Kinks, by the Kinks, opens with a vocal that’s more distorted than the electric guitars that accompany it. The crunchiness of Ray Davies’ voice doesn’t come from it being sung through an amplifier or as a by-product of some studio trick. Rather, it’s distorted because he sings with monstrous, legendary intensity. That’s rock ‘n roll for you. Kinks gets my vote for the best album of 1964 that I’ve never heard (until now, of course).1
Released on October 2, 1964 and produced by Shel Talmy, Kinks showcases Ray Davies’ razor sharp songwriting and dazzling vocal prowess. “You Really Got Me” stands out as the obvious best track, but “So Mystifying” and “Stop Your Sobbing” show Davies’ writing potential. Like many albums of the era, most of the songs on Kinks are cover versions. “Too Much Monkey Business” and “Beautiful Delilah,” both originally performed and written by Chuck Berry, stand out as remarkable interpretations.
Kinks exemplifies the “Mersey Beat” or “Beat” sound. The Beatles popularized the Mersey sound in the prior year with their stand out albums, Please Please Me and With the Beatles. The Beat sound synthesized American rock ‘n roll, skiffle, and British pop music and features a strong back beat, (Hint: listen for the snare drum to hit on beats 2 and 4). Authentic Mersey records consist of live band performances with minimal overdubs. The personality of the players and the dynamics of the band are impossible to mask on these early rock ‘n roll recordings.
And, therein lies the cool thing about music in 1964. The Zombies, Herman’s Hermits, the Animals, the Kinks, and the Beatles all played American rock ‘n roll covers. But each band performed the same songs so very differently. “Long Tall Sally,” a Little Richard song covered by both the Kinks and the Beatles, takes on a completely different life depending on who plays it.
Davies’ songwriting is the shining star of Kinks. His vocal performances and his brother’s approach to guitar are much more rambunctious than most other Beat bands–that’s one thing that makes Kinks such a fun album. The greatest weakness of Kinks is the lack of original songs, but that’s more a function of the times than a deficiency of the band. It wasn’t until A Hard Day’s Night by the Beatles (also released in 1964) that a rock band wrote every single song on a chart topping album. Kinks is a welcome addition to my music collection.
B+
Bonus: “You Really Got Me” (Live) + some awesome folk dancing
| Year | Featured Album | Other Notable Albums |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Kinks by the Kinks | A Hard Day’s Night by the Beatles Beatles for Sale by the Beatles |