Red Mosquito

darth_vedder wrote:

Let's all laugh at Rangers wrote:As Londoner Waterloo Sunset means a lot to me. I was heavily into the kinks and motorhead during autumn 2007. I'd just started riding my scooter the country way home, listening to them while eating Turkish delight from my honeymoon was absolute bliss.

This makes me think of Village Green

What are y'alls thoughts on "Mr. Churchill"? I think it's one of their absolute best. The ending jam is so good. You can totally hear in the guitar parts how the Kinks were a big influence on heavy metal guys. Specifically at the 3:37 mark. Add fuzz/distortion to those guitars and bamo-whamo, you got metal

Love that song. When I used to drive to work at 5 in the morning, the moment when the siren goes off, made me feel like I was driving through the apocolypse.

ABCO or whatever they're called are cnts

Here's an article from a few days ago, touching on my post from last week. An interesting read none the less.
http://workplacechoice.org/2013/05/06/g ... nion-jack/

stip wrote:

darth_vedder wrote:God I love the Kinks! Now that is an underrated band. I know everyone knows a handful of songs, but it seems like there are tons who don't really know the depths of their catalog.

Stip, do you have an opinion on the Kinks? You seem to really dissect lyrics, and it doesn't get much better than Ray Davies.

I don't know the kinks very well, actually. I had to youtube waterloo sunset. if people want to recommend something I'll take a listen when I get a chance (this is a crowded week at work though). I should include the caveat from the start that in general I'm not a fan of that 60's sound (with some exceptions here or there. There are plenty of songs I like from the 60s), they will be pushing uphill.

I almost certainly like them better than the beatles already

Check out this album:

Here are some songs for you stip...check 'em out when you have time.

"Victoria"


"Village Green"


"David Watts"


"Days"


"This Time Tomorrow"


"Strangers"


"20th Century Man"


"Daylight"


"Dedicated Follower Of Fashion"

Outside of Lola and Destroyer I don't know their post 60s output at all. I'm not really in a Kinks head space right now but next time I'm feeling British I'm gonna have to change that.

Darth, you need to take a page out of DcT's book with this stuff. Pick like 3 songs to start, and then, after I express some curiosity, parcel them out to me in manageable chunks.

So in case I am not immediately charmed enough to listen to all of that, which are the ones you think are the safest place to start?

I do quite enjoy Lola, if that helps you make the call

I do enjoy Yoda more than any beatles song

Goes without saying.

Start with Arthur, or Village Green.

Man, Village Green is so fucking great.

I'd say start with a Greatest Hits package with all those amazing singles that didn't necessarily make the albums. Then go for Something Else, Arthur and Muswell Hillbillies in that order. From 67-74 you can't really go wrong for exquisite British pop. From 74 to 77 is a lot of musicals or concept albums, still very good but a tad less accessible. From around 1978 onwards they started writing albums tailor made for US arena crowds. Lots of big hard rock riffs etc.

One of the problems with the Kinks, at least in terms of America, is that a lot of their catalog is out of print, or just plain uncommon. This is true for many of their great albums. "Face To Face" hasn't been available in America AT ALL since the late 60's! This is unacceptable in 2013 and it's why a lot of people are still clueless when it comes to The Kinks.

The other problem is that there has never been a good, solid box set or anthology release to indoctrinate new fans. The "Greatest Hits" CD that was popular in America for many years only goes up to 1966. The majority of their "Greatest Hits" releases in other countries are one disc and don't cover nearly enough ground. Yet the "box set" they released in Europe is six fucking discs which is about 2 or 3 discs too many, plus all the early stuff is mono and the mastering is shit.

I haven't seen a comprehensive greatest hits either. The Kinks were on a lot of labels and I'm not sure if they ever owned the rights to their songs. Hopefully one day Rhino will put together the kind of perspective collection they deserve.

I listened to a few of those, DV. While I liked them more than the beatles, I wasn't a fan. I can see the appeal (I can see the appeal of the beatles too)but I don't share it and don't see what it is about a band like this that would cause people to declare them one of the all time greats not just on the basis of historical importance, but the overall quality of the music.

Not a fan of the singer(s?) voice, and the low-fi 60s aesthetic never appealed to me. Does their sound change or evolve much?


I heard Victoria, Village Green, and Dedicated Follower of Fashion (maybe my favorite)

stip wrote:I listened to a few of those, DV. While I liked them more than the beatles, I wasn't a fan. I can see the appeal (I can see the appeal of the beatles too)but I don't share it and don't see what it is about a band like this that would cause people to declare them one of the all time greats not just on the basis of historical importance, but the overall quality of the music.

Not a fan of the singer(s?) voice, and the low-fi 60s aesthetic never appealed to me. Does their sound change or evolve much?


I heard Victoria, Village Green, and Dedicated Follower of Fashion (maybe my favorite)

I think the songs you listened to are all pretty different.

Also check out "Strangers", "20th Century Man", and "Daylight" (all posted above, and all pretty different sounding).

As they 70's moved along, the Kinks changed from a pub / alt. country sound (Muswell Hillbillies) to Rock Opera (Preservation Act 1 and 2, School Boys In Disgrace, and Soap Opera), to Arena Rock in the late 70's and 80's (Low Budget, Give the People What They Want).

You may like these two songs. The first one is "On The Outside" from their '77 album 'Sleepwalkers'. The other is "No More Looking Back" from 'School Boys in Disgrace'.

Stip, have you tried the Arthur album? Give the song "Brainwashed" a go.

stip wrote:I listened to a few of those, DV. While I liked them more than the beatles, I wasn't a fan. I can see the appeal (I can see the appeal of the beatles too)but I don't share it and don't see what it is about a band like this that would cause people to declare them one of the all time greats not just on the basis of historical importance, but the overall quality of the music.

How is it even possible for anyone, anywhere to listen to a few songs by an artist and be able to claim that they can or cannot see how a band can be declared "all time greats not just on the basis of historical importance, but the overall quality of the music"?

Explain to me what the couple of songs would have had to sound like for you to be able to say that you can see why they're revered and not just because history tells them to.

You could give me the best 3 songs of any artist ever and I wouldn't make a claim to be able to see how they're one of history's best bands.