been a fan ever since. After the Keith Moon-book I just read, I'm now reading a book about...yes, you guessed it: The Kinks!!

THE KINKS - SEE MY FRIENDS

"See My Friends" is like most Kinks-songs, written by Ray Davies. Released in 1965, it reached #10 on the UK Singles Chart. A rare foray into psychedelic rock for the group, it is credited by Jonathan Bellman as the first Western rock song to integrate Indian raga sounds, being released six months before the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)".

The song is sometimes mistitled "See My Friend", because this is how the song was identified on the initial UK single pressing. However, the website of Kassner Music, which owns the publishing rights to the song, specifies the title as "See My Friends", which are also the words Davies clearly sings throughout the track. Most subsequent issues of the song have borne the more familiar "See My Friends" title.Ray Davies has been heard to say the song is about the death of his older sister, Rene, who lived for a time in Ontario, Canada. Upon her return to England she fell ill due to an undiagnosed hole in her heart and died while dancing at a night club. Just before she died, he has said, she gave him his first guitar for his 13th birthday.

Inspiration for the song came from a stopover in Bombay during The Kinks' 1965 Asian tour, where the jetlagged Davies encountered fishermen chanting on their way to their morning work.Ray Davies, at the time of the song's release, expressed disappointment toward the single's lukewarm reception, saying "[It's] the only one I've really liked, and they're not buying it. You know, I put everything I've got into it ... I can't even remember what the last one ["Set Me Free"] was called - nothing. It makes me think they must be morons or something. Look, I'm not a great singer, nor a great writer, not a great musician. But I do give everything I have ... and I did for this disc".

THE KINKS - MR. PLEASANT

"Mister Pleasant" is lyrically somewhat similar to the earlier track "A Well Respected Man", as it satirizes the heedless complacency of a nouveau riche who, for all his newfound worldly success, is but a foolish cuckold. Musically, the song has strong English Music Hall influences and a "trad jazz" backing that features a trombone and ragtime-style piano (played by Nicky Hopkins).

THE KINKS - LOLA

"Lola" details a romantic encounter between a young man and a possible transvestite he meets in a club in Soho, London, with the narrator describing his confusion towards a person named Lola who "walked like a woman and talked like a man". Although Ray Davies claims that the incident was inspired by a true encounter experienced by the band's manager, alternate explanations for the song's true meaning have been spread by fans and drummer Mick Avory. Released in June 1970, in the UK on the 12th and in the USA on the 28th, the single reached #2 in the UK charts and #9 in the US. However, due to its controversial subject matter, the single received backlash and even bans from some groups. Despite this, the track has since become one of The Kinks' most iconic and popular songs, later being ranked 422nd on the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It's definitly my favorite Kinks-song.

THE KINKS - VICTORIA

This is the opening track on the band's 1969 concept album Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire).In Ray Davies' satirical style, the lyrics juxtapose the grim realities of life in Britain during the 19th century ("Sex was bad, and obscene/And the rich were so mean") with the paternalist aspirations of the British Empire in the Victorian age ("From the West to the East/From the rich to the poor/Victoria loved them all"), and expresses the simple adulation of queen and country by the downtrodden working class ("Though I am poor, I am free/When I grow I shall fight/For this land I shall die").The production begins with a simple heavy rock electric blues guitar riff, carried through each verse and chorus, while the "Land of hope and gloria" bridge and raucous background vocals from Dave Davies build to an exultant climax of brass, played by a group not generally known for being anywhere near that patriotic.

THE KINKS - DAYS

Again written by Ray Davies, released as a single in 1968. It also appeared on an early version of the album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (released only in continental Europe and New Zealand), and now appears as a bonus track of the remastered CD. One of my Top 5 favorive Kinks-songs.The song was an important single for Davies and the Kinks, coming in a year of declining commercial fortunes for the band. The song had been intended as an album track but after the relative failure of the previous single "Wonderboy" (which only reached No. 36 in the UK), "Days" was rushed out as a single with an old unreleased track "She's Got Everything" (recorded in February 1966 in the same session as "Dedicated Follower of Fashion") as the B-side. It reached No. 12 on the UK chart, but failed to chart in the U.S. This did not help future releases however as the next four Kinks singles failed to reach the top 30 (two of them failing to chart altogether) in the UK.

[Scott]

You know, the fact that most of us got to know who the Kinks were because of Van Halen is true in my case, but also, around the same time, Dr Dimento was playing Weird Al's parody of Lola titled Yoda...  Just sayin' I can't tell you which introduction to the Kinks came first for me, but it was definitely one of the two...

