Pop Kulcher

gravatar
Member Since: 7/1/2002
Total Mixes: 376
Total Feedback: 895

A Kinks Kronology, 1970-1984 (2-CD Deluxe Edition)

Side A
Artist Song
The Kinks  Lola 
The Kinks  Strangers 
The Kinks  Get Back In Line 
The Kinks  This Time Tomorrow 
The Kinks  A Long Way From Home 
The Kinks  Apeman 
The Kinks  God's Children 
The Kinks  The Way Love Used To Be 
The Kinks  Animals In The Zoo 
The Kinks  Dreams 
The Kinks  Skin & Bone 
The Kinks  Alcohol 
The Kinks  Have A Cuppa Tea 
The Kinks  Oklahoma USA 
The Kinks  Muswell Hillbilly 
The Kinks  Here Comes Yet Another Day 
The Kinks  Sitting In My Hotel 
The Kinks  Motorway 
The Kinks  Celluloid Heroes 
The Kinks  Daylight 
The Kinks  Sweet Lady Genevieve 
The Kinks  Where Are They Now? 
The Kinks  Here Comes Flash 
Side B
ArtistSongBuy
The Kinks  Salvation Road 
The Kinks  Everybody's A Star 
The Kinks  Have Another Drink 
The Kinks  Ducks On The Wall 
The Kinks  The Hard Way 
The Kinks  No More Looking Back 
The Kinks  Sleepwalker 
The Kinks  Juke Box Music 
The Kinks  Father Christmas 
The Kinks  Prince Of The Punks 
The Kinks  A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy 
The Kinks  (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman 
The Kinks  Attitude 
The Kinks  Pressure 
The Kinks  National Health 
The Kinks  Around The Dial 
The Kinks  Destroyer 
The Kinks  Better Things 
The Kinks  Come Dancing 
The Kinks  Do It Again 
The Kinks  Living On A Thin Line 

Comment:

The second of two 2-cd compilations (see also 1964-1969) tracing the evolution of one of history's greatest bands, and one that documents a band in a bit of artistic decline yet still offering some truly legendary moments. 1970's Lola album was (IMHO) their last truly indispensable album (albeit one with some weak points), with the title track an obvious classic and "This Time Tomorrow" perhaps my favorite Kinks track (one which finally got some attention on a Wes Anderson soundtrack, so I guess I'm not alone). After that they entered their theatrical period, trying out a range of styles from Americana to showtunes, and while each of the next few albums had some great songs, they also had an increasing number of clunkers -- and by Soap Opera and Schoolboys in Disgrace, some of the music was almost painful to hear. By the late 70's, Ray Davies went back to arena mode, dropping the concept albums for some more straightforward (if frequently bland) rock and roll. Can't say I listen to much from the latter-day Kinks aside from the tunes selected here, though I do have a soft spot for some of Low Budget's riff-crazy hard rock, and 1981's Give The People What They Want had some really great tunes (though I didn't include many here). So, I suppose on the whole the final disc here is a bit expendable, but still packed with a respectable number of classic rock radio staples for a band which had been kicking around so long. (There were a few post-1984 Kinks albums, none of which I ever bothered buying.)
image for mix

Feedback:

gravatar
anthony lombardi
Date: 11/25/2007
the fact that "long distance" - one of my favorite kinks tracks (mostly because of personal association, but also because it's as good as ray davies got during the latter part of their career - beautiful & wistful like he hadn't been for a decade) - is MIA is a bit puzzling to me, but is more than made up for with "this time tomorrow," "strangers & "sweet lady genevieve" (their long-forgotten masterpiece).
gravatar
Rob Conroy
Date: 11/26/2007
Yowza. I'm sure that you and Sean will champion most of this stuff, but I can't really back you up on it. All of the material on Disc 1 through "Muswell Hillbilly" is to-die-for classic, and I do adore "Sweet Lady Genevieve," but most of the rest of this does little-to-nothing for me. I really think that these guys did decline pretty seriously right around then.
gravatar
Sean Lally
Date: 11/26/2007
STILL GREAT, OF COURSE. I'd hit "State of Confusion" a little heavier - much heavier, actually. I think that's the last great Kinks album ("Long distance", which may be a cassette-only track - I can't recall; "Young conservatives", and more). I think that was the first tour I ever saw them on.
AGAIN - GREATEST ... BAND ... EVER.
gravatar
Sean Lally
Date: 11/26/2007
Also - Lola, to my ears, has no really weak songs. The more recent "To the bone" has super great studio tracks, and "Hatred" is a great song. But no matter, I am to the Kinks what Rob is to McCartney - a true blue fan.

Serious decline? Couldn't disagree more. They changed, sure, but they were always (ALWAYS) a phenomenal live act. And unlike, say, the Stones most of the post-"critical" period stuff is still mostly very good.
gravatar
Mark Petruccelli
Date: 11/27/2007
Love all four discs, but I must say that going from the first set to the second is like listening to two different bands.
gravatar
G-Sphere
Date: 11/30/2007
Another great collection.