I'm biased, as I think Ray Davies is the best songwriter of the rock era,
bar none...but even I had to cringe when songs like "Paranoia" saw Davies
ripping off his own "All Day And All Of The Night" for the third or fourth
time, and songs like "Rock And Roll Cities"...well, when they were even
recorded, period. But to writ eoff the post-60s, post-70s or even post-80s
Kinks is a serious error.

There's brilliant wit among the chaff of the Preservation series; Soap Opera
is a misunderstood wonderland and Schoolboys In Disgrace might jut be my
favorite Kinks album to listen to LOUD (check out "No More Looking Back" - a
GREAT song). Line me up with the people who think Give The People What They
Want and State Of Confusion are solid albums, as well. And while UK Jive
("What Are We Doing" is great, but "How Do I Get Close" is killer) and Think
Visual get written off, they both contain a few gems. Hell, even Phobia has
a few good ones.

No one mentioned To The Bone - the Kinks Unplugged album, if you will -
where you will rediscover "Picture Book", "Gallon Of Gas" and "Set Me Free"
as reinvented classics (get the two-cd version on Guardian). And whomever
posted the link to the Kinks list, kudos - anyone who is interested in the
Kinks needs to sign on (I'm a digester there).

My holy grail of Kinkdom remains an early triumverate - "Sunny Afternoon",
"Waterloo Sunset" and "Victoria" are my all time favorite three - but from
Muswell Hillbillies to Lola ("Get Back In The Line" could be my #4) to Low
Budget to Storyteller, Ray's wry sense of humor, unflinching eye and
introspective deprication have always combined to bullseye my heart and mind
and soul. God Save The Kinks.

b