Kinks

Two discs-66,61 minutes each approximately. The discs were made in Germany. The sound is improved from the original thin production of the LP, and subsequent CD editions. The discs snap in, inside a quad-fold cardboard holder, which has nice graphics, and track information on the back. The booklet is well done, with a good synopsis of the KINKS and their music, along with some good period photographs and graphics.The KINKS first album, released in 1964, is a collection of several different styles of music. There's rock 'n' roll ("Too Much Monkey Business", "Cadillac", etc.), r&b/blues ("Long Tall Shorty", "Got Love If You Want It"), something approaching folk-rock ("I've Been Driving On Bald Mountain"), beat ("Just Can't Go To Sleep"), and a number of pop songs. This "quicky" approach sounds like a collection of various styles rather than a coherent album. But in the early days this was the way albums were done-rushed out for release to capitalize on a hit single or two, with the rest of the album filled out with usually lesser tunes.This album has a number of good, exciting tracks-certainly as good as most other bands who released a full LP (as opposed to an EP), on a usually small budget. This album is a good example of early/mid 60's English rock. Of course the hit "You Really Got Me" is here in all it's glory. This song has one of the best, primal electric guitar solos in rock 'n' roll-noisy, passionate, and immediate sounding. The same can be said for "All Day And All Of The Night", heard in pure mono.The original album (in stereo) is on the first disc, along with a number of mono demos, singles, a couple of tunes by the (pre-KINKS) BOLL-WEEVILS from 1963, and tracks from the EP "Kinksize Session". For KINKS fans the extra tracks will be a valuable addition to the band's discography. The best of the demos add depth to the original album, and give some insight into the workings of the band.Disc Two contains the original album in glorious mono. This has been around for some time, but not with the improved sound quality found here. Also here are tracks not used on the album, some alternate recordings, a mono mix for the U.S., and several good BBC recordings (in mono), plus a couple of short interviews with the band and Ray Davies. The BBC tracks are full of that early, slightly naive, excitement of the era-the band sounds ready to just get on with things. It's music played by a group that hadn't yet been worn down by touring, recording, and the constant pressure of writing another hit single. The short DJ "patter" between songs is reminiscent of early period radio.For whatever reason the KINKS were never as popular in the U.S. as in England. Despite some good songs and some hot singles, Ray Davies writing style increasingly focused on England and things "English". And that's too bad, because Davies became a focused song writer, who only improved as time went on. But this first album, now much improved, is still a fine example of the early days of British rock. Fans will want this edition for the improved sound and the extras. If you're new to the KINKS, this is a fine example of the "early days" when you could turn on the radio and hear something as exciting as "You Really Got Me", or "All Day And All Of The Night". But there are other early treasures here-give it a listen and hear for yourself.If you're wondering about the band's second album ("Kinda Kinks"), and/or their third ("The Kink Kontroversy"), they're in the same format as this Deluxe Edition. Both have even more fine music-the original albums (in mono), demos, unissued tracks, singles, outtakes, alternates, and live tracks, plus great notes/photos, on/of, the band and their music. Together, the first three Deluxe Editions paint a good picture of this underrated band.

When you have lived in the 60's, you had all this great music and wonder what would happen if there were different versions of albums and singles and what would they sound like. Well, case in point, I recently ordered The Kinks Deluxe Edition of their first British album entitled "Kinks". Pretty much the same cover as the US version except there is no over the picture banner saying the title "You Really Got Me". Way ahead of its time, this album blew away a lot of stuff in 1964. They were touted as an R'n'B Group. True that a lot of music on these 2 discs are R'n'B, but that is what Brian Matthew of BBC Radio called them. I hate to sound nostalgic and taking a risk at not sounding like that and yet being like that, this album brings back a lot of memories of my teenage youth living in Camden, NJ. Besides the singles that appear on these discs, almost the entire album plus a lot of unreleased tracks, b sides and BBC tracks. I am sure that those who are really and truly collectors know that back in the day you had a British version and an American version which was awful because we know that how this country had to capitalize on everything, especially if it was something from another country. However, this whole entire set is beyond that and all the aforementioned nostalgia brought forth by The Kinks and this album. It really has great remastering audio qualityand it is amazing for an album that seems to have been released so long long ago. I love the cover which is a double digipak and 2 discs. A song that I never heard before buying this set, entitled "Don't Ever Let Me Go" , had become an instant favourite to me. It is a cross between "All Day and All of the Night" and "You Really Got Me". If they had released this tune as a single, it definitely would have been a top ten contender. There are an amazing 56 tracks on this set and if I spent time trying to describe every one of them, I'd be here until the middle of next week. Believe me , you would not go wrong to get this set and at the price I paid, it was well worth it. Also, it is only available as an import. For a while it was only available from Japan at astronomical prices, but is now available at much much less. Do yourself a favour, and get it while it lasts and does not go out of print again.

