In recent years, The Kinks have issued several massive 50th-anniversary anthologies, such as last year’s Muswell Hillbillies/Everybody’s in Show-biz—Everybody’s a Star, an eight-pound box stuffed with CDs, LPs, books, a Blu-ray and assorted keepsakes. By contrast, The Journey, Part 1 is a scaled-back affair, with 36 remastered tracks (all but 10 in the original mono) on two CDs in a cardboard sleeve.
Eight of the numbers come from the early 1970s while the rest first appeared in the 1960s, and all but 10 are presented in the original mono. Group prime mover Ray Davies and bandmates Dave Davies and Mick Avory handpicked the selections, which are grouped into four themed sections. The first, for example, includes “songs about becoming a man, the search for adventure, [and] finding an identity and a girl.”
Several of the Kinks’ biggest singles are here, including “You Really Got Me,” “All Day and All of the Night” and “Tired of Waiting for You,” but if it’s the hits you’re primarily after, you can find more comprehensive anthologies. This set seems more designed for serious fans who will be interested in its relatively obscure material, such as Dave’s “Wait Till the Summer Comes Along” and Ray’s “Dandy,” which is better known internationally via Herman’s Hermits’ hit version.
An accompanying booklet contains comments about each song by the band’s members, most of which aren’t particularly revealing. However, if you thought Ray had a woman in mind when he penned “Tired of Waiting for You,” you’ll be surprised to learn that he wrote the song about “waiting for the 102 bus before I could afford a mini-cab.”
Related: Our look at a reissue of two Kinks Klassiks
A top editor at leading consumer and trade magazines for more than 40 years, Jeff has interviewed dozens of musical luminaries, including Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt, Roger McGuinn, John Sebastian, Wolfman Jack, Tommy James, Tom Waits, the Righteous Brothers, and the members of Steely Dan.
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Jump into a conversationThere’s just something elegant and timeless about British pop. It mostly never sounds dated, usually great production values, and melodies to die for. Even the “ minor” artists had their own unique musicality and personality. A lot of these songs will become “standards.”