Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All the sixties classics, September 1, 2004
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.
|
|
|
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great overview of the Kinks' tenure on Pye, March 16, 2006
"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.
|
|
|
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Kinks Collection, January 22, 2006
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.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
See all 25 tracks on this disc
by The Kinks 
