Imagine a 10 year old kid riding in the front seat of a 63 Impala with my uncle(7 yrs older) when all of sudden out of the AM radio came the most incredible sound. Dave’s distorted power chords that open ‘You really got me’. Not sure I’ve been the same since. Can’t recall the first album I bought,think it was’Somethig else. First concert was 1971 at UTA. SEEN them many times,never less than incredible. Favorite records; Author,Muswell, Showbiz,village green,Something Else,Misfits but like them all. God save the Kinks.
That's a great story - thanks for sharing. So true You Really Got Me has lost none of it's impact - it hits like a sledgehammer in the best way. Really was my intro as well as that was about the only Kinks song, along with Lola getting regular radio play in the early 70's. All great album choices of course. Love Misfits as well, though I do think Sleepwalker and Give The People What They Want are superior. With that said - "Misfits" and "Rock And Roll Fantasy" are two of the greatest songs of all time and emotionally effect me greatly. Love Muswell as well, especially the title track. Thanks so much.
Cool video! Huge Kinks fan here. My first Kinks show was at the Santa Monica Civic back in February 1977. It was the Sleepwalker tour. Saw them another 12 times up through 1995. First Kinks album ever purchased was The Live Kinks on Reprise when I was 5 years old. It was a used copy for 50 cents.
Wow - wonderful to hear from an actual Kinks fan from the very beginning . The Live Kinks when you were five. Incredible. And that's definitely not one of my favorite Kinks albums...lol. Not even as good as The Stones Got Live If You Want It, and that's not one of my favorite Stones albums either...lol. Not exactly the best time for live albums I guess. Famous bootlegs of those 1977 Sleepwalker shows. Midlife Crisis is a fantastic one from a radio broadcast. So lucky you were there. I love that period of The Kinks. Thanks so much for sharing your history once again. Most appreciated.
Interesting story. I like it. As for me I got into the Kinks because my uncle Steve gave me 3 albums, kink size,kingdom and the greatest hits. I really was hooked so I took started collecting them.
My Kinks history : 1st album - Schoolboys in Disgrace (Age 15 , cut out bin at Woolworths in PA).1976 1st concert : March 1979 Bloomsburg College PA. Low Budget songs premiered. Last concert : Ray Davis, March 2010, Scranton PA ( he did Ducks on the Wall)! God Save the Kinks!!!
@@jimalaimo8467 that’s awesome. Love that Woolworth cut out bin. At some point I think all those RCA concept albums were in the cutout bin there lol. I never saw Ducks on the Wall live. Very cool.
I was a little later to the party. GTPWTW era. But as I started going through my older (by 7 years) brother's record collection, I realized that I had grown up listening to The Kinks without realizing it. I quickly devoured their 60s and 70s albums and caught up. Still my top band to this day. Fortunate to have met Ray and Dave on multiple occasions and even played Ray's Ovation acoustics (white and brown) while working on the concert committee at Plattsburgh State in '85. Still feels like a dream. Was almost murdered by their head roadie when he caught me. No regrets.
@@kevinquinn4499 thanks so much for sharing. That’s awesome. What a great story about meeting them when you were on concert committee and playing his Ovation. So did you strum Lola? Thanks again. Fantastic
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow I strummed Lola and Apeman through the sound system! The guitar tech let me do it before the strings were changed. It was later that I went back unsupervised and was caught red-handed. The head roadie with a heavy British accent let loose with an obscenity-laced tirade. They worked us "to the bone" that day so I feel like I earned that experience. I went home to shower and took a nap...and realized I was sleeping through the sound check. I rushed over to the field house and realized they were done, but fortunately found Ray kicking a soccer ball around and started to head to the dressing room. I shouted out "Here comes Flash" and it caught his ear. He smiled and I rambled about what a huge fan I was. I was wearing an old shrunken Kinks tour shirt with his face on it. He said "that looks nothing like me". Then he stretched it and said..."that's more like it". Such a thrill. My first Kinks show was at Roseland Ballroom 12/30/83. Life-changing.
@@kevinquinn4499 what a fantastic story. I briefly met him once outside westbury music fair. I asked him to sign a bunch of old Kinks Billboard magazine ads that I saved for decades. He couldn’t believe I kept them and he signed them. Proudly framed in my house.
My first Kinks album was a cut out of Soap Opera. “Ducks on the wall” actually got a lot of airplay on an FM station in Chicago at the time. First concert was the Misfits tour. I could see ranking the Kinks and the Who together. I see them as similar in that both had a lead songwriter, who basically set the direction for the band and would sometimes go off the rails and do odd experiments that sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. That’s what I liked about both bands. There’s a humanity there that spoke to me more than the Stones and the Beatles.
Thanks - very cool you saw the Misfits tour - I missed that one. I also had Soap Opera as a cut out. I think all those RCA vinyl concept albums were cutouts locally when I purchased them. Interesting comparison between Ray Davies and Townshend. Certainly both not afraid to take chances, did many conceptual pieces and yes went off the rails on occasion - love it. Thanks again.
Hi Alan - very nice collection. Obviously I love the Kinks lolol, am not all in on then but I have quite a few of their CD's - similar yours + Come Dancing and State of Confusion. My favourite Kinks track "Waterloo Sunset" - Its just a classic. A mate of mine was in London many years ago, and watched a Waterloo Sunset from Waterloo Bridge - how cool is that lol. Cya
I actually tried to do the same. Me and my family walked across Waterloo Bridge and the song just kept playing in my mind. My two all time favorite Kinks songs are Celluloid Heroes and Waterloo Sunset (but there's almost endless Kinks songs that I love to death including later ones like Don't Forget To Dance from State Of Confusion. Thanks as always.
