Give latter-day Kinks tracks a chance... pretty pleaseDecember 22, 2008 Mr. G. Jones(North Wales) 6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Now, every review I have read from 'professional critics' (or so they call themselves) have cited the early Kinks, namely 1964-1972 as the 'Golden Years', where all their classics are to be found. This taken into consideration, the first half of this box set would be deemed excellent. They also consider the rest of The Kinks' output, save for one or two tracks from the early 80s, as lacklustre. I heartily disagree. Such classics as 'Scattered' and 'Drift Away' from the 90s Phobia album are surely peeks in Ray Davies' songwriting career. Come now, listen again to those sorely neglected later tracks and enjoy them anew.
Not quite perfect!December 13, 2008 D. Wright 15 out of 18 found this review helpful
With the release of this box set I can only think of The Rolling Stones and Neil Young of major 60's / 70's bands and artists who are without some sort of comprehensive box set either featuring a mixture of their best stuff and rarities, or in cases such as The Jam, Cream, CCR, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Genesis, etc, complete box sets of virtually everything they've ever done. Bands such as Deep Purple, Yes, ELP, The Doors, and The Band have actually had more than one box set over the years as the history of classic rock becomes ever longer and is treated with correspondingly increased reverence. It seems rather bizarre now to think that this music was once thought of as disposal pap and you couldn't find books about it for love nor money. Now bookshop, music shop and library shelves groan under the pressure of scholarly rock music tomes and weighty box sets of the music as rock is revered in the same way classical music once was.
So we come to the Kinks, perhaps (apart from the Stones) the last major band not to have had this kind of box set. It seems odd that it's taken so long when their great contemporaries the Who released their box set getting on for fifteen years ago. There are of course three Kinks box sets available of their complete album releases respectively on Pye, RCA and Arista. However in the case of the Pye box the bonus tracks included on the individual releases are missing, which means that many of their great non album singles aren't included! This is therefore the first Kinks box set to span their entire career on various labels and actually going beyond the Arista years right up to the end. It also includes a full booklet, although the albums included in the complete boxes all had excellent, detailed liner notes.
Although as I say in my review of the Arista Years box the Kinks are one of my three favourite bands ever together with the Beatles and the Beach Boys I do think the quality of their music fell away in the 1980's - not though in the 1970's as many critics suggest. It is also apparent from this box that, apart from their singles and the odd album track such as `Stop Your Sobbing', that early Kinks were relatively average and not that distinctive from countless other' beat groups.' It was only from `A Well Respected Man' onwards that Ray Davies really found his distinctive voice and went on to become arguably the greatest British pop songwriter (and that includes Lennon and McCartney!) As I said in an earlier review and as is acknowledged in the booklet here what made the Kinks great was their variety and Ray's brilliant lyrics and melodies. This is I think why Ray has to be rated above most other great British pop/rock writer/performers such as Pete Townshend, Roy Wood, David Bowie and Jagger/Richards. All are great but lack Ray's variety and when they do stray from their usual direction aren't usually as convincing as Ray is. Only the Beatles had greater variety than the Kinks and Lennon and McCartney as solo artists were I believe generally inferior to the Kinks. I must confess that I actually play the Kinks a lot more than I play the Beatles as they haven't suffered from the Fabs over exposure.
