960 The Kinks - The Kink Kontroversy (1965)

 960 The Kinks - The Kink Kontroversy (1965)

Studio Album - Pop Rock



About the Act:

The Kinks were an English Rock band from 1964-1996 and reformed in 2018. The main songwriter and front-man of the band is Ray Davies, along with his brother Dave, have been the backbone of the band.  

In the early days they started out as hard rock, breaking into success with You really got me. They pioneered a gritty guitar sound which has been emulated in many ways by many bands since. A couple of years later, they moved away from the rocky, American sound. This somewhat coincided with a band from performing in America. This move was towards a more English sound, which incorporated elements of Folk and Music Hall, and featured witty observational songs of working class life. This approach lasted for several years and albums. In the early 70s they took another twist into a more theatrical sound for a few albums, at which point their popularity waned. Towards the end of the 70s they signed to a different label, and at the label's insistence went back to their hard rock roots. This brought them success and they became an arena rock band. A few year later they took another twist and became more poppy (typified by the single Come Dancing. Eventually, they split up.

They have been one of the most influential bands in English Pop and their legacy of working class London storytelling songs can be seen in bands like Madness, Blur and Punk bands.


About the Album:

This was the third album by the Kinks, and the first to have the same track listing in the US as in the UK. The name came about as a result of the notorious reputation of the band, which around this time led to them being banned from gigging in the USA. It is a transitional album between their earlier Hard Rock/Blues Rock sound, and a more contemplative, gentler sound which involved more thoughtful songwriting.


My History with this Album:

None


Review:

It's good but it's not great. 

This is 1965, and the bar is pretty low for depth of lyrics in the pop/rock market. Later, this is where the Kinks excel, but I have to say, not yet. The inklings are there but they have a way to go.  So we are looking at the music. There are two sides to the music, the rock side which is pretty good. This is the Kinks after all, and their legacy to the world of Hard Rock is well established, "All Day and All of the Night" is a classic. On this album "Milk Cow Blues" is good, but not great.

I could go on, and I'm sure there are a plethora of people more expert in 1960s music, of the legacy of The Kinks, and it's even possible that one of them will read this. I'm sorry, I tried to like it more. It is pretty good, but I failed to love it. 


6.5/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6CkUizIuE5xqy2MwfkbsCM

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLALZtwXPtUFIBRnJSw46y9ogThV-KNA1L

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kink_Kontroversy



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