Thanks for the video...The Kinks are definitely underrated. I was only fortunate to see them once in 1993 on the Phobia tour in a small venue in Charlotte NC. It was an such a fun show...kind of remined me of a Delta House party! They sounded great and seemed to be in a great mood. The next day they were on the John Boy & Billy show but wouldn't be in the studio at the same time.. LOL awkward 😂. I think that was one of their last shows before they broke up.
And wait a minute......I almost forgot to mention the Ray Davies New Orleans connection. While he was living here, he got shot!! A definite black eye for the Big Easy😭
Yea - what a horrendous story - read it in his book - was chasing down a mugger who stopped, turned and shot him. Understandably, really messed Ray up.
I'm not just sucking up to you...really. My second favorite track of this album (behind Celluloid Heroes which is at a top of my all time favorite songs by anyone). Yea - absolutely incredible song. Amazing. Thanks for the comment - hope others check it out.
nice run down of your Kinks history. i never really knew they werent being played on the radio back in 70s much. by the time i got into music it was around when One for the Road came put so they were certainly around. They did an OK cover of that Van Halen song You Really Got Me 😂😂😂. Now let’s hurry these episodes along so we can get to your special 3-part Swifty episode.
I wonder how many VH fans actually thought it was their song and the Kinks covered it. Same with Where Have All The Good Times Gone from Diver Down. At least VH had good taste in covers. Yea The Kinks returned to radio big time in 1979 with the Low Budget album being a big hit. Before that in the mid 1970's, really just a couple of songs on classic rock radio...even in the "golden" age of classic rock radio...was pretty limited.
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow i do remember reading an interview with ray davies probably in 80s where he said that exact thing about VH version. i’m pretty sure VH also covered All Day All Night in their club days. I might have it on a bootleg.
10 box sets. wow though not surprised. I haven't upgraded to those newer massive box set Kinks reissues. I guess I got tired of buying the albums over and over. I have the UK import 2 CD deluxe editions of the sixties classic albums, though I have a 3 disc version of Preservation Society. I do have Kinks bootlegs too in that count. Thanks for your suggestion on this series. I'm sure enjoying reminiscing my history with the bands - hope others enjoy it.
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow the only time I got close to seeing the Kinks was in 2010 I also saw Ray Davies with the 88s and I also bought the 88s music lol
@@thomaswery3087 Tom - how cool is that. The 88 were really really good - I bought a bunch of their CD's and still have them. Were quirky and fun. And they were a fantastic back up band for Ray. Was awesome - so cool you saw that show. Wasn't The Kinks but was really great nevertheless
I bought the 1980 live VHS tape a year before I had a VCR. It has to be one of the first concert tapes sold. I still listen to Low Budget and the live album periodically. The latter was the first I bought after listening to them for years. I did my deep dive after. I only saw them once on the Word of Mouth tour and saw Ray solo once.
I bought that VHS back then too (though I did have a VHS). Cudos to you, because those VHS tapes were EXPENSIVE. Yea that, Blondie Eat To The Beat were definitely amongst the first. Was such exciting technology at the time. Was a great filmed concert which I later got on laserdisc as well. That is a great live album. I like Word Of Mouth - not amongst their best but lots of really good songs - especially Do It Again and Living On A Thin Line, Going Solo - phew amazing. Cool videos at that time too.
@@Larrybabbin1957 Yea - the black tapes were a fortune initially too when they came out. Would tape over them over and over again because was so expensive. I have the ads for The Rolling Stones Video Rewind VHS - that was fantastic and still have it. But yea, when VHS first came out - was like the greatest invention ever.
My first kinks album was everybody's in show-biz, mainly because I liked the way the cover looked. My favorite would be a tie between something else by the kinks or Arthur.
Wow you're the third person so far (including me) that Everybody's In Show-Biz was their first Kinks album. I do love Something Else and Arthur as well. Doesn't get much better than Shangri-La. Best, Alan
My first Kinks album was Lola vs Powerman. My first time seeing them was the Soap Opera tour in San Francisco. I also have every kink’s album like you. God save the Kinks
Hi Allen - very cool that the Lola album was your first. All those original albums I got retrospectively. Of course that one is a personal favorite though I never need to hear Lola again. Other great songs on it of course. Cool you saw the Soap Opera tour. I have a bootleg video and bootleg album of that show. Actually show is a perfect description. God Save The Kinks indeed.
My first kinky experience was on a beanbag chair back in........wait a minute, this video is about the Kinks....the band😂 never mind. My God, do I remember Woolworth. I used to always check out the cutout albums and 45's. I don't remember my first Kinks album. I only got to see them twice. My favorite was the Schoolboys In Disgrace tour especially since the opening act was the Pretty Things.......great bill. Of course, I have all the albums on many various versions. Alan, have yourself a kinky day!!😂🤣
You're a classic David. By the way, did you see the collapse - minor thankfully. You saw the Schoolboys tour. Interesting. Have the article and photos from Creem and Circus from then. Actually one of the better RCA albums. Pretty Things opened - very cool bill.
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow I have been called many things in my life 🤣😂 I accept being called a Classic. Thank you. The one thing I have NEVER been called is boring🤣😂 I definitely saw that tremor of a fall.....you are overdue for a big one!
