BBC Sessions 1964-1977 [LIVE] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

The Kinks

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 20, 2001)
• Original Release Date: March 6, 2001
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Live, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sanctuary Records
• ASIN: B000059RWM
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,026 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
As live Kinks albums go, BBC Sessions is about as fine a representation of the quartet's inimitable sense of showmanship as exists. Yes, there's Live at Kelvin Hall from the '60s, Everybody's in Show-Biz from the '70s, and One for the Road from the '80s, but this double-disc of broadcast performances captures the Davies brothers at the peak of their powers--from 1964, when they burst on the scene with "You Really Got Me" to 1977, when their career was on the upswing. A veritable greatest-hits collection, BBC Sessions benefits from plenty of raw, sometimes clumsy energy. Ray once insisted, "The day we become professional is the day we are ruined," and the Kinks never did turn pro during this 13-year span. There's great fun throughout these two discs, but of particular note are the woozy '70s recordings where the group worked with a horn section whose music-hall adornments prove to be delightfully complementary. One can't help but get the sense that they were plugged into what the Stones and the Band were doing at the time, but regardless of the setting and surroundings, the Kinks were true originals. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential for completists, good overview for beginners, May 19, 2001

By	Michael Topper (Pacific Palisades, California United States) - See all my reviews

This two-CD compilation collects the bulk of The Kinks' truly live performances for the BBC between 1964-77; although many more songs were aired, these were usually the studio records with maybe re-recorded vocals. The years covered span the peak of their career from an artistic point of view, and most of their big hits from the time (sans the 1966 singles and "Lola") appear here along with quality album cuts and several unreleased tracks. Although about 90% of the songs here are five-star classics, the performances on disc one stick largely to the studio originals (perhaps a bit rougher, with a bit more of a "band" feel). It is on disc two where the true finds lie: the band's mid-70s period is represented by two 1974 shows which surpass their other 70s live document "Everybody's In Showbiz"; excellent versions of "Victoria", "Here Comes Yet Another Day", "Skin And Bone" (much lengthier) and "Celluloid Heroes" sound much punchier and energetic than the originals. The sound quality on everything is startingly clear, even on the '64-'65 cuts. There are also a couple of tracks, like "Good Luck Charm" and "When I Turn Out The Living Room Light", which have never seen official release by the group. As a crucial missing link in their catalogue, this long overdue compilation is absolutely essential for Kinks fanatics, while the track selection and quality of performances even makes it a good intro to the group for beginners (this would otherwise be a five-star review, were it not for the slightly unadventurous performances on disc one). God save The Kinks.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars untitled review, March 23, 2001

By	allismile0 "allismile0" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

I am a big fan of the Kinks- I like every single album between Kink Kontroversy through Preservation Act II (I even like Soap Opera)- so I was very excited when I heard this BBC song collection was coming out. But now that I have heard it through, it has two very large flaws in it.

One is the radio announcers voice on about than half of the songs. The song begins and just before Ray Davies starts to sing, the song is announced in a very phoney radio DJ voice- needless to say the gimmick only last so long before you just wished they cleared it out.

Secondly the song selection- On the first page of the book it shows all the songs that the Kinks did for the BBC show and there was plenty to choose from but for some reason they decided that it would be a good idea to put both "Skin and Bone" and "Money Talks" in twice- granted both of the songs have slightly different versions but when there is soo much to choose from in the catalog it seems like such an incredible waste. There are some difinite plus's to the album though- the songs that are in it are very well done both in performance and sound quality- and their later stuff is different in approach from the ambitions of the studio. Mirror of Love, Demolition, Monica, Waterloo Sunset, Get Back into the Line and Skin and Bones/ Dry Bones are stand outs in my opinion.

Also there are a few songs that aren't on any albums that are really quite good and fun to listen to; the humorous "When I turn off the Living Room Lights" and "This Strange Effect" are both excellent. So if you don't mind abnoxious radio announcers and you're a big Kinks fan you might find this interesting.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Long Live The BBC, August 23, 2004

By	Gianmarco Manzione (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

As with other giants like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan or Elvis Costello, each Kinks release lends its own contribution to the band's reputation and sound. Albums like "Face to Face" or "Arthur" established the Kinks' ability to weave songs into a larger narrative fabric without sacrificing the quality of the music, while "Sleepwalker" or the pitifully neglected "Word of Mouth" and "Phobia" proved that these guys can hammer out as riveting a collection of singles as any band from their era -- no matter how old they get. One of many revelations unique to the BBC Sessions is the breadth of the Kinks' material. A handful of songs here never appeared on studio albums despite being every bit as good as anything from the band's most famous works -- songs like "Harry Rag" and "Strange Effect." One of the Kinks' claims to fame -- though jaded critics wilfully turn their eyes from it -- is that they put more quality music to tape over a longer period of time than The Stones, Who, Beatles or whichever other 60s rock band you want to name. With its treasure-chest of unreleased material, The BBC sessions further confirm this achievement. Similarly, Dave's own songs and guitar work demonstrate that there was a lot more to him than "Death of A Clown" back then, as his sublime "Strangers" proved on 1970's "Lola . . ." album. Dave's interpretation of "Milk Cow Blues" as well as his rollicking "Wonder Where My Baby is Tonight" and "Love Me 'Til The Sun Shines" suggest that, at the top of their game, the Davies' brothers were every bit as fierce a songwriting tandem as Lennon/McCartney or Jagger/Richards. Contrary to the Amazon staff reviewer's assertion, this is hardly a "greatest hits" collection. There is a lot here to savor for Kinks fans new and old, and plenty of surprises waiting for members of both camps. Most delightful of all are the few fleeting moments of commentary from the Davies' back in the early days: confessions that their music is neither R&B nor Rock but rather "expression music" or that they wear their hair long because "the girls go for it." Well, the girls may or may not be going for it anymore, but one thing is for sure: plenty of people will go for these BBC Sessions with the Kinks if they're willing to give them a chance.