Great content, but digital CDs like this one tend to get really beat up when shipped in a padded envelope. Amazon needs to improve this.

I've learned over the decades that the Kinks make some startlingly awesome hits and then the rest of their lp songs can be fairly mundane. I took the chance on this expanded edition and found more of the same. The hits just jump out atcha. The rest of the songs sound very dated, very mid 60's, not horrible but not classic stuff. Glad I bought it but I tend to err on the side of forgiveness for the Kinks.

Love it .. Husband has wanted for a long time

Though the first track was a Chuck Berry cover, this band was the most original of the British Invasion groups and this is truly a rock n roll record. I like all the extra material that has been added to this release and makes this very much worth owning. A pretty raw rock band I think more so then the Stones and far more talented by measures, I think you could argue that this is one seriously important record that changed things for decades to come.

wow. used to have all this on vinyl back in the day but you know how it is over a life span and now it all comes back to life in technicolour! brilliant music.

Awesome collection of hits

TRACK LISTING1. Beautiful Delilah2. So Mystifying3. Just Can't Go To Sleep4. Long Tall Shorty5. I Took My Baby Home6. I'm A Lover Not A Fighter7. You Really Got Me8. Cadillac9. Bald Headed Woman10. Revenge11. Too Much Monkey Business12. I've been Driving On Bald Mountain13. Stop Your Sobbing14. Got Love If You Want ItThe Kinks’ debut album, released in 1964, contained none of the pertinent “social comment” songs that the group, through the songs of Ray Davies, became known for - “Waterloo Sunset”, “Sunny Afternoon”, “Tired Of Waiting” and so on. This was an album similar to those put out by The Rolling Stones, Manfred Mann and The Yardbirds at the time, The Who, and to a certain extent The Beatles (although The Kinks, like The Stones and The Yadbirds, were blues to The Beatles’ rock n roll).The material is short, sharp blues rock covers, like Chuck Berry’s “Too Much Monkey Business” and “Beautiful Delilah” (also covered live by The Rolling Stones) and the much-covered “Long Tall Shorty”. Slim Harpo’s “Got Love If You Want It” is also from the same supply. Other songs, like those written by Shel Talmy and Davies himself were pastiches of that blues rock style (particularly “I Took My Baby Home”) and, while it is all quite fun and enjoyable, it is very much just another mid 60s British blues rock album. At the time it was perceived very much as “second rate Rolling Stones”. The Kinks desperately needed to find their own identity. Thankfully for them they were soon to do that.Two Davies tracks give a hint as to the potential that lay relatively dormant at this point - “Stop Your Sobbing” (a hit for The Pretenders some 14 years later) and the now viewed as ground-breaking rock riffery of “You Really Got Me”, full of (at the time) unique lead guitar attack. That track really stands out from those around it as something different and, yes, something special. The subsequent single “All Day And All Of The Night” would cement that new reputation even more. The Kinks were to prove that they were not just another British r ’n’ b band.The “Live At The BBC” extras included in the “Deluxe Edition” are excellent, both in musical and sound qualities.

Enjoyed this album. I'm new to the Kinks and decided to buy this album, being their debut. Enjoyed it - it is very 60's, in the sense of short songs, bit of R n B, bit of British beat style etc. It does, of course, contain that most brilliant of songs, 'you really got me'.

Not the best Kinks album by a long shot. Contains the obvious classics You Really Got Me and Stop Your Sobbing and some average fillers and the Deluxe Edition add All Day And All Of The Night, EP tracks, radio versions and both stereo and mono versions of the album. Worth it for the extra tracks and the ecxellent repackaging and booklet with notes by The Kinks themselves and pictures, single covers and posters from the era.

Terrific package. This two disc Deluxe Edition expands on the original début with a generous amount of bonus material in the form of A sides, B sides, Stereo and mono versions of the original album, live interview snippets and more. Much has been said of the patchy nature of the recordings themselves, and certainly the tracks Bald Headed Woman, and Driving on Bald mountain must rank among the worst things they ever committed to tape. But as an document of their explosive talent and raw energy it's certainly essential listening. This reissue series, covering their PYE studio output as far as the albums Lola and Percy, are exemplary. Great liner notes and photos, a wealth of material and a nice slipcase package make this the definitive version and a fitting tribute to a great British band.

If you are a Kinks fan you'll love it.