I have never really understood why I only own one Kinks album (and that's Celluloid Heroes, one of very very few greatest hits albums I own by anyone - not keen on g.h. records from an artistic point of view) and have never seen them either. I have huge respect for Ray Davies, You Really Got Me astounded me as a seven year old, or whatever, and I still love it, and we used to put Lola on the jukebox endlessly when it came out in 1970 - still a great memory from being thirteen. Just one of those anomalies in my personal r 'n' r history, I guess.
Here's my recommendation Martin. The Kinks are probably best represented by compilations. Most of their albums can be spotty. But there's a ton of compilations. The one you have (that I also have and showed in the video - Celluloid Heroes) is amongst their worst - though I like it. That RCA period is probably the Kinks worst period. My favorite Kinks compilation is called Kinks The Ultimate Collection. It's a UK import (but usually pretty inexpensive). It was on Sanctuary records - it has 44 songs on two discs on starts at the beginning but also including many great classic later day "hits". To this day it's my go-to Kinks album and perfect for my families car rides. Hopefully one day you'll find it cheap. I promise you will LOVE it. Come Dancing With The Kinks is a very good collection of the later day Arista period that I particularly love - from 1977 -1986. There's two different versions but they're both very good. Very best Alan
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow I have checked the Ultimate Collection track-listing. Can't argue with CD One - I know nearly all those songs and could probably sing most of them word for word to this day - there's even a couple I had forgotten that I knew, but they came back to me instantly. Not so with CD Two - don't recognise much of that. I shall keep an eye out. Much appreciated!
One of my favourite bands too, I've only seen them twice both 1979 on the Low Budget tour both were great. My first record was a comp, quickly followed by many others. BTW I received the David Gilmour album and like it a lot, I do find though that the song sung by Romany although good spoils the flow of the record a bit.
It's funny, I've heard others say that. Not for me. I actually think its the highpoint of the album. I'm absolutely in love with that song and I think her vocals are so spot on. Sings it perfectly. But it does sort of "break" up the album...but then again....not really to me.....I just love that track so much. Glad you like the album though.
Alan i,m 61 but a Brit. If you were from Uk i imagine that you would have been into the Jam and got into the Kinks via their influence on Paul Weller.The Kinks 60s and early 70s albums are all superb
@@davidjackson5449 thanks. I’m actually a really big Jam fan snd Paul Weller fan. Less of Style Council. I actually did a video on him if you didn’t see it. Check out playlist called US vs Uk. Thanks so much
@@montyrose78 I love songs from the RCA years and I like or really like those well most of those albums. I honestly feel their albums were much better before and after. Thanks.
I have all of The Kinks albums you displayed. The first album I bought was The Kinks Greatest Hits, the original one ( actually it was an 8-track.) The first time I saw them was the Sleepwalker tour and every tour up to Word Of Mouth. The Arista period for me is the best. I've seen Ray Davies several times and met him at a book signing for X-Ray in the mid 90's. He signed my album Misfits. Still my favorite Kinks album.
So nice to see another fan who loves the Arista period. I also feel it's their best "albums" period. Certainly my favorite. I wish I saw them on the Sleepwalker tour as that's probably my overall favorite "go-to" Kinks album. So cool that The Kinks Greatest Hits was your first (was my second) and that you had it on 8-Track - how great is that. Thanks as always.
Only saw them once - 1979 tour in Kansas City. John Cougar opened. Great show. I like all periods of Kinks but Sleepwalker, Misfits, Low Budget is my favorite era. The concept albums are pretty good but not my go to albums. Something Else is another favorite.
Thanks - yea great tour that was. I'm with, my favorite Kinks album period is the Arista albums you chose as well as Give The People What They Want - another all time favorite. Kink's "snobs" trash that period, but they're so wrong - those are amazing albums and what a comeback after the RCA period. Thanks so much as always.
My first was One For the Road, although one of my brothers already owned Sleepwalker and Low Budget. Late high school, early college years I was a Kinks fanatic and they were my favorite band. They would play Veterans Memorial in Columbus every time they released a new album, which would have been every year or two, and I was always there. From that point I bought every Arista album as it came out while simultaneously exploring some of their back catalogue. Unfortunately, the first time I heard Rock and Roll Cities on the radio I decided I was done with the band (I was a bit of a snob in those days, and I didn't want my beloved Kinks sounding like REO Speedwagon! ) and I've never listened to anything they've released since. Like you, Sleepwalker is my favorite album by them, so we're Kinks brothers in that respect! The Kinks album I probably listened to the most though was Kink Kronikles, which has to be one of the best compilations ever. If Ray has a weakness as a songwriter, and believe me this is a very minor criticism, it's that he can be a bit twee, a bit precious at times, but none of that aspect is apparent on Sleepwalker, just solid serious songwriting throughout. I don't listen to them much nowadays but I do still love them, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I have my Kinks resurgence! Great video, Alan.
Thanks so much for your wonderful personal story. I love it. Funny Rock And Roll Cities was the opening single from Think Visual and was a horrible choice. Apparently was some pressure to release a Dave Davies track as lead single. What a mistake. Not a great album but Working At The Factory is one of my all time favorite Kinks tracks and Lost And Found and Killing Time are also amazing. If you haven't heard them, you need to. It may bring your Kinks resurgence back. Thanks again.
I agree with Rock n Roll Cities being unlistenable, but there are some real gems on that album and still more great Kinks songs on the subsequent albums. If you've never heard Scattered you are missing out!