Whilst this box is great in many ways I do have to knock off one star. I realise not everything can be included and tastes are subjective but there are quite a few irritations. As I say much on the first disc is forgettable as the Kinks first three albums before the brilliant Face To Face were relatively ordinary, certainly without the non album singles which were included in the 1990's re-releases and which doubled the quality of those albums. It is therefore rather annoying that two great album tracks from Kinda Kinks: `Don't Ever Change' and Something Better Beginning' are omitted when inferior early material is included on the first disc. I realise that attitudes to the concept album years of the mid 70's are very subjective but I do think those albums did contain some brilliant songs as well as some rubbish and again some of my favourite songs such as `Underneath The Neon Sign' and `Ordinary People' from Soap Opera and `Schooldays' and `The First Time We Fall In Love from Schoolboys in Disgrace are all omitted, indeed there is only one track from `Schoolboys'. Similarly I believe `Oh Where Is The Love,' `Nothing Lasts Forever,' and `Scrapheap City' from Preservation Act 2 are all better than `Artificial Man' one of the two tracks included from that album - the other being the excellent single `Mirror Of Love' A much more serious flaw however is the inclusion of alternative versions of three of the Kinks greatest songs, `Dedicated Follower of Fashion' is the alternate take originally included as a bonus track on the Kink Kontroversey reissue. It is little different, but inferior to the released take, whilst the demo version of `Come Dancing' is markedly inferior to the released version. Most damaging of all though is the unaccountable decision to include a dreadful low fi version of `Dead End Street', which sounds even worse coming as it does after the lovely `End of The Season.' I initially thought there was something wrong with the disc or my player! I realise that box sets often do include different or rare versions, but `Dead End Street' is a major song in the Kinks catalogue and shouldn't be treated this way. Either save this kind of treatment for minor songs or at least include the well known version as well. It will be argued that Kinks fans will already have the song in its well known incarnation, but many people might be buying this box as their only Kinks material or to replace old discs and they would want all the hits as they know them. Apart from these three all the other big hits are included in their `proper' versions. Another minor quibble is the omission of the catchy late 60's single `Wonderboy'. Okay so it wasn't a hit but nor were nearly all the Kinks singles in the 70's and they have all been included. Some of the previously genuinely unreleased songs (in the sense that they haven't already been released as bonus tracks) on disc 5 are okay without being earth shattering and in general the better material from the Kinks latter inconsistent years has been selected. The booklet written by Pete Doggett who was responsible for many of the earlier liner notes is quite good and informative, although it does contain a real howler as it discusses the excellent rarity 'When I Turn Off The Living Room Light' It says it is included in the set when it actually is not present. A case of poor editing/quality control here. The song can actually be found on Live At The BBC and on the hard to find Great Lost Kinks Album. The box itself goes back to the traditional lift lid long box which was the style of most of the early box sets such as those of the Who, Beach Boys and The Jam before record companies started experimenting with different formats.
Ultimately it is because I love the Kinks so much and I feel this box isn't quite perfect for the reasons outlined that I have to knock off one star.
An incredible piece of music history in one box!December 9, 2008 John K. Gateley(Bracknell, UK) 15 out of 17 found this review helpful
There have been many, many Kinks compilations over the years but 'Picture Book' is different. Presented in a solid box format are 6 CDs and one excellent booklet which together cover the history of one of this country's finest rock bands. Indeed, The Kinks invented rock music with 'You Really Got Me' in 1964. There was nothing like this song before they came along. It was truly a revolution. So, when you listen to Oasis or David Bowie or Coldplay, this is where it started. 'Picture Book' is Ray Davies' musical autobiography of his band from 1964 through to the mid nineties. Everything you need is here plus a good number of previously unreleased tracks. In all, there are a staggering 138 songs here! All their hits, all their great album tracks plus a couple of dozen previously unheard tracks. What is important here is how this band changed styles and influenced so many other artists over the years, how they invented garage band music ('I need you'), wrote about sunny afternoons, dedicated followers of fashion, village greens and transvestites ('Lola') right across to their American period on Arista and Sony. All this essentially from a small handful of musicians and two amazing brothers. Ray may have been the lyrical and musical genius but we should never forget the edgy guitar sounds provided by Dave Davies. If Ray had only written 'Waterloo Sunset' he would have gone down in music history. But what he and his band have contributed to rock music is basically incredible. And don't forget he wrote 'You Really Got Me' at the age of 19. How many kids out there have any chance of achieving one hundredth of that? Genius is rare, genius is Ray Davies. What this 6 CD box set does is confirm their achievements in one place. Listening to 'I Go To Sleep' (covered by the Pretenders) and Oklahoma USA, for example, also reminds me of what a great ballad writer this guy is. It is one thing to make a big noise; it's another to be able to write a gentle ballad. The Beatles ('Yesterday' for example) and the Stones could also do this which is a mark of true genius. While we have often focused on the Pye years up to 1971, we tend to forget what followed. Some 5 years on RCA produced some gems but this was the band's leanest period in my opinion. Too much focus on rock opera themes that were generally weak. Wrong label and a lack of strong direction from those around the band allowed this period to happen, I guess. However, when we get to 1975, things picked up dramatically. Signing to Arista and Clive Davis' direction, the band had a new lease of life. America took to them in their droves. Hit albums, hit singles and some great material. If you like what is on CD's 4 - 6, then check out albums like 'Sleepwalker' and 'Low Budget' - tremendous rock albums but a long way from where they started. For me, this band exceeded what the Beatles achieved and give the Stones a close run for their money. If I could listen to one song for the last time it would be 'Waterloo Sunset' - the perfect pop song in all senses. For me - and many others around the world - The Kinks have given me endless hours of music pleasure over the past 40 plus years and always will do. From a little kid of 9 years old right up to today. God Bless Ray and Dave Davies. God Bless The Kinks.
