Ray Davies of the Kinks is 70

ALSO for ABC Wednesday, Round 15, D is for Davies

I loved the early Kinks hits, but I didn’t buy many singles, of anyone. After buying Muswell Hillbillies and the subsequent Everybody’s In Show Biz LPs, I STILL had no Kinks hits collection, and I just don’t know why, because there were plenty of them out there. Got a couple albums from the early 1980s (Give the People What They Want and State of Confusion), and Lost & Found, a live album from 1991.

It wasn’t until early in the 21st century when I finally got The Ultimate Collection. Not only did it have the hits I knew, but it also showcased the songs I always associated with other bands: Dandy, which I own by Herman’s Hermits, and Stop Your Sobbing, covered by the Pretenders; the Pretenders’ lead singer Chrissie Hynde was going out with the chief singer/songwriter of the Kinks, Ray Davies, for a time, and they had a daughter together.

He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame just last week.

Here’s my post about Ray Davies from five years ago. Listen to the first 75 minutes of Coverville 1034 for 19 Kinks covers, a couple featuring the birthday boy himself.

Favorite Kinks songs

The ones cited as MH were linked previously; the ones starred (*) are linked here.

25. Skin and Bones, from MH

24. Give the People What They Want, from Give the People What They Want (1981) – a kicking song about consumerism, and how the people get harder to please.

23. Holiday, from MH

22. Better Things from GtPWTW – an optimistic ending to an angry album.

21. (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman, from Low Budget (1979) – hey, I had to have the comic title on here, did I not?

20. Complicated Life, from MH

19. Where Have All the Good Times Gone, from The Kink Kontroversy (TKK) (1965)

18. Who’ll Be the Next In Line, b-side of Ev’rybody’s Gonna Be Happy single.

17. Oklahoma U.S.A., from MH

16. Don’t Forget to Dance, from State of Confusion (1983). I think this is quite the sweet song.

15. I’m Not Like Everybody Else, b-side of Sunny Afternoon single (1966). I didn’t know this song until I bought the greatest hits collection.

14. Destroyer from Give the People What They Want (1983). Story is sequel to Lola, and borrows from a couple more Kinks songs as well.

*13. Tired of Waiting for You’ From: Kinda Kinks (KK) (1965)

12. Apeman, from Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One (1970). There’s a song called The Monkey, by Dave Bartholomew, and in different ways, it seems to be the same message.

*11. ‘Till the End of the Day’ from TKK

10. Come Dancing, from SoC.

*9. Lola, from LVPatMPO

*8. Waterloo Sunset, from Something Else by the Kinks (1967)

7. Alcohol from MH

*6. Victoria, from Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (1969)

*5. Sunny Afternoon, from Face to Face (1966)

*4. You Really Got Me, from Kinks (1964)

*3. A Well Respected Man, single (1965)

*2. Celluloid Heroes, from Everybody’s in Show-Biz (1972)

*1. All Day and All of the Night, single (1964)

Will the Kinks re-form? Maybe.
***
Gerry Goffin died. He wrote a lot of songs you know.

Author: Roger

I'm a librarian. I hear music, even when it's not being played. I used to work at a comic book store, and it still informs my life. I won once on JEOPARDY! - ditto. View all posts by Roger

17 thoughts on “Ray Davies of the Kinks is 70”

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-reporters-notebook-kinks-ray-davies-turns-70-20140616-story.html

When a song writer writes songs for 50 years over his whole career that say how you feel & think there is only 1 name for him Ray Davies

“Victoria,” and the Arthur album generally, are too often overlooked.

Also generally ignored, though more deservedly so, are the two Preservation Act albums, though “Sweet Lady Genevieve” and “Here Comes Flash” from PA 1 are nice.

GREAT links!!!! Thanks.

I appreciate your thoroughness in sharing these groups and their song careers. My knowledge is pretty limited…

Wow! We are all getting long in the tooth when we remember groups like this!

Leslie
abcw team

Fab group and Ray Davies is a legend. Who can forget, Lola, Dedicated Follower of Fashion, Sunny Afternoon, So Tired, Waterloo Sunset, You really got me, and so on !
Arhh! The heady sixties, I lived in a lovely flat overlooking the River Mersey, first married and so in love.
Worked hard all week then out all weekend, then regaling friends in work,, swopping tales on Monday mornings… So much freedom and no parents breathing down your neck, aye heady days indeed !

Di..xx

Great list! I’m going to have a few of those playing back in the jukebox in my head this afternoon 🙂

Gosh, the Kinks are new to me, but I will be listening… Thanks Roger, – you drag me into those years that I guess we listened to a lot of the classical stuff, before the kids grew up and introduced us to what was hip.

I am not familiar with this group, but I like their sound. Blessings!

i loved lola!

Those were the greatest musical times. – Margy

Great list and history…impressed with your collection of music♪

Loved all those groups.

Roger, your knowledge of the music industry is really wonderful. We listened to the Kinks back in the day. My hubby turns 70 this year too and it’s hard to believe.
Ann