@@kevinquinn4499 Absolutely. Gems on all of them. Phobia is a bit too long as an album but yea some great stuff. How was How Do I Get Close not a hit. Working At The Factory. Lost And Found. So many lost gems.
Don't have much Kinks in my Kollektion. The first was a vinyl record called 20 Golden Greats on Ronco Records of all things! The cover mocked the KISS logo with the Kinks name, sadly got lost in a move. Then I got was The Kink Kronikles 2 cd set (still probably my favorite comp by them). Folllowed by GH (for the early stuff) on Rhino. Also have 2 cd versions of the Come Dancing comp, both have slightly track listings. One on my fave Kinks songs is Shangri-la, love how how it starts out mellow, then it rocks.
Even though I have every Kinks album, I do find the best way to listen to the early Kinks, is through their compilations. There's a ton of great ones. Kronikles was one of my first and still a fantastic collection, as you said. By the way Shangri-La is one of my all time early favorites - I'm so with you on that. Thanks.
@@jasonpp1973 Oh yea - in a big way. Ray Davies is amongst the top of greatest songwriters of all time. An interesting deep track is called Working At The Factory where he compares being a working rock band to working at the factory - the record company. Fantastic great rocking song if you've never heard it.
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow Yeah great song, my parents have the album it comes from, Think Visual. I believe its the last Kinks album they bought. I also liked Lost and Found, and Rock and Roll Cities from the album. Kinks albums are hard to find out in the wild.
@@jasonpp1973 yea. Not big sellers so not readily available out in the wild. There’s a decent live album from that time called The Road. Was the MCA years. Not easy to find though.
How cool is that. I hope I didn't disappoint you. At some point you may want to check out my Kinks discography video where I show all the albums and pick my go to tracks - Thanks so much. Nothing like being Kinks fans.
Thanks for recounting your discovery of and love affair with The Kinks. Your story is so engaging. As is the case for so many others, The Kinks first caught my ear with “Lola” being played over and over again on my favorite radio stations. Additional songs by the band eventually found their way on to these stations. I loved all The Kinks songs I was hearing, but I never bought one of the band’s albums when I was a teenager. Having limited funds as a teen, I saved my money to purchase albums by bands and artists whose songs moved me the most and whose records I had learned a lot about. It took me awhile to dive into more than just The Kinks songs that were getting radio airplay. Once I did take the plunge with some CDs, I was sorry that I waited so long. The melodies, the lyrics and the stories told through songs make The Kinks an extraordinary band. The group deserved greater, more long-lasting success in the states. Ray Davies should be on every list of the best songwriters (IMHO). In concert, I saw the band twice. Once at a large arena at the height of The Kinks’ fame. The show was great. The second time was at the same Hofstra University show you spoke about. Ray sure is a nasty drunk - and a great talent.
@@ronalaurence4105 So funny you were also at that Hofstra show. Definitely a Kinks low point unfortunately but funny as well in a way. I totally agree that Ray Davies is amongst the very top of greatest songwriters of all time.
I Never got to see the Kinks, was wondering if they are a 4,5, piece group maybe more. in Texas KTSA am Played Lola constantly So that was my First introduction to them. Did The same thing with my bicycle only the store was J. C. Penny’s. ✌️
Thanks so much - yea I remember JC Penny's as well. kinks were originally a 4 piece band. Then they added a keyboard player later on. Different periods they had horns and also a couple of female backup singers. But the "classic" lineup was four.
Oneof my fave tracks by the Kinks is "Im Not Like Everyone Else", especially this live version. As Brian Jones fan, love what this fan did to this song. th-cam.com/video/SdLu6Gnb9gk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=AmJ49GWQPtosEs61
Thanks so much for sending this comment and video link. Really cool - I've never seen that and what a great musical track for it. He sure wasn't like Everybody Else...lol. I'm totally with you. Was always one of my favorite Kinks songs - in fact by anybody. I'm thrilled over the last decades of so more and more people are getting to know it. Also this version is incredible - the best really. I think it may be the version from the US 2 CD version of the live To The Bone. It's really similar if it's not the exact version and that's my favorite. Yea - this is amazing. Thanks again and hope others see this comment and check it out....
I was at the show in MARCH 80 in Syracuse they recorded some tracks for ''One for the Road'' top 10 concert I ever saw. Ray Davies was a great front man.
That's awesome - I'm with you - the Kinks were on fire at that point. At their peak really. I also LOVE the follow up Give The People What They Want - fantastic album.
Imagine a 10 year old kid riding in the front seat of a 63 Impala with my uncle(7 yrs older) when all of sudden out of the AM radio came the most incredible sound. Dave’s distorted power chords that open ‘You really got me’. Not sure I’ve been the same since. Can’t recall the first album I bought,think it was’Somethig else. First concert was 1971 at UTA. SEEN them many times,never less than incredible. Favorite records; Author,Muswell, Showbiz,village green,Something Else,Misfits but like them all. God save the Kinks.
That's a great story - thanks for sharing. So true You Really Got Me has lost none of it's impact - it hits like a sledgehammer in the best way. Really was my intro as well as that was about the only Kinks song, along with Lola getting regular radio play in the early 70's. All great album choices of course. Love Misfits as well, though I do think Sleepwalker and Give The People What They Want are superior. With that said - "Misfits" and "Rock And Roll Fantasy" are two of the greatest songs of all time and emotionally effect me greatly. Love Muswell as well, especially the title track. Thanks so much.
