Saturday, February 19, 2011

Krazy for the Kinks

I'm crazy for THE KINKS.
I just completed the finishing touches on a pair of iPod playlists devoted to the legendary English rockers -- a 50-song compilation of singles, A and whatever B sides I had, and a six-and-a-half behemoth filled with every Kinks track I have in my possession, in chronological order, of course.

OK, I might just be crazy. Period. Kinks or otherwise.

I have no qualms admitting my reverence for RAY DAVIES. I simply cannot think of a better songwriter in the rock idiom -- sorry Lennon/McCartney, that's just how I feel.

"Waterloo Sunset," "Sunny Afternoon," "Victoria," "Days" and the colossal "Shangri-La" are among the greatest songs in rock's canon, I think.

Toss in "forgotten" singles, such as "Sweet Lady Genevieve" from 1973, and I'm hopelessly hooked on the band.

This morning, I incorporated my two latest Kinks albums into the playlists: "MUSWELL HILLBILLIES" from 1971 and "THE SONGS WE SANG FOR AUNTIE: BBC SESSIONS, 1964-77."

I fit the BBC session tracks into the playlist based on the order in which they would have been heard by listeners -- based on broadcast date.

See? I'm crazy about the Kinks. Or just crazy.