Arista Years [Limited Edition]

The Kinks | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 31, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Limited Edition
• Label: Velvel Records
• ASIN: B000HRMET6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,641 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended...with caution, January 13, 2008

By 

Johnnie Neptune (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arista Years (Audio CD)

The first thing to take into consideration is that these albums have already been available on CD. So, why bother buying again?
Well, in short, the move to SACD has improved the sound of ALL of these recordings. Ray Davies was not the best choice to produce Kinks' music but these re-issues have added sonic improvement (along with liner notes and bonus tracks though the bonuses are questionable in some cases). You can now own the vast majority of klassic Kinks music in 3 box sets - the "Pye Album Collection", the "RCA Years" and this set, the "Arista Years". Add on the "Lost and Found" compilation from the MCA years, the "Did Ya" EP and (much underrated) "Phobia" CD both on Columbia and you pretty much have it all. (Though personally, I would recommend hunting down the British import version of "To The Bone" that includes the immaculate re-recording of 'Waterloo Sunset', inexplicably left off of the North American version.)
The Arista Years were a time of resurgent popularity for the Kinks. Ray Davies is a contrarian survivor first and foremost. He doesn't want to be like "everybody else", he is a self admitted "misfit" yet he is one of the "last of the steam powered trains" and keeps going, right on to this day (see his newest solo disc). Just when he is on the verge of extinction, he pulls another artistic rabbit out of his hat. On this set, he manages this a few times. "Sleepwalker" is one example. After the trials and tribulations of the conceptual RCA Years, he was moving back toward more straight forward songs (starting with "Schoolboys in Disgrace", their last for RCA). He consolidates that direction with "Sleepwalker". Though lacking a bonafide hit single, the excellent "Juke Box Music" was a solid return to rocking form.
"Misfits" was vulnerable and magnificent in the traditional Kinks way - and even had a minor hit with "Rock 'n Roll Fantasy". A solid effort all around. Still, changes were in the offing...
Who would have guessed that an arena rock band pose would be next in "Low Budget"? If the trend was toward disco, then Ray would answer with "Wish I Could Fly Like Superman". Why not - the Stones did "Miss You"?
This new found popularity was documented on their most polished live album, "One For The Road", where the Kinks merged their new hits with classics recorded by others like "Stop Your Sobbing" (courtesy of ex-love Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders), "David Watts" (the Jam) and of course "You Really Got Me" (thanks Van Halen).
(Note: Later on The Kinks did do the 2 versions of "To The Bone", ostensibly live but come on, while excellent, they were way too polished to believe they were really 'live'.)
"Give The People What They Want" was their most transparently titled work. "Destroyer" was self-derivative and only "Better Things" saved what little there was of this attempt. Fortunately, Ray got over himself to re-vitalize the band, yet again, with a hit single in "Come Dancing" and the "State Of Confusion" disc where he adeptly timed his vision for the visual with the coming of the video age and MTV. And hey, a second minor hit with "Don't Forget To Dance" didn't hurt that cause.
"Word of Mouth" closes off this era, with 3 really good songs on an otherwise mediocre offering. "Do It Again" (Ray often does), "Good Day" (unacknowledged simple brilliance in the vein of Village Green...) and Dave's best ever (!) song in "Living On A Thin Line". So all in all, lots to recommend here and with superlative sound to recommend it.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Jewels, March 8, 2007

By 

Jose Ruben Orantes Garcia (Chiapas, México) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Arista Years (Audio CD)

Well the 80s, the new wave decade, the new romantic decade, but Kinks represent the real and honest rock'n'roll band. Buy It

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!!!!, September 20, 2011

By 

benny77 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Arista Years (Audio CD)

This is a great sounding set of disc, and there all In SACD format as well, so that makes it even better. I got it at a great price here on Amazon. So you basically you can't go wrong with this set.