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow records not in any particular Order. Fav can change. Ray is my favorite song writer .
@@billalbritton4972 no doubt one of the greatest songwriters of all time. At the top for sure.
Cool video! Huge Kinks fan here. My first Kinks show was at the Santa Monica Civic back in February 1977. It was the Sleepwalker tour. Saw them another 12 times up through 1995. First Kinks album ever purchased was The Live Kinks on Reprise when I was 5 years old. It was a used copy for 50 cents.
Wow - wonderful to hear from an actual Kinks fan from the very beginning . The Live Kinks when you were five. Incredible. And that's definitely not one of my favorite Kinks albums...lol. Not even as good as The Stones Got Live If You Want It, and that's not one of my favorite Stones albums either...lol. Not exactly the best time for live albums I guess. Famous bootlegs of those 1977 Sleepwalker shows. Midlife Crisis is a fantastic one from a radio broadcast. So lucky you were there. I love that period of The Kinks. Thanks so much for sharing your history once again. Most appreciated.
Interesting story. I like it. As for me I got into the Kinks because my uncle Steve gave me 3 albums, kink size,kingdom and the greatest hits. I really was hooked so I took started collecting them.
That's awesome - thanks for sharing. Cool that you started with those early classics as I worked my way backwards over time. Thanks again.
My Kinks history :
1st album - Schoolboys in Disgrace (Age 15 , cut out bin at Woolworths in PA).1976
1st concert : March 1979 Bloomsburg College PA. Low Budget songs premiered.
Last concert : Ray Davis, March 2010, Scranton PA ( he did Ducks on the Wall)!
God Save the Kinks!!!
@@jimalaimo8467 that’s awesome. Love that Woolworth cut out bin. At some point I think all those RCA concept albums were in the cutout bin there lol. I never saw Ducks on the Wall live. Very cool.
@TheAlanRosenbergShow As a quick aside, my brother threw his scarf on stage at the March 1979 show, and Ray wore it when singing Alcohol.
@@jimalaimo8467 that’s so fun. Did he keep it? That was a fun live song.
@TheAlanRosenbergShow He kept it. He put it around the mic stand for a few songs and then gave it to a roadie. Never saw it again!
@@jimalaimo8467 lol.
I was a little later to the party. GTPWTW era. But as I started going through my older (by 7 years) brother's record collection, I realized that I had grown up listening to The Kinks without realizing it. I quickly devoured their 60s and 70s albums and caught up. Still my top band to this day. Fortunate to have met Ray and Dave on multiple occasions and even played Ray's Ovation acoustics (white and brown) while working on the concert committee at Plattsburgh State in '85. Still feels like a dream. Was almost murdered by their head roadie when he caught me. No regrets.
@@kevinquinn4499 thanks so much for sharing. That’s awesome. What a great story about meeting them when you were on concert committee and playing his Ovation. So did you strum Lola? Thanks again. Fantastic
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow I strummed Lola and Apeman through the sound system! The guitar tech let me do it before the strings were changed. It was later that I went back unsupervised and was caught red-handed. The head roadie with a heavy British accent let loose with an obscenity-laced tirade. They worked us "to the bone"
that day so I feel like I earned that experience. I went home to shower and took a nap...and realized I was sleeping through the sound check. I rushed over to the field house and realized they were done, but fortunately found Ray kicking a soccer ball around and started to head to the dressing room. I shouted out "Here comes Flash" and it caught his ear. He smiled and I rambled about what a huge fan I was. I was wearing an old shrunken Kinks tour shirt with his face on it. He said "that looks nothing like me". Then he stretched it and said..."that's more like it". Such a thrill. My first Kinks show was at Roseland Ballroom 12/30/83. Life-changing.
@@kevinquinn4499 what a fantastic story. I briefly met him once outside westbury music fair. I asked him to sign a bunch of old Kinks Billboard magazine ads that I saved for decades. He couldn’t believe I kept them and he signed them. Proudly framed in my house.
My first Kinks album was a cut out of Soap Opera. “Ducks on the wall” actually got a lot of airplay on an FM station in Chicago at the time. First concert was the Misfits tour. I could see ranking the Kinks and the Who together. I see them as similar in that both had a lead songwriter, who basically set the direction for the band and would sometimes go off the rails and do odd experiments that sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. That’s what I liked about both bands. There’s a humanity there that spoke to me more than the Stones and the Beatles.
Thanks - very cool you saw the Misfits tour - I missed that one. I also had Soap Opera as a cut out. I think all those RCA vinyl concept albums were cutouts locally when I purchased them. Interesting comparison between Ray Davies and Townshend. Certainly both not afraid to take chances, did many conceptual pieces and yes went off the rails on occasion - love it. Thanks again.
Hi Alan - very nice collection. Obviously I love the Kinks lolol, am not all in on then but I have quite a few of their CD's - similar yours + Come Dancing and State of Confusion. My favourite Kinks track "Waterloo Sunset" - Its just a classic. A mate of mine was in London many years ago, and watched a Waterloo Sunset from Waterloo Bridge - how cool is that lol. Cya
I actually tried to do the same. Me and my family walked across Waterloo Bridge and the song just kept playing in my mind. My two all time favorite Kinks songs are Celluloid Heroes and Waterloo Sunset (but there's almost endless Kinks songs that I love to death including later ones like Don't Forget To Dance from State Of Confusion. Thanks as always.
