The Kink Kronikles focused on the Kinks’ most creative period, as astute and imaginative lyrics and melodies rich with color and mobility governed their discography in 1966-70. Better still, the double-album collection arrived on March 25, 1972 with an inviting assortment of hit singles as well as non-hit singles, B-sides of singles and previously unreleased material.
Bleeding with resolved alienation, “Waterloo Sunset” glistens with purity and polish, while the toe-tapping shuffle of “The Village Green Preservation Society” demands God save china cups, Donald Duck and virginity. “David Watts” reveals envy for a popular classmate, locking in as a vibrant rocker that’s bolstered by fist-pumping harmonies and pin-sharp hooks.
On the vaudeville-fashioned “Sunny Afternoon,” the greedy old tax man has rendered the once wealthy narrator poor and idle, while “Lola,” with its nagging beat and infectious chorus, recounts an incident with a transvestite. A top-shelf power-chord raver, “She’s Got Everything” stutters to a swinging pitch, “Shangri-La” serves as an able fusion of folk influences and rocking brawn, “This Is Where I Belong” jangles with verve, and “Victoria” skips and scurries to a plucky gait.
Lead vocalist and songwriter Ray Davies may command the lion’s share of acclaim, but brother Dave Davies – who provides the fetching fretwork – is equally talented in such matters. And the proof is heard on a pair of his solo efforts, the strumming hum of “Suzannah’s Still Alive” and “Death of a Clown,” which nails a scruffy Bob Dylan-inspired vocal to a tipsy pub styled sing-a-long tenor.
The Kinks have always pretty much operated in their own sphere, and The Kink Kronikles (Reprise Records) covered enough ground to emphasize their uniqueness. At the time these tracks were cut, the greater percent of the band’s contemporaries were engaged in psychedelic pursuits or playing super-heavy rock. The Kinks went through a concept-album phase that produced some question marks, but otherwise have largely remained true to form and structure.
An outstanding pouring of songs, The Kink Kronikles is a nice introduction to one of the world’s best bands, as well as a must have for those who have been supporters since the beginning.
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