See My Friend is 100% new to me.  But I was afraid that the bass player was going to take one to the chin with his guitar!  It wasn't something that was very good, and it doesn't really help my opinion of them either.

Mr Pleasant.  There's something about songs that are lyrically like a letter or as dialogue that's strange to me.  Kind feels mailed-in. The drummer seems to feel the same as I do, uninterested...  But at least the bass player fixed his strap (or is that a different bassist?) and who knew they had flying V's back then!

Lola I like, but its hard to hear without Weird Al's Yoda coming to mind.  Is it just me or is it difficult to take the band seriously.  Their stage act is more silly than serious.

Victoria-toria-toria...  hahahaha.  I think it took them just as long to write that lyric as it did for me to type it!  Maybe even less time!

Days is easily the best track posted here, kinda wished they'd take themselves this seriously more often, it shows what they are capable of.

All the videos were entertaining however, the music didn't change my opinion of the band as a whole.  Any reason you avoided Come Dancing?

[Niels (Mod)]

I thought about "Come Dancing", but that song (even though, I like it) is not among my favorite Kinks-songs. And I do prefer the Kinks from the 60's (Lola is an exception, off course). I don't understand, what you mean about taking themselves more serious? It was their style. All of the above songs are favorites of mine. Maybe they were too english for americans? The Kinks were the original Heavy Rock-band. I also thought about posting "All Day And All Of The Night", and I guess it would had been a better choice for you, Scott?! I'm glad you didn't write 60 zzzzz's like you do, when I post Jethro Tull :-)

[Scott]

Don't think they were to English for me at least.  Just thought their stage presence in the first 3 videos seemed a bit less serious.  Its a killer post still, sorry if that didn't come across well, I think its important to to listen and see these foundational bands.  Keep up the good work my danish friend!!!

[Niels (Mod)]

Thanks for watching and comment :-)

[RJhog (Admin)]

See My Friends - Just a performance video.  I'm pretty sure that's about all anybody shot back then.  They forgot to put "inks" in their sign.  The song I've never heard.  It's not bad at all.  The harmonies are really good.  Probably not the greatest Kinks song ever, but I like it okay.  

Mr. Pleasant - Another performance video.  Really just the band being a bit goofy.  Especially the guy walking around with the trombone.  But listen, this sounds like it could have easily been a Beatles tune.  Again, the harmony vocals, and the vocals in general, are very good.  And one more thing.  What band that came after The Kinks undoubtedly were influenced by them?  It's quite obvious from this song to me.  That band would be another power pop powerhouse, but from this side of the pond.  Cheap Trick.  This could have easily been a CT song.  I like it.  And even th drumming style reminds me of Bun E. Carlos.

Lola -  I've always liked this song, but this listen was truly outstanding.  How Stones"ish" is this song?  Very Stones"ish".  I have never, ever noticed that before.  That guitar is amazing and sounds just like The Rolling Stones.  Who influenced who?  The vocals too.  Dang, maybe I've just been missing out.  Never noticed how good the vocals are on this before.  And Davies (he's the vocalist, right), plays this video very cool.  I like the band fully "plugged up".  Great pick here.

Victoria -  Not bad, but probably the weakest track so far for me.  What I do like is that bass.  Very nice and aggressive.  But the song, I think, is a little too crowded.  It seems stuffed with too much going on.  The video is more of the same, just performance.

Days - Is that Ray Davies or Caitlyn Jenner on lead vocals?  This one was also okay, nothing particularly memorable for me.  

So, three strong songs out of five for me.  I think I need a greatest hits disc by The Kinks.  My only real memory of them is from the Low Budget album.  And I always liked it, I just never bought it or anything else.  My cousin had Low Budget and I have since found a vinyl copy of it for a buck.  I actually have it ripped and on my iPod.  Maybe I'll listen to it soon.  Very nice post Niels.

[Niels (Mod)]

Thank you very much.

May I recommend "The Kinks - The Ultimate Collection":

This double-album has most of the best stuff, and it's still the album, I put on, when I want to listen to The Kinks.

I think, you're right about CT being influenced. Even The Who were influenced by The Kinks, and of course many, many other bands.

But I don't think The Stones were. That was probably the other way around. The Kinks-drummer Mick Avory was for a brief periode a drummer for The Stones, before Charlie Watts.

Reading the book about the Kinks, I learned, that Rod Stewart was for a very brief moment in the band, but before they called themselves The Kinks, or were told to call themselves The Kinks.