Thanks for the video...The Kinks are definitely underrated. I was only fortunate to see them once in 1993 on the Phobia tour in a small venue in Charlotte NC. It was an such a fun show...kind of remined me of a Delta House party! They sounded great and seemed to be in a great mood. The next day they were on the John Boy & Billy show but wouldn't be in the studio at the same time.. LOL awkward 😂. I think that was one of their last shows before they broke up.
Thanks so much for sharing - that's a great story about next day on the radio but wouldn't be together - classic Kinks right there.
And wait a minute......I almost forgot to mention the Ray Davies New Orleans connection. While he was living here, he got shot!! A definite black eye for the Big Easy😭
Yea - what a horrendous story - read it in his book - was chasing down a mugger who stopped, turned and shot him. Understandably, really messed Ray up.
5:00 Everybodys in showbiz has my fave Kinks song, "Sitting in my Hotel Room" I just love this track so much. If my friends could see me now...
I'm not just sucking up to you...really. My second favorite track of this album (behind Celluloid Heroes which is at a top of my all time favorite songs by anyone). Yea - absolutely incredible song. Amazing. Thanks for the comment - hope others check it out.
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow Here here. Most don't know this track
@@deeg8849 Hope they discover it. I should've mentioned it...my bad.
nice run down of your Kinks history. i never really knew they werent being played on the radio back in 70s much. by the time i got into music it was around when One for the Road came put so they were certainly around. They did an OK cover of that Van Halen song You Really Got Me 😂😂😂. Now let’s hurry these episodes along so we can get to your special 3-part Swifty episode.
I wonder how many VH fans actually thought it was their song and the Kinks covered it. Same with Where Have All The Good Times Gone from Diver Down. At least VH had good taste in covers. Yea The Kinks returned to radio big time in 1979 with the Low Budget album being a big hit. Before that in the mid 1970's, really just a couple of songs on classic rock radio...even in the "golden" age of classic rock radio...was pretty limited.
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow i do remember reading an interview with ray davies probably in 80s where he said that exact thing about VH version. i’m pretty sure VH also covered All Day All Night in their club days. I might have it on a bootleg.
@@STEVEHEROLD That I never heard but could definitely work - really a sister song of You Really Got Me.
I thought wow that's alot of Kinks albums you have Alan.But then I counted mine and I have 37 albums and 10 box sets lol
10 box sets. wow though not surprised. I haven't upgraded to those newer massive box set Kinks reissues. I guess I got tired of buying the albums over and over. I have the UK import 2 CD deluxe editions of the sixties classic albums, though I have a 3 disc version of Preservation Society. I do have Kinks bootlegs too in that count. Thanks for your suggestion on this series. I'm sure enjoying reminiscing my history with the bands - hope others enjoy it.
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow the only time I got close to seeing the Kinks was in 2010 I also saw Ray Davies with the 88s and I also bought the 88s music lol
@@thomaswery3087 Tom - how cool is that. The 88 were really really good - I bought a bunch of their CD's and still have them. Were quirky and fun. And they were a fantastic back up band for Ray. Was awesome - so cool you saw that show. Wasn't The Kinks but was really great nevertheless
I bought the 1980 live VHS tape a year before I had a VCR. It has to be one of the first concert tapes sold. I still listen to Low Budget and the live album periodically. The latter was the first I bought after listening to them for years. I did my deep dive after. I only saw them once on the Word of Mouth tour and saw Ray solo once.
I bought that VHS back then too (though I did have a VHS). Cudos to you, because those VHS tapes were EXPENSIVE. Yea that, Blondie Eat To The Beat were definitely amongst the first. Was such exciting technology at the time. Was a great filmed concert which I later got on laserdisc as well. That is a great live album. I like Word Of Mouth - not amongst their best but lots of really good songs - especially Do It Again and Living On A Thin Line, Going Solo - phew amazing. Cool videos at that time too.
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow I seem to remember $30 for the video which back then was a lot! VCRs were around $1000!
@@Larrybabbin1957 Yea - the black tapes were a fortune initially too when they came out. Would tape over them over and over again because was so expensive. I have the ads for The Rolling Stones Video Rewind VHS - that was fantastic and still have it. But yea, when VHS first came out - was like the greatest invention ever.
My first kinks album was everybody's in show-biz, mainly because I liked the way the cover looked. My favorite would be a tie between something else by the kinks or Arthur.
Wow you're the third person so far (including me) that Everybody's In Show-Biz was their first Kinks album. I do love Something Else and Arthur as well. Doesn't get much better than Shangri-La. Best, Alan
My first Kinks album was Lola vs Powerman. My first time seeing them was the Soap Opera tour in San Francisco. I also have every kink’s album like you. God save the Kinks
Hi Allen - very cool that the Lola album was your first. All those original albums I got retrospectively. Of course that one is a personal favorite though I never need to hear Lola again. Other great songs on it of course. Cool you saw the Soap Opera tour. I have a bootleg video and bootleg album of that show. Actually show is a perfect description. God Save The Kinks indeed.
My first kinky experience was on a beanbag chair back in........wait a minute, this video is about the Kinks....the band😂 never mind. My God, do I remember Woolworth. I used to always check out the cutout albums and 45's. I don't remember my first Kinks album. I only got to see them twice. My favorite was the Schoolboys In Disgrace tour especially since the opening act was the Pretty Things.......great bill. Of course, I have all the albums on many various versions. Alan, have yourself a kinky day!!😂🤣
You're a classic David. By the way, did you see the collapse - minor thankfully. You saw the Schoolboys tour. Interesting. Have the article and photos from Creem and Circus from then. Actually one of the better RCA albums. Pretty Things opened - very cool bill.
