The Essential Guide to The Kinks

Submitted by lbangs on Fri, 08/13/2004 - 11:12
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  • The Kinks (1964) - ***
  • Kinda Kinks (1965) - ***
  • The Kink Kontroversy (1965) - ****
  • Face to Face (1966) - **** 1/2
  • Something Else by the Kinks (1967) - *****
  • The Live Kinks (1968) - * 1/2
  • The Village Green Preservation Society (1968) - *****
  • Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire (1969) - **** 1/2
  • Lola vs. the Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Pt. 1 (1970) - ****
  • Percy (1971) - ***
  • Muswell Hillbillies (1971) - ****
  • The Kink Kronikles (1972) - **** 1/2
  • Everybody's in Show-Biz (1972) - *** 1/2
  • Preservation: Act 1 (1973) - ** 1/2
  • Preservation: Act 2 (1974) - ** 1/2
  • The Kinks Present A Soap Opera (1975) - ** 1/2
  • The Kinks Present Schoolboys in Disgrace (1975) - ***
  • Sleepwalker (1977) - *** 1/2
  • Misfits (1978) - ****
  • Low Budget (1979) - ***
  • One for the Road (1980) - ****
  • Give the People What They Want (1981) - *** 1/2
  • State of Confusion (1983) - *** 1/2
  • Word of Mouth (1984) - *
  • Think Visual (1986) - **
  • Road (1988) - *
  • UK Jive (1989) - *
  • Phobia (1993) - ** 1/2
  • To the Bone (1994) - ****
  • EP Collection (1998) - *** 1/2
  • EP Collection, Vol. 2 (2000) - **
  • The Kinks' Greatest: Celluloid Heroes (2001) - ***
  • The Songs We Sang for Auntie: BBC Sessions 1964-1977 (2001) - *** 1/2
  • Ultimate Collection (2002) - ****
Author Comments: 

This appears just like my CC series, but there is one crucial distinction. This list is the combined opinions of me and several of my critical friends. We have not attempted to reflect the mainstream of critical opinion. We did not even consult the critics. These are simply our gut reactions, our silly opinions, our thoughtful judgments...

Scale:

***** - Masterpiece
**** 1/2 - Classic
**** - Great
*** 1/2 - Good
*** - Above Average
** 1/2 - Average
** - Below Average
* 1/2 - Bad
* - Terrible
1/2 - One of the worst albums ever

cramoukji02/14/2005

Village Green surprised me by both its deceptive melodic easiness and its deep rich layers... it took five to six listens but now I know it is one of the best albums ever in the history of rock/pop music

lbangs02/14/2005

Do you have the recent expanded edition? If so, do you dig it? Every time I think I'll pick one up at the store, it is out.

Shalom, y'all!

L. Bangs

cramoukji02/14/2005

Oh no, I only have an old CD edition