Word of Mouth (Hybr) (Dig) [Hybrid SACD - DSD]

The Kinks | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 21, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Hybrid SACD - DSD
• Label: Velvel Records
• ASIN: B0002PUH92
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,574 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The Kinks, Word of Mouth

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What More Do You Want?, August 27, 2000

By 

Gianmarco Manzione (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Word of Mouth (Audio CD)

How utterly frustrating and baffling it is to me when people try to say that Word of Mouth is just "OK." I am only twenty years old, so I am most certainly no Kink apologist from the 60's. I am, however, a kid who really does know his music, and a kid who loves great rock n roll. I know what great rock n roll is. I own about 50 Dylan albums, 30 Neil Youngs, many Tom Petty albums, Stones albums, Beatles albums. let's face it, if it wasn't born in the 60's, it just isn't really rock n roll, but rather an imitation or step-child of the genre's glory days.

On that note, I'd like to just ask: who in the world can honestly claim that they expected the Kinks to be consistently releasing albums in the early 1980's? The only man who thought it was possible for the Kinks-a 60's hard rock band whose most memorable music was recorded within a five-year span-to even garner anything close to that sort of recognition in a decade that seemed to make a point of forgetting rock music's past, was Ray Davies. Let's think, where were others in 1984? Neil Young was recording electronica and rockabilly records that sold about as well as the last Billy Idol album, Dylan was releasing born-again Christian rock albums and singing in a slurred, alcoholic drawl that seemed to alienate just about every one of his fans, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison were long-dead and forgotten, and The Rolling Stones were not just a shell of themselves, they were downright embarrassing to watch. Then there were the Kinks, and this brilliant, yes, I said brilliant, rock album of 1984.

There is absolutely nothing hyperbolic about saying that the Kinks did everything right on this record, they did everything within their power to deliver the most stunning collection of rock singles possible. They recruited producers who were able to coat the Kinks in an 80's-like rock sound while not overwhelming the record with the type of slick production of that era which is so laughable to look back on in the year 2000.

The Kinks have been around for nearly four decades now, so it is safe to say that they have compiled a list of about 20 to 25 phenomenal songs. The lyrically and musically masterful "Do it Again" as well as the gorgeous, ethereal rock ballad penned by Dave, "Living on a Thin Line," belong on that list. That is not just me axaggerating, that is unarguable fact. "Living on a Thin Line" is Dave Davies's best song since "Strangers," and he hasn't written anything since that even approaches that song's delicate power. The fun doesn't end there. In fact, the fun never ends on this album. The opening riffs on the title track conjure up memories of Dave's vicious guitar work of the Kinks mid-60's glory. "Sold Me Out" is a punk anthem whose chords and chorus sound too familiar to ignore. Dave's singing on "Guilty" is a bit too rough for my ears, but his guitar work, again, is nothing short of glorious. The album almost crumbles under its own weight with the aimless "Too Hot" and the hopelessly bland "Missing Persons," but then rebounds tenaciously with the golden single, "Summer's Gone," and the gorgeous closer, "Going Solo."

What more do you want from a band that was supposed to be forgotten by 1970? If you told The Kinks own record label in 1967 that they would be putting out albums in 1984, you would have been ushered out and sent off to the nearest mental ward. No one expected this band to endure so remarkably. "Low Budget" offers some great singles," "State of Confusion" contains some of the best rock n roll of the Kink's career, but no Kinks album since "Lola..." offers such a consistent thrust of really great, accessible rock music. This is a downright classic that every Kinks fan needs to own, and those among you who own hundreds of CDs and think your collection is respectable without owning "Word of Mouth" are purely delusional. This record is as close to flawless as the Kinks ever allowed themselves to be. Any debate as to that fact is purely false.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Record, Awful Artwork, September 4, 2003

By 

Timothy P. Young (Rawlins, WY, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Word of Mouth (Audio CD)

Seriously. This is one of the least attractive album covers I've ever seen. Why would anyone pick this up unless they were a Kinks fan already? Major misstep by the Brothers Davies.

The record itself is good, if not great. It boasts Dave Davie's second best song, "Living on a Thin Line," a paen to the middle class and poor stuck in an economy that increasingly favors the rich, and "Good Day," a bit of Ray Davies whimsy that is clever fun until the biting bridge ("So have a good day today, because it may be your last, make it last..."). Not to mention a bunch of good-but-typical Ray Davies social observations ("Too Hot," "Do It Again," "Sold Me Out," et al).

Musically, it's early '80's Kinks. Smooth, textured, with the most passion coming through in the vocals rather than the music. It's a bit keyboard heavy, but that's ok. I personally prefer a rawer sound, but that's me.

It's definitely worth your time if you're a budding fan, still worthy if you like good songwriting, but ultimately expendable if you're looking for something that will jump-start your psyche.

To be fair, I think that Ray Davies was trying to get on the radio, the bland medium that we all listen to too often (and I was a DJ for 7 years, so I know whereof I speak).

If you look past the slickness and the worst album cover in my collection, you'll find a nice bunch of songs. A couple are special, one or two are expendable, but this is mostly a nice little collection by a band pushing its way through middle age.

All that said, I still like it and it's a fun little rocker of an album...good pop sometimes, a couple of bits of should-have-been-rawer nastiness, but still pretty damn groovy. A worthy effort.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Word of mouth is: "pretty good", June 6, 2000

By 

Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Word of Mouth (Audio CD)

In the 1980s, the Kinks became a singles band, even if many of the singles were not huge hits. Starting with the breakthrough album "State of Confusion," they surrounded two or three of these singles with a lot of (sometimes interesting) filler material. "Word of Mouth" is no exception to this pattern. It features the fine would-be hits "Do it Again," "Good Day," and "Living on a Thin Line," the latter written by guitarist Dave Davies rather than his brother Ray. The rest of the songs are neither truly memorable nor truly awful. Overall, this is a solid album from the Kink Katalog.