Kinks [Paperback]

Neville Marten (Author), Jeff Hudson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2007 | ISBN-10: 1860743870 | ISBN-13: 978-1860743870 | Edition: 2

The story of The Kinks is not one for the faint-hearted, and in this updated biography Neville Marten and Jeff Hudson lift the lid on one of England's most idiosyncratic and charming bands. Through all the nervous breakdowns, resignations, guitars wielded as weapons, drug abuse, glasses without lenses, food fights, alien sightings, in-yer-face spitting, and mental torture The Kinks have become a rock 'n' roll legend! The songs of Ray Davies have inspired bands and artists across the full spectrum of pop and rock music, from Blur, Pulp, and Paul Weller to Van Halen. Their capacity for anarchy, humor, and storytelling has lead to some of the most durable and widely adored songs of the English pop canon, including Lola, Waterloo Sunset, and You Really Got Me. The band's inventive productions pre-dated even The Beatles, and their musical talent eclipsed The Rolling Stones. This is their story, compiled from interviews and anecdotes, and featuring photographs spanning Ray Davies' career. Previously published by Sanctuary.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bobcat Books; 2 edition (September 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860743870
• ISBN-13: 978-1860743870
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,453,698 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read, Well-Written, September 7, 2009

By 

Alex DiBlasi - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kinks (Paperback)

This was the first Kinks book I ever stumbled across. It's very well-written, by two rock journalists, definitely Kinks fans. The text is primarily the story of the band and the Davies brothers. There's no in-depth analysis or chapters devoted to a single song, but I would say this makes an excellent counter to Tom Kitts' 'Not Like Everybody Else,' which fulfills the function as an analysis of the band's work.

This book has been published also as 'Well Respected Men.'

My only critique is that the book ends on the note of "They might get back together, who knows!", written in 2001, before Dave's stroke, Ray's first major ventures as a solo artist, and Pete Quaife's announcement that should there be a reunion, he wouldn't be involved due to his health. In all fairness, you can't blame hoping. Many Beatle books published before John's death ended on a similar note. I'll keep my fingers crossed, Neville and Jeff, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

I highly recommend this book to someone interested in The Kinks who wants to learn more about their story.