The Kinks - Picture Book
"And now, meet The Kinks, five more representatives of the…shaggy set." As soon as Brian Matthew provides this delightful introduction, Picture Book begins to paint a complete image of one of the UK's most irrepressible acts. Ever since they burst into England's pop consciousness over 40 years ago, their hooks have been nagging at the minds of consecutive generations.
In this collection, all of the hits are present and correct, along with everything else the band ever did. With 138 tracks over six discs, it seems every time Ray Davies ever opened his mouth someone pressed record. However, even connoisseurs of The Kinks will be pleasantly bemused by the rarities present, which show a craftier edge than the pop perfection of the likes of Long Tall Sally and 20th Century Man.
The ubiquitous 60s feel of the band does wander at times, but the most memorable moments remain those that are glued in the decade when the group crafted their youthful tales of twisted love. Dedicated Follower of Fashion still hops along daintily, while Days manages to provoke memories of an old Tetley advert yet still sound fresh. The track-listing, albeit extensive, is interesting, deciding to flit in and out of moods and periods rather than follow chronologically.
An extra dimension is added by numerous live tracks, the pick of which is a misty rendition of Alcohol, complete with a clap-trap, likely lad introduction and a shaky organ. Such is the depth of the collection that it is impossible to maintain the polished sheen of their singles. This is a definite advantage, as even Lola begins to grate after countless listens.
Instead, alternative renditions such as a piano-led Face In The Crowd, taking on a solemn, lonelier feel, leave a more lasting impression. After all, it's only superfans that this collection will appeal to, due to its magnitude and price, so the uncommon gems it unearths are where it reveals its worth. Those looking for signposts to the music that dominates the modern age will enjoy picking out the blueprints for many songs in even the Davies brothers and friends' most throwaway moments, such as The Moneygoround.
Regardless, everyone with ears still loves Waterloo Sunset. Forever incisive and grittily clinging to British eccentricity and melancholy throughout, at its core this anthology is a remnant of a past age. It is packaged beautifully and lovingly to boot, with the vital factor of Ray Davies' approval and official contribution another bonus. Nobody is ever going to get through it all unless they have already, but it is certainly worth giving it a go while waiting for that possible reunion tour.
3 comments:
Nice write up. I'm anxiously waiting for my box to arrive, and planning to clear my calendar to make my way through the 6 discs upon arrival.
I got my Picture Book box set well before Xmas and have played through all 6 CDs several times. It is a fanastic collection with some interesting new tracks. Can't for the life of me think why 'Maybe I Love You' was included other than to contrast with 137 excellent songs!
The new KinKs Picture Book Box set is worth every penny and more, even for a fan like me who already had at least 85 to 90% of everything that was on it already in one form and in one place or another after 40 plus years of obtaining everyhting I possibly could by The Kinks, Ray and Dave. Also the packaging and booklet that comes with the box set is done very well too and has a lot of input from Ray, and some from Dave too. To the all the critics, here's my answer to and defense of The Kinks and Ray! Although I keep reading some critics and even some fans negitive and nit picky reviews of the the box set, and how people still seemed only focusedon the 60's hits? The kinks have history from all their different eras, and to me it's all a bunch of rubbish to ignore ane period of the briliantt written by Ray and made by the kinks! To some it may be just that "jukebox music" (a nice sound, and it's got a beat and you can dance to it) but to the real fans of Ray, Dave and the kinks ( the genuine misfits who are not like everybody else ) and who identify with the music and lyrics it is a whole lot more. It's a way of life and looking at life and how you feel about everything and I mean everything. If Ray and the KinKs speak to your soul, it really doesn't even matter, what it is,or when it came out or was recorded, be it 1963, 73, 83, 93, 2003, or 2017? does it...? If I were on a desert Island and could have only one song to play & listen to over and over again for eternity I'd pick my least favorite kinks or Ray song over my favorite song from anybody else, I can't explain it but if I had to you wouldn't understand anyway. Sure the box set if I were putting it together would have had some different stuff on it than it does, but everything is relative so I can always say yeah that's not as good as something else, or as that era, but when it comes to Ray and the kinks to me it is all great and it is all good, even the stuff I have never heard or he has not even written yet? He can do no wrong to me. Only a very select of few other artists even come close to talking or touching the part of my soul and spirit that Ray has (and still does) on a consistent basis through out every stage of his career, and Ray does it 100% of the time.
FranK
I remain Dan the Fan
&
The Montvale, New Jersey Hillbilly boy
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