Nov. 3» 1969
The N. C. Essay
Page 2
'Tive.
Like so many of rock's best
groups (Byrds, Moby Grape, Young
bloods, the late Buffalo Springfield),
the British Kinks make excellent
music, yet fail to attract a large
listenership. Although they have not
had a bona fide "hit" single (the
curse of rock music) since early
1967, this group quietly turns out great
music, with much less fanfare than
those more pretensious, less imag
inative groups to which we so often;
pay heed. Their last two LP's, Some
thing Else and The Kinks Are The
Village Green Preservation Sooiety^
were just dandy products, as fine
as rock music can hope to be. Yet,
despite their continued excellence,
the Kinks have been forced into the
undeserved role of second-raters
with most rock freaks.
Perhaps part of the problem
rests in the inability of American
audiences to appreciate the Kinks* -
particularly Ray Davies' - very Brit
ish approach to rock. Most of Davies*
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songs are stunning portrayals
of British life or caustic satires
of establishment rule and class
system. And as such, Davies depicts
the core of British life with as■
much succ«ss as any John Osborne play
to date. But like another British
group, the Who, the Kinks have suffer
ed for their peculiar brand of chauv;
vinism.
In case you don*t remember, the
Kinks first happened in this country
shortly after the first Beatle splash
down. They were one of many British
groups during that period, but there
was something about the rage contained
In "You Really Got Me" and "All Day
and All Night" that made one turn up
the car radio, something Herman*s
Hermits rarely accomplished. Al
though the Kinks iBter toned down
their rave-ups and turned to more
subtle, folk-like exercises, Davies
continued to turn out classic songs,
such as "Tired Of Waiting," "A Well
Respected Man," "Sunny Afternoon,"
and the gently sad "Waterloo Sunset,"
one of rock*s monumental single pieces
of music. Kinks' albums have been
gems also, but alas, largely unheard.
Today, most fans remember the Kinks
as an early British group who did,
ah, what's the name of that song. . .?
But I think we've got you now.
The Kinks are back (with a new drum
mer, John Dalton) and offer us a fine
new album, Arthur (or^ The Beoline
and Fall of the British Empire).
Originally written as a theme for a
television special of the same name,
Arthur’s basic theme concerns the
rejection of middle-class values by
the current generation of young Brit
ans .
(Cont. on page (o )
Tony Senter- Editor
Mike Ferguson
Tom Cavano
Ruth Rendleman
Gwen Spear
Sandra Williams
Kathleen Fitzgerald
David Wood
Sam Barcelona
Valerie Parker - Typist
Anthony Fragola - Advisor
—n
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