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Boozy, woozy success
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The Kinks cocked a snook at the establishment
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Messy musicianship The Kinks
Ray Davies was attending art school when he joined his younger brother Dave’s band, The Ravens, in 1963. In short order Ray took over the group and renamed it ‘The Kinks’.
He retained bassist Pete Quaife and recruited Mick Avory to play drums. With this line-up they released a pair of unsuccessful singles before recording You really got me, a #1 hit in England that reached #7 in the U.S. The following year, All Day and All of the Night and Tired of waiting for you both reached the Top 10 in the U.S. In 1966 The Kinks brought forth two singles of pointed satire, A Well Respected Man and Dedicated follower of Fashion that indicated the personal turn Ray Davies’ songs were taking. Also that year, an appearance on an American TV show resulted in a problem with the American Federation of Musicians that wasn’t resolved until 1969 and prevented the group from touring the U.S. for some time. Sunny Afternoon from ‘Face to Face’ was their last hit of that period.
During their years of the U.S exile, Ray composed the first of many concept albums, (The Kinks Are) The Village Green Preservation Society, an LP of nostalgia for all the quaint English customs (such as virginity) that other bands rebelled against. The Kinks acquired a reputation as a cheerfully boozy live band. Their performances were known for messy musicianship and on stage arguments between Ray and Dave Davies, while Ray clowned with limp wrists and sprayed beer at the audience.
A. GEORGE ANTONY
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Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
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Kochi
Madurai
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Puducherry
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Thiruvananthapuram
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Visakhapatnam
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