The other day I was watching an episode of the Sopranos. I heard a song that I hadn’t heard in years. The song 
blasted through the Bada Bing as the Bing girls AKA “The Most Lethargic Strippers in History”, wiped down the poles. I knew I had heard the song before but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It had the classic rock vibe but I couldn’t attribute it to any of the heavy hitters that I’d come to attribute with “strip club” rock. So what do you do in these types of situations? You turn to Google. That oh so comfortable security blanket that is there for us not so much hardcore research. Mostly for ending stupid arguments at bar tables over either who starred in Jungle 2 Jungle or when Ace of Bass got together. Turned out the song that I couldn’t shake was in fact Living On A Thing Line by The Kinks. The song got me thinking. I grew up listening to a lot of The Kinks, but I’ll be damned if it sounded anything like this. The guys had some serious talent and some serious range. I love these guys and that’s why were are taking a moment to salute them with this week’s ARTIST OF THE WEEK: LEGEND segment. Here we go. The Kinks.
The Kinks jumped onto the scene in the early 60’s. The original lineup consisted of the Davies brothers, Dave and Ray, along with their friends Mick Avory, and Pete Quaife. At that time the guys were riding the wave of the British Invasion. Brit pop was hitting it’s peak with the Beatles. Their first real success was seen with their 3rd and 4th singles You Really Got Me and All Day and All of The Night.
It was those two songs that really spawned my love for dirty, simplistic garage rock. This was the band that turned me on to groups like, Cheeseburger, The Strokes, and The White Stripes. It had a soul to it. There was power behind sound that I thought was missing from most music. Big thing to realize is thes
e songs were from the early 60’s. This wasn’t exactly a time of aggression in music. But there is the beginning of punk on those records. Many metal/rock bands contribute the Kinks as heavy influences and you can definitely hear what they mean.
While these songs were fast paced and aggressive over the years we saw that The Kinks also had a sense of humor. They could slow it down and make songs with the British tongue in cheek that most people have come to know. Songs like Lola, a poppy ballad about meeting a lovely lady in a bar who turns out not to be a lady at all.
Then one of my favorites Ape Man, a lovely satire about abandoning human society and rejoining the jungle.
Even with all the tongue and cheek and early punk incantations they branch out yet again with their poppier tracks like Victoria, Well Respected Man, and Sunny Afternoon.
To cap it all off they recorded the greatest Christmas song of all time, Father Christmas.
I realize most of the time I write legendary segments they are dedicated to history, and The Kinks certainly have a very tumultuous one, but I didn’t want to do that here today. The line up changed over time, sure, but the core stayed the same. I didn’t want to get into the infighting or which Brit band overshadowed which. All I want is for all of you to kick back, and listen to some god damn Kinks songs. Their style is timeless.
Big Hugs,
Kelly
