Konfounding Kinks

ozzy..castle communications just put out a pretty comprehensive box(6 cd's and a great overview). the kinks(hi end audio-wise)sounded better once they hit their rca years, but the later pye/reprise stuff from 'something else' through 'lola' sounds better than the really early stuff(which is sonically a bit like the early rolling stones). a great place to start might be the re-issue of 'the village green preservation society'...a fully realized rock masterpiece.

Great great group. Ray Davies is one of the most creative people in rock and has somehow managed to keep his feet on the ground.

I saw them on the Soap Opera tour and whether you like the album or not it was a great show. Ray's still going strong on his own. Storyteller and both of his recent solo works are must haves for fans.

I saw Ray a couple of years ago but his efforts were defeated by the guy on the soundboard. I think there's a rule that you have to be deaf to operate one. Or maybe my ears just can't take 130 dbs like they used to.

I notice that the Kinks back catalog has recently been trickling out on "audiophile vinyl." I don't know how good these reissues sound in comparison to the original issues, most of which were well recorded. One of the best LPs sonically is an import of UK Jive on the London label manufactured in Holland. A copy came to me from a Radio Free Europe record station-- which seems a felicitous association. Nice to know Mr. Davies got beyond the Wall & not bad for $1.99 in the record bins.

BTW, most of early hits were collected on double LPs Pye DP02 "The Kinks" and "The Kink Kronikles" on Reprise. I believe Kronikles is on CD but I don't know about the Pye collection.

Kronikles is on CD.

Its a very good collection of vintage Kinks material and the sound quality is quite good also.

Love this band, especially "Muswell" and "Village". Along with the Faces, one of the best and under-rated English bands from that decade and a cornerstone of any pub listening experience. You can also see the direct lineage to modern bands like the Blur.

The original albums of the above titles rock compared to the TERRIBLE reissues that are being pawned off on the audiophile community.