Customer Reviews

Think Visual

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Think Visual (the title lend itself to numerous bad puns criticizing the album)is, inretorspect, a fine Kinks album with a handful of good songs. Clearly Ray and Dave were rooting about for a new direction to make the band relevant in the late 80's. So how did they do? It's a bit of a wash with the outstanding songs (Working, When You Were a Child and, yes, even Dave's travelogue Rock 'n' Roll Cities)pulling the rest of the album up by its bootstraps. The performances are, as always, top notch.

It's clear in retrospect that TV was a transitional album for the band. While not up to snuff when compared to State of Confusion, Word of Mouth, Low Budget or Give the People What they Want, it's clear that the Davies brothers were attempting to catch their breath in a more competitive, changing rock music world.

Definitely worth picking up for the few strong tracks included on this disc, Think Visual pools some of the greatest talent of the 60's 70's and early 80's and creates a puddle teeming with life. Honestly compared to their only notable contemporaries that were still on the road (you know who), this album was at least brimming with the honesty and heartfelt emotion typical of the two D's.

Phobia would show the band picking up speed after stumbling here. Worth giving a spin for true Kinks fans but probably not the best place to start collecting the band's considerable output.

Released in late 1986, "Think Visual" is the first album the Kinks did for MCA Records. Arista Records seemingly sensed that the Kinks period of commercial renaissance was over following the dropoff in sales of 1984's "Word Of Mouth". Indeed, the sales dropoff continued with "Think Visual", but don't let that fool you. "Think Visual" is an engaging, spirited rock record that no Kinks fan should be without.

Ray Davies does continue to mine very familiar lyrical territory throughout the album. He attacks the record industry on "Working At The Factory", sends up big business corporations on the title track, comments on getting stuck in a day-to-day rut on "Repetition", and looks back on the 'good old days' on "Welcome To Sleazy Town". "Lost and Found" is one of those spiritually-minded Ray songs where an incident that initially seems like a tragedy serves the over-arching purpose of heightening one's perception and appreciation of life. Granted, a lot of the lyrics do seem a little weak and formulaic, but it's often to amusing effect that's fun and isn't embarassing, and Ray shows he definitely has his sense of humor working for him on the highly amusing "The Video Shop".

Quality songs abound. The irresistible, uptempo title track links together several extremely catchy bits in its 3:12 running time, containing riffy lead guitar work from Dave Davies, plus a couple of blink-and-you'll-miss-it musical hall-flavored sections. "Lost and Found" is an uplifting feel-good ballad--it's a little overly slick, but still nicely atmospheric. "Welcome To Sleazy Town" is an excellent bluesy detour. The horn-powered, reggae/ ska-styled "The Video Shop" is infectious and perfectly suits the humorous lyrics. The wistful Dave Davies-penned album-closer "When You Were A Child" is a moving, wonderfully tuneful uptempo pop-rocker. The album-opening rocker "Working At The Factory" and the swinging "Repetition are fine tracks as well. Quite frankly, there really aren't any weak tracks on the entire disc.

Like with previous Kinks albums, there are moments here that give you an inescapable "where have I heard that before?" feeling. The back-and-forth between 'F' and 'G' chords on "How Are You" instantly recalls "Tired Of Waiting For You". The chorus of "Welcome To Sleazy Town" features a guitar riff that sounds like it was beamed in straight from Genesis' "Misunderstanding" (which itself sounds extremely similar to Sly & the Family Stone's "Hot Fun In the Summertime"). The title track sounds extremely similar to the Kinks' own "Definite Maybe" (from the "State of Confusion" album), with some of the riffing being copied note-for-note. And don't even get me started on "Natural Gift"...

In short, "Think Visual" is a highly worthwhile and underrated album from one of the most appealing bands in history. If you see this CD in a used bin for a few bucks in solid condition, it's a great deal.

"Think Visual" badly needs to be remastered. It came out right at the beginning of the CD era, when most discs sounded sterile, thin, and hissy, and "TV" does not buck this trend. I'm looking forward to an eventual remastered version that will bring the music to life.

This is definitely not a high point for the Kinks, and casual fans probably shouldn't bother. But if you're into the band, "Think Visual" has lots going for it. Ray's tracks are world-weary but spirited, with the standouts being "Lost and Found," "Repetition," "Killing Time," and the beautiful, synth-drenched "How are You?". Dave's two contributions continue his winning streak from "Word of Mouth."

Unfortunately, "Natural Gift," "The Video Shop," and the title track show up to spoil the fun. These clumsy attempts at updating the Kinks' sound just come off as corny and dated today (like the embarrassing cover art, which somehow manages to out-ugly the notoriously hideous "Word of Mouth" cover). Ironically, "Think Visual" appears in a drastically reworked live version on the "Live: The Road" album and sounds incredible. Why couldn't the band capture that energy in the studio?

"Think Visual" captures the Kinks at an awkward stage, seemingly unsure of whether it was time to mellow out, keep rocking, or try to modernize their sound. So the album is a grab bag of all those approaches. It's not a forgotten masterpiece by any stretch-- there's as much filler as good material, and nothing here except maybe "Lost and Found" is a true classic. But if you like the Kinks and can find it for a few dollars, "Think Visual" is worth checking out.

