For as much as people nowadays seemingly want to pretend that The Beatles are overrated or insignificant or, in the case of one conversation I had, representative of the decline of popular music (hah), you need to remember that they broke down the barrier - by being successful in the US, it opened the pond for all sorts of artists in the coming years to lay their claim to the Great American Melting Pot, and the resulting wave of British Invasion would permanently shift culture as we know it - indeed, all roads lead back to Liverpool. The Kinks were just one of these groups, and in my opinion one of the more overlooked groups, possibly due to them just being less prominent. Nevertheless, they could rock, and by their third single "You Really Got Me," they were topping the UK charts and putting a mean dent in the US. Their debut record soon followed, and while it's certainly an energetic record, it's marred by weak covers and some poultry originals (albeit the latter is the fault of their producer more than it is of Ray Davies). Even amidst a truly uneven running order, some classic rock lies between the grooves so long as you're willing to spin.
Sonically, the album fits the mold for any unsuspecting buyers expecting more "You Really Got Me," which is also on this record - surprise, surprise, it's probably the best thing here. The album's grimy, noisy rock production is, on evaluation, probably it's strongest and most consistent factor, along with the general tightness of the group - Dave Davies is a darn good, if somewhat unassuming guitar player, and when he's cranking out dirty riffs like on "You Really Got Me" or the Ray Davies original "So Mystifying," his talent shows through for simple yet memorable guitar hooks. Ray is a clean rhythm player, Pete Quaife is a simple and effective bass player, and whether the drummer is Bobby Graham or Mick Avory, they play snappy and quickly with some fun fills to boot. They're also a varied group, and can do more than just pure rock - "Cadillac" is a pretty bluesy number, not dissimilar from some early Yardbirds material that I've familiarized myself with, complete with a solid harmonica solo. It's a fun way to open the album's second leg.
With that all being said, the album is a hugely inconsistent bag of covers and some fresh material. Generally, you'll find that Ray Davies' material has a far better batting average than the regurgitated covers of Chuck Berry or Slim Harpo tunes, even if some fair better than others (see the previously mentioned "Cadillac"). Even with this in mind, some of the original tunes stumble, like the penultimate "Stop Your Sobbing," a pretty drowsy rock number that doesn't have the hook or musical depth for it to be overly compelling. Even worse than that, though, are the songs from the group's producer/manager Shel Talmy. The moments "Bald Headed Woman" and "I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain" have, if nothing, taught me one thing about revisiting The Kinks - god help you if Shel Talmy is writing the songs, because they are fucking awful. In addition, while Dave Davies is a fine enough singer on albums like Lola, his overly nasal tone on this album is baffling at points, seen in moments like "Beautiful Delilah" or the dreadful "Long Tall Shorty." Not worth repeating.
First Album Syndrome is a bitch, ain't it? The Kinks are a group that certainly show a lot of promise off of just the debut, but for a rock group that followed the time-honored tradition of stabbing amps for more distortion and getting the dirtiest riff you can, a surprising amount of this album is not particularly noteworthy or memorable. Of course, this is The Kinks, and the goods would eventually come, but this album could've been a solid sign of the future - this album is crying out for an "All Day and All of the Night" type of song, let me tell you. In my eyes, it's inessential, even if it is the starting ground for one of rock music's more beloved and significant artists.
RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
Listen to Kinks.
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