The Kinks, one of the great British rock groups, celebrate their 60th Anniversary in 2023. Formed in 1963 in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray Davies and Dave Davies with their friend Pete Quaife, and joined by Mick Avory in early 1964, the band quickly established themselves as one of the epoch-defining groups of the 60s. The band will commemorate the anniversary with global events and activities throughout 2023 and 2024. The first is a career-defining anthology, The Journey – Part 1 (1964-1975), handpicked by Ray, Dave and Mick, as a 2-CD or 2-LP set, that arrived on March 24 via BMG.

The Kinks have sold over 50 million records worldwide; they have achieved five U.S. Top 10 singles and seventeen U.K. Top 20 singles. Among numerous honors, they have received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Service to British Music and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Multi-award winning, legendary frontman Sir Ray Davies is widely recognized as one of the greatest British songwriters of all time.

From the Feb. 15 announcement: The Kinks 60 campaign will be a two-year-long celebration of their illustrious musical journey career, confirming their place as one of the greatest and most influential rock groups of all time. The songs on The Journey – Part 1 (1964-1975) have been curated according to themes inspired by the trials and tribulations of their journey through life together as a band since 1963. Featuring hits such as “You Really Got Me,” “Waterloo Sunset,” “All Day And All Of The Night,” “Celluloid Heroes,” “Dead End Street,” and “Death Of A Clown” The Journey – Part 1 follows recently remastered 50th anniversary deluxe editions of The Village Green Preservation Society, Lola Versus Powerman Part 1, Muswell Hillbillies and Everybody’s In Show-Biz. All tracks have been remastered from the original audio sources.

The new collection contains a booklet with band photos and personal track-by-track notes from Ray, Mick, and Dave, sharing their memories of the time these tracks were recorded and weaving them into the Kinks’ story. Details of The Journey – Part 2 will follow later this year.

A host of global events and activities will be launching throughout 2023 & 2024 to mark the band’s 60th, with more to be announced in the coming months. In the meantime, we keep wondering about a possible reunion.

The track listings appear below the Amazon listings.

The Kinks The Journey – Part 1 (1964-1975) Track Listing

CD1
Songs about becoming a man, the search for adventure, finding an identity and a girl:

1. You Really Got Me (UK#1, 1964)
2. All Day And All Of The Night (UK#2, 1964)
3. It’s All Right (1964)
4. Who’ll Be The Next In Line (1965)
5. Tired Of Waiting For You (UK#1, 1965)
6. Dandy (Germany#1, 1966)
7. She’s Got Everything (1968)
8. Just Can’t Go To Sleep (1964)
9. Stop Your Sobbing (1964)
10. Wait Till The Summer Comes Along (1965)
11. So Long (1965)
12. I’m Not Like Everybody Else (1966)

Songs of ambition achieved, bitter taste of success, loss of friends, the past comes back and bites you in the backside:

13. Dead End Street (UK#5, 1966)
14. Wonderboy (1968)
15. Schooldays (1975)
16. The Hard Way (1975)
17. Mindless Child Of Motherhood (1969)
18. Supersonic Rocket Ship (UK#2, 1972)
19. I’m In Disgrace (1975)
20. Do You Remember Walter? (1968)

CD2
Days and nights of a lost soul, songs of regret and reflection of happier times:

1. Too Much On My Mind (1966)
2. Nothin’ In The World Can Stop Me Worryin’ ‘Bout That Girl (1965)
3. Days (UK#2, 1968)
4. Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains (1968)
5. Where Have All The Good Times Gone (1965)
6. Strangers (1970)
7. It’s Too Late (1965)
8. Sitting In The Midday Sun (1973)

A new start, a new love, but have you really changed? Still haunted by the quest and the girl:

9. Waterloo Sunset (UK#2, 1967)
10. Australia (1969)
11. No More Looking Back (1975)
12. Death Of A Clown (UK#3, 1967)
13. Celluloid Heroes (1972)
14. Act Nice And Gentle (1967)
15. This Is Where I Belong (1967)
16. Shangri-La (1969)