The Kinks - Kinks (The Ultimate Collection)
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Free Music Notes for Kinks (The Ultimate Collection)
Free Music Review: Definitive hits collection plus rarities and B-sides
Hit: 5 Stars
The first CD of this collection contains all of their UK hits in chronological order, from their first success (You really got me) in 1964 to their last (Don't forget to dance) in 1983. All the classic songs are here including You really got me, All day and all of the night, Tired of waiting for you, Dedicated follower of fashion, Well respected man, Sunny afternoon, Waterloo sunset, Autumn almanac, Days, Lola and Apeman. It also includes Dave's two solo UK hits - Death of a clown and Susannah's still alive (inserted in their correct places chronologically between the other Kinks hits).
Being presented in chronological order, this CD shows their progression from their musical roots in R+B to more of a mainstream pop group and continually changing their style thereafter. Nevertheless, their songs were always distinctive because of Ray's talent for making ordinary situations into extraordinary songs. My favorite Kinks song is Waterloo sunset, a huge UK hit but not an American hit. It is about romance at a railway station that I am familiar with, though I cannot possibly imagine what inspired Ray to write that song, but he was a genius.
The second CD is less instantly appealing, containing a mix of B-sides and rarities as well as songs that were hits for others although not for the Kinks, including David Watts (a minor UK hit for punk-rockers The Jam) and Stop your sobbing (a minor UK hit for the Pretenders). If you enjoy listening to more than just the hits, you will find plenty to interest you here.
The best tribute to the quality of the Kinks' songs lies in the diversity of the covers that have been recorded by singers in several genres of music. Apart from the aforementioned tracks by the Jam and the Pretenders, Kirsty MacColl (Days), the Stranglers (All day and all of the night), Petula Clark (Days - and a French version of Well respected man), Cathy Dennis (Waterloo sunset, Sunny afternoon), Green day (Tired of waiting for you), Jimmy Buffett (Sunny afternoon), Van Halen (You really got me) and Barb Jungr (Waterloo sunset) are among those who have covered Kinks songs.
Despite the brilliance of some of the covers, here you get the chance to hear the original versions of their classic songs, plus a selection of their other music.
Free Music Review: Kan't lose with the Kinks
Hit: 4 Stars
Cool overview of the their fairly long career. I'm a sucker for their raw early stuff so the first disc is naturally my favorite. However I was surprised to hear some pretty cool songs from the 70's and 80's that I was previously unfamiliar with. I'd like to see see a few more oldies in here though!
...still a very neat set.
Free Music Review: Nice Collection, But You Need The Albums
Hit: 5 Stars
I won't go into much detail with this review, suffice to say that is a very good collection that covers a lot of ground. What it doesn't quite do successfully however is demonstrate just why the Kinks were so great - sure, it has the classics like "Sunny Afternoon", "Waterloo Sunset" and "Lola", as well as a number of quality album tracks, but it under-represents the period where they were at their most brilliant (and quintessentially British!) - i.e the Village Green and Arthur albums. So while you can listen to this collection and appreciate that these songs are terrific, you don't really get too much of a sense of why this band was so important and why, for that matter, they were so influential to the Britpop bands (particularly Blur, with their Parklife and Great Escape albums). Having said that, I think this is a useful collection because it covers all of the high points of their earlier work, when their albums weren't consistent. I think if you get this set, Face to Face, Something Else..., Village Green..., Arthur..., Lola vs Powerman and Muswell Hillbillies, and possibly Kink Kontroversy, then you have the best of the Kinks and all you really need.Free Music Review: The second cd is the one to listen to!
Hit: 5 Stars
I got this from Amazon.com a few years back. The one change I would have made would have been to arrange the songs chronologically. The first cd has all the big hits except for Well Respected Man. Oddly enough, I didn't enjoy the first cd at first. The second cd blew me away - it is the best. From the start of cd 2 - (David Watts) - I love every song, especially Dandy, Mr. Pleasant, I Gotta Move, Who'll Be the Next in Line, I Need You. After repeated listenings, I fell in love with the first cd as well. While I take a pass on such songs as All day and all of the night, I fell in love with songs such as Set me free, See my friend, Till the end of the day, Death of a clown etc. So yes, I was wrong when I first reviewed this, the first cd is fabulous and so is the second one. I enjoy Ray Davies' songs the best - he wrote/writes wry, funny lyrics. Ray in my opinion has a seat right up there in the front with Lennon & McCartney, Mick and Keith and the other best Brits of the 60's. Celluloid Heroes is another gem. What I still can't figure out is whether the Kinks were influenced by the Beatles or whether they themselves influenced the Beatles. Doesn't matter, this set is a pleasure to listen to.Free Music Review: AS ESSENTIAL AS IT CAN GET FOLKS (5.0)
Hit: 5 Stars
Far surpassing any previous collection, this Kinks collection is definitely, droolworthy. The Ultimate Collection is a very complete look at one of rocks greatest bands in just a 2 disc set. I could sit here and name off tunes I wish they would've included, but that is really a waste of time. both The Kinks and Sanctuary Records have outdone themselves with what has been chosen for these incredible discs.
You get all the hits, of course there is Lola and You Really Got Me, as well as personal faves, Stop Your Sobbing, Waterloo Sunset and Tired of Waiting For You. I could really go on and on. But for once the British music press have nailed it, this is indeed essential to anyone's stash of music.