Customer Reviews

The Singles Collection

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This compilation covers the period 1964 to 1971 - the stuff that really matters. The same label has released a double CD compilation tit1led Ultimate collection, which covers their later music as well. If you want their later hits, including Come dancing, that is the collection you should go for.

This contains all the classic sixties songs including You really got me, All day and all of the night, Tired of waiting for you, Dedicated follower of fashion, Well respected man, Sunny afternoon, Waterloo sunset, Autumn almanac, Days, Lola and Apeman. It also includes Dave's two solo UK hits - Death of a clown and Susannah's still alive.

The set is presented in chronological order beginning with their cover of Long tall Sally, a song that demonstrates their musical roots in R+B. They didn't stick to R+B for very long, becoming more of a mainstream pop group and continually changing their style thereafter. Nevertheless, their songs were always distinctive because of Ray's talent for making ordinary situations into extraordinary songs. My favorite Kinks song is Waterloo sunset, a huge UK hit but not an American hit. It is about romance at a railway station that I am familiar with, though I cannot possibly imagine what inspired Ray to write that song, but he was a genius.

The best tribute to the quality of their songs lies in the diversity of the covers that have been recorded by singers in several genres of music. Kirsty MacColl (Days), the Stranglers (All day and all of the night), Petula Clark (Days - and a French version of Well respected man), Cathy Dennis (Waterloo sunset, Sunny afternoon), Green day (Tired of waiting for you), Jimmy Buffett (Sunny afternoon), Van Halen (You really got me) and Barb Jungr (Waterloo sunset) are among those who have covered Kinks songs.

Despite the brilliance of some of the covers, here you get the chance to hear the original versions. If you just want a single CD of their sixties music, this one is as good as any you will find.

"The Singles Collection" is a great survey of the Kinks' singles on Pye Records, including initial Beatles facsimiles (including awkward "woo!" falsetto), successful forays into hard rock ("You Really Got Me" has been called the first heavy metal song) and psychedelia ("See My Friends" showcases this little-known aspect of the band), and finally the quirky social commentary that they're probably best known for today ("Well Respected Man," "Dead End Street," and numerous other gems).

This compilation covers the albums from the debut "Kinks" through "Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround Part One," but a substantial portion of these tracks were standalone singles. That means that this collection hardly tells the whole story-- in fact, important albums like "The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society" and "Arthur or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire" are barely represented at all. But it also makes this disc a valuable resource for excellent non-album tracks like "Set Me Free" and "Autumn Almanac" that can be hard to find elsewhere with such crisp sound quality.

I recommend this compilation to Kinks newbies and hardcore fans alike, because it's both a competent primer on the band's first decade as well as a great source for some hard-to-find music. Just be sure you also pick up the albums, at least from "Face to Face" onward, to get the full picture of this indispensable band.

George Starostin could not give the Kinks a perfect 5 on his classic rock review site (a great site!: starling.rinet.ru/music) because the Kinks lacked a "perfect" album, where every song was incredible, not just good. Arthur came close for him, but not quite. However, I believe this is the "perfect" Kinks album, even though I prefer their released albums. This is not a greatest hits compilation, just a singles compilation, the equivalent to the Beatles' Past Masters. This album has all of their singles from '64 - '71 I believe, and every song is great! The Ultimate collection offers more, but if you're new to the Kinks, start with this colection that captures their golden years. If you love this, move to the albums. You should not be disappointed with this collection. Some beautiful stuff.

Fills the holes in the Itunes collection. All are Kinks classics that one must have to satisfy a craving for the lads. Sunny Afternoon, Dedicated follower of Fashion, Well Respected Man, Waterloo Sunset (original version-not live!) & Victoria (also original studio & not live!) A true collectors item. Great quality remastered recordings. All cuts sound great! This collection of their oldies provides the rare as well as the big hits. It is the most complete collection that I've found.

I just found this CD about a week ago. I have been looking for the original of Sunny Afternoon, and Tired of Waiting For You, for a long time. However, I got a bonus in Set Me Free, which I had completely forgotten about. I now have happily completed The Kinks section of my collection and with a sound quality that is much better than I had expected. If you are a fan of the original Kinks hits, buy this CD. You will not be disappointed. If you are a collector, as I am, see my title.

Let's face it: The Kinks, like the Stones and the Who, were not the producers of the most consistent LP's when they were in their prime. Until Something Else, a typical Kinks LP had a couple of singles, a couple of B-sides, and may one or two other notable tracks and then the rest could be considered relative filler (whether it be songs aping earlier experiments by the Beatles or retreads of Kinks' formulas that had worked previously). With this collection, you can get great clean versions of their early singles without having to purchase four or five albums that you generally skip past half the songs on when listening to.

This one has a great deep rich sound quality, much better than the Rhino one I have AND has more songs, like Victoria (I LOVE this song) and Ape Man.
If you like the Kinks (or need to find out how great they are and/or want to expand your horizons) get this disc!

You can't get the early Kinks' original recordings on the digital download services. This CD has all the hits from their British invasion heyday. Great rock & roll that is as punchy and vital as it was in the mid-60s. The recording quality is good, and the CD package design and notes remind you of what you miss with a download. This is the one you want.

I was a teenager in the '60s and the Kinks were one of my favorite bands. Over the last few years I started looking for a "Greatest Hits" CD that would include "Well-Respected Man" and "Lola" but couldn't find one that had both. Then, a few weeks ago, I decided to try again, expecting to be disappointed when, lo and behold, I found "The Singles Collection"! I don't know how I missed it before!

This CD is truly a collection of all the songs that we loved back then. The sound is incredible! Unfortunately there isn't much in the liner notes, but the music is the important thing. This CD would be a good party disk for we boomers, either as background or for dancing. I plan to downloaded every song into my iPod so I can enjoy it anywhere. The Kinks' music was so cool, even younger people may like it.

If you remember Ray Davies and his band, don't hesitate to buy this. It's well worth the price and will provide years of entertainment.

The original punk rockers that stormed the world in the 60's/70's still hold up very well in today's music scene. Great music!