I received "Think Visual" as a Christmas gift about six years ago, back when I was still relatively unfamiliar with the Kinks, and from the first listening I loved it. I honestly don't believe it deserves the poor reviews it seems to have gotten. "When You Were A Child" is my favorite Dave Davies song, it really strikes a chord with me. "Working in the the Factory" is also well done, as are several of the others. The whole album has a lot of energy to it, in spite of the fact that it isn't as hard rocking as some of the Kinks' other efforts, and all in all listening to it leaves me in a good, contemplative mood. I'd recommend it to any Kinks fan, and, unlike many of the other reviewers, I would also recommend it to any rock fan who is not yet well-versed with the Kinks. If you are anything like me, this album will be enough to convince you to earnestly seek out everything else this great band has to offer!

This is not from the Kinks' best period: Having just switched labels from RCA to MCA, the Kinks sputtered with Think Visual, notching their first disappointment from their video-era third act. In retrospect, however, the songs have aged nicely: "Lost and Found" is a Ray Davies classic ballad, emotional and powerful, recalling Waterloo Sunset and other of his great three-minute dramas. "Video Shop" was at the time cutting edge, a look at the rise of video stores amid the squalor of big-city industrial decay. In hindsight, it comes off as another Ray Davies look at a now-dead but once-bright technological invention, an updated "Steam-Powered Trains" for the 80s. "Think Visual" finds Ray biting the hands that feed him (as usual), turning the rise of MTV into a scathing indictment of commercialism and superficiality in modern music. In sum, this one is worth a second look, a minor though worthwhile addition to the Konkers' catalogue.

I'd been meaning to get this CD for years, ever since I saw the Kinks give a fantastic performance on a tour that featured a number of these songs. While I don't have the Kinks' entire catalog, this one is more adventurous than "Low Budget". I'm surprised at the distaste that some Kinks fans have for this. I'm guessing that this album is less likely to appeal to fans looking for the arena rock of "Destroyer" or "Do It Again".

Sure, this collection of songs has a lighter groove to it; nothing wrong with that. Which is not to say that this is an album of ballads, not by any stretch. Although the lead single, "Working at the Factory" never particularly tripped my trigger, "Welcome to Sleazytown" in particular is a must-have. "Lost and Found" is a classic, just listen to song samples online. "How Are You", ditto. "Video Shop" is a light, fun narrative that doesn't try to make any big statements about the human condition.

The title track should have been the single released in the wake of "Come Dancing". Unfortunately, that honor fell to "Rock and Roll Cities", quite possibly the worst song in the Kinks' catalog. Still, I like this album a lot. It's no wonder that half this album makes up the MCA years compilation "Lost and Found".

The criticisms remind me a lot of how critics greeted a good album like the Stones' "It's Only Rock n Roll". They rode the band hard for not putting out another "Exile On Main Street", but the band had changed gears on them. At the price this CD is going for, it's a bargain.

The key to the Kinks' American resurgence in the early 80's was how well their music fit in with the then current New Wave. Recycle "All Day and All of the Night" as "Destroyer", dress the Davies brothers in skinny ties and "bingo" the kids couldn't tell they were really old fogies from the original British Invasion.

This album brought all that to a screeching halt for 2 reasons: 1) the lead single was "Rock 'n' Roll Cities", a truly hideous Dave Davies composition, and 2) Ray changed the band's sound. Think Visual suddenly sounds like adult contemporary instead of vital rock 'n' roll. It's like the band aged 20 years overnight compared to Word Of Mouth. The new sound may have appealed to older Kinks fans, but older fans don't buy records. Kids do. Thus, the Kinks went into their final commercial death spiral.

But is the record any good? Yeah, if you can get past the two problems discussed above, it's a pretty enjoyable listen. Dave's other song "When You Were A Child" is one of his better Kinks contributions. Most of Ray's songs are good, even if none of them qualify as classics. The rockers like "Welcome To Sleazy Town" and the title track are hurt by the decidedly non-rock production style, but outside of "Rock 'n' Roll Cities" there's nothing to really dislike. So Think Visual is a minor but worthy addition to the Kinks' catalog.

I had to write to express my admiration for this album, which in my opinion is the band's most underrated. You'll like it if you especially like the Kinks of late 60s. This is not the heavy metal of Low Budget, State of Confusion, etc. I think the production could be better, but there's not a bad song here and Killing Time is very good - "A man has one, a cat has nine." It's definitely not for the newcomer to the Kinks, no, buy "Something Else" or "Arthur" or "Village Green" if that's the case. But if you're a real Kinks fan and you've heard that this album is a low point, you heard wrong.

don't pay attention to the critics. Ray Davies is probably the best songwriter in rock history. though a newcomer to the kinks may not find this album worth much, the die-hard kinks fans will see the beauty in it. "Working at the factory" is lyrically quite poignant. "Killing Time" is a great song, "Video Shop" as well. though the production may leave something to be desired, if you are willing to look beyond the exterior here, you will find some gems. Admittedly, the kinks aren't as great as they were in the past, but name one thirty five year old band that is!

Hit & miss Kinks. On the right day this album is a pleasure. On the other hand, it can come across as a waste of time. Certain cuts are worth a second listen, most notably Killing Time, the title track Think Visual and Lost and Found. Rock 'N' Roll Cities (sang by brother Dave) is awful. I'd rather sit in a small room filled with chalkboards and have 100 people drag their nails down them than listen to Rock 'N' Cities. It seems most Kinks fans agree with me on that point. Think Visual isn't a bad album, it just seems very uneven and hurried. Most of the songs (Working At The Factory, Welcome To Sleazy Town and Natural Gift) are very hit or miss. I consider this as one of the Kinks darker albums. On some of the softer songs, Ray sings with all the charm he has always delighted us with, and then you go to other songs and you're left scratching your head wondering what were they thinking? One word: uneven.