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow I have been called many things in my life 🤣😂 I accept being called a Classic. Thank you. The one thing I have NEVER been called is boring🤣😂 I definitely saw that tremor of a fall.....you are overdue for a big one!
@@davidkunzli680 Hope all is well with you in New Orleans and survived the hurricane ok.
I have never really understood why I only own one Kinks album (and that's Celluloid Heroes, one of very very few greatest hits albums I own by anyone - not keen on g.h. records from an artistic point of view) and have never seen them either. I have huge respect for Ray Davies, You Really Got Me astounded me as a seven year old, or whatever, and I still love it, and we used to put Lola on the jukebox endlessly when it came out in 1970 - still a great memory from being thirteen. Just one of those anomalies in my personal r 'n' r history, I guess.
Here's my recommendation Martin. The Kinks are probably best represented by compilations. Most of their albums can be spotty. But there's a ton of compilations. The one you have (that I also have and showed in the video - Celluloid Heroes) is amongst their worst - though I like it. That RCA period is probably the Kinks worst period. My favorite Kinks compilation is called Kinks The Ultimate Collection. It's a UK import (but usually pretty inexpensive). It was on Sanctuary records - it has 44 songs on two discs on starts at the beginning but also including many great classic later day "hits". To this day it's my go-to Kinks album and perfect for my families car rides. Hopefully one day you'll find it cheap. I promise you will LOVE it. Come Dancing With The Kinks is a very good collection of the later day Arista period that I particularly love - from 1977 -1986. There's two different versions but they're both very good. Very best Alan
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow I have checked the Ultimate Collection track-listing. Can't argue with CD One - I know nearly all those songs and could probably sing most of them word for word to this day - there's even a couple I had forgotten that I knew, but they came back to me instantly. Not so with CD Two - don't recognise much of that. I shall keep an eye out. Much appreciated!
@@martinstarnes2237 my pleasure Martin.
One of my favourite bands too, I've only seen them twice both 1979 on the Low Budget tour both were great. My first record was a comp, quickly followed by many others. BTW I received the David Gilmour album and like it a lot, I do find though that the song sung by Romany although good spoils the flow of the record a bit.
It's funny, I've heard others say that. Not for me. I actually think its the highpoint of the album. I'm absolutely in love with that song and I think her vocals are so spot on. Sings it perfectly. But it does sort of "break" up the album...but then again....not really to me.....I just love that track so much. Glad you like the album though.
Alan i,m 61 but a Brit. If you were from Uk i imagine that you would have been into the Jam and got into the Kinks via their influence on Paul Weller.The Kinks 60s and early 70s albums are all superb
@@davidjackson5449 thanks. I’m actually a really big Jam fan snd Paul Weller fan. Less of Style Council. I actually did a video on him if you didn’t see it. Check out playlist called US vs Uk. Thanks so much
I love the RCA Kinks
@@montyrose78 I love songs from the RCA years and I like or really like those well most of those albums. I honestly feel their albums were much better before and after. Thanks.
My favorite Kinks period.
@@tomrobinson5776 Fair enough. I enjoy the RCA years as well. Certainly creative period for Ray.
I have all of The Kinks albums you displayed. The first album I bought was The Kinks Greatest Hits, the original one ( actually it was an 8-track.) The first time I saw them was the Sleepwalker tour and every tour up to Word Of Mouth. The Arista period for me is the best. I've seen Ray Davies several times and met him at a book signing for X-Ray in the mid 90's. He signed my album Misfits. Still my favorite Kinks album.
So nice to see another fan who loves the Arista period. I also feel it's their best "albums" period. Certainly my favorite. I wish I saw them on the Sleepwalker tour as that's probably my overall favorite "go-to" Kinks album. So cool that The Kinks Greatest Hits was your first (was my second) and that you had it on 8-Track - how great is that. Thanks as always.
Only saw them once - 1979 tour in Kansas City. John Cougar opened. Great show. I like all periods of Kinks but Sleepwalker, Misfits, Low Budget is my favorite era. The concept albums are pretty good but not my go to albums. Something Else is another favorite.
Thanks - yea great tour that was. I'm with, my favorite Kinks album period is the Arista albums you chose as well as Give The People What They Want - another all time favorite. Kink's "snobs" trash that period, but they're so wrong - those are amazing albums and what a comeback after the RCA period. Thanks so much as always.
My first was One For the Road, although one of my brothers already owned Sleepwalker and Low Budget. Late high school, early college years I was a Kinks fanatic and they were my favorite band. They would play Veterans Memorial in Columbus every time they released a new album, which would have been every year or two, and I was always there. From that point I bought every Arista album as it came out while simultaneously exploring some of their back catalogue. Unfortunately, the first time I heard Rock and Roll Cities on the radio I decided I was done with the band (I was a bit of a snob in those days, and I didn't want my beloved Kinks sounding like REO Speedwagon! ) and I've never listened to anything they've released since. Like you, Sleepwalker is my favorite album by them, so we're Kinks brothers in that respect! The Kinks album I probably listened to the most though was Kink Kronikles, which has to be one of the best compilations ever. If Ray has a weakness as a songwriter, and believe me this is a very minor criticism, it's that he can be a bit twee, a bit precious at times, but none of that aspect is apparent on Sleepwalker, just solid serious songwriting throughout. I don't listen to them much nowadays but I do still love them, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I have my Kinks resurgence! Great video, Alan.
