The Kinks
The Anthology—1964-1971
BMG/InGrooves
The Kinks’ early years have been rehashed repeatedly over the last two decades, so don’t expect any major revelations from yet another archival dig. However, The Anthology—1964-1971 offers the most comprehensive overview yet of the London band’s glorious youth. With five discs and 140 tracks, this massive set is hardly for the casual listener. It includes demos, rehearsal snippets, alternate takes, and obscure mixes in the service of luring hardcore fans who think they’ve already heard it all. It traces the Kinks’ rapid evolution from a scrappy R&B band playing Chuck Berry and Little Richard covers to purveyors of furious rockers like “You Really Got Me” (arguably an inspiration for heavy metal and punk) to Ray Davies’ emergence as a singularly gifted writer who delivers wry social commentary on “A Well Respected Man,” attains magical beauty with “Waterloo Sunset,” and engages in subversive gender-bending in “Lola.” At their most elegant, the lads still displayed a strong rock and roll streak, thanks to brother Dave Davies’ wicked lead guitar and Mick Avory’s thrashing drums. And while the Kinks continued making strong music into the ’90, these amazing recordings are their best.