Thanks so much for your wonderful personal story. I love it. Funny Rock And Roll Cities was the opening single from Think Visual and was a horrible choice. Apparently was some pressure to release a Dave Davies track as lead single. What a mistake. Not a great album but Working At The Factory is one of my all time favorite Kinks tracks and Lost And Found and Killing Time are also amazing. If you haven't heard them, you need to. It may bring your Kinks resurgence back. Thanks again.
I agree with Rock n Roll Cities being unlistenable, but there are some real gems on that album and still more great Kinks songs on the subsequent albums. If you've never heard Scattered you are missing out!
@@kevinquinn4499 Absolutely. Gems on all of them. Phobia is a bit too long as an album but yea some great stuff. How was How Do I Get Close not a hit. Working At The Factory. Lost And Found. So many lost gems.
Don't have much Kinks in my Kollektion.
The first was a vinyl record called
20 Golden Greats on Ronco Records of all things!
The cover mocked the KISS logo with the Kinks name, sadly got lost in a move.
Then I got was The Kink Kronikles 2 cd set (still probably my favorite comp by them).
Folllowed by GH (for the early stuff) on Rhino.
Also have 2 cd versions of the Come Dancing comp, both have slightly track listings.
One on my fave Kinks songs is Shangri-la, love how how it starts out mellow, then it rocks.
Even though I have every Kinks album, I do find the best way to listen to the early Kinks, is through their compilations. There's a ton of great ones. Kronikles was one of my first and still a fantastic collection, as you said. By the way Shangri-La is one of my all time early favorites - I'm so with you on that. Thanks.
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow Ever notice that a lot of their songs deal economic and social classes?
@@jasonpp1973 Oh yea - in a big way. Ray Davies is amongst the top of greatest songwriters of all time. An interesting deep track is called Working At The Factory where he compares being a working rock band to working at the factory - the record company. Fantastic great rocking song if you've never heard it.
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow Yeah great song, my parents have the album it comes from, Think Visual.
I believe its the last Kinks album they bought.
I also liked Lost and Found, and Rock and Roll Cities from the album.
Kinks albums are hard to find out in the wild.
@@jasonpp1973 yea. Not big sellers so not readily available out in the wild. There’s a decent live album from that time called The Road. Was the MCA years. Not easy to find though.
We just listened to two hours of Kinks. Five minutes later you post this video.
How cool is that. I hope I didn't disappoint you. At some point you may want to check out my Kinks discography video where I show all the albums and pick my go to tracks - Thanks so much. Nothing like being Kinks fans.
Thanks for recounting your discovery of and love affair with The Kinks. Your story is so engaging. As is the case for so many others, The Kinks first caught my ear with “Lola” being played over and over again on my favorite radio stations. Additional songs by the band eventually found their way on to these stations. I loved all The Kinks songs I was hearing, but I never bought one of the band’s albums when I was a teenager. Having limited funds as a teen, I saved my money to purchase albums by bands and artists whose songs moved me the most and whose records I had learned a lot about. It took me awhile to dive into more than just The Kinks songs that were getting radio airplay. Once I did take the plunge with some CDs, I was sorry that I waited so long. The melodies, the lyrics and the stories told through songs make The Kinks an extraordinary band. The group deserved greater, more long-lasting success in the states. Ray Davies should be on every list of the best songwriters (IMHO). In concert, I saw the band twice. Once at a large arena at the height of The Kinks’ fame. The show was great. The second time was at the same Hofstra University show you spoke about. Ray sure is a nasty drunk - and a great talent.
@@ronalaurence4105 So funny you were also at that Hofstra show. Definitely a Kinks low point unfortunately but funny as well in a way. I totally agree that Ray Davies is amongst the very top of greatest songwriters of all time.
I Never got to see the Kinks, was wondering if they are a 4,5, piece group maybe more. in Texas KTSA am Played Lola constantly So that was my First introduction to them. Did The same thing with my bicycle only the store was J. C. Penny’s. ✌️
Thanks so much - yea I remember JC Penny's as well. kinks were originally a 4 piece band. Then they added a keyboard player later on. Different periods they had horns and also a couple of female backup singers. But the "classic" lineup was four.
Oneof my fave tracks by the Kinks is "Im Not Like Everyone Else", especially this live version. As Brian Jones fan, love what this fan did to this song. th-cam.com/video/SdLu6Gnb9gk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=AmJ49GWQPtosEs61
Thanks so much for sending this comment and video link. Really cool - I've never seen that and what a great musical track for it. He sure wasn't like Everybody Else...lol. I'm totally with you. Was always one of my favorite Kinks songs - in fact by anybody. I'm thrilled over the last decades of so more and more people are getting to know it. Also this version is incredible - the best really. I think it may be the version from the US 2 CD version of the live To The Bone. It's really similar if it's not the exact version and that's my favorite. Yea - this is amazing. Thanks again and hope others see this comment and check it out....
I was at the show in MARCH 80 in Syracuse they recorded some tracks for ''One for the Road'' top 10 concert I ever saw. Ray Davies was a great front man.
That's awesome - I'm with you - the Kinks were on fire at that point. At their peak really. I also LOVE the follow up Give The People What They Want - fantastic album.