The Kinks

The Kinks have probably recorded more great tracks than any other single artistic unit in the history of rock. Most of the group's songs have been penned and sung by leader Ray Davies, although brother Dave has also contributed some worthy efforts over the years.

The Kinks were part of the original British invasion of the American airwaves. It soon became apparent, though, that they were more than mere emulators of American blues or rock'n roll. Always the most unapologetically British band of their generation, they became known for several key characteristics.

Ray's lyrics were always intelligent, articulate, and carefully crafted, while never pretentious, self-indulgent or self-absorbed.
As a songwriter, Ray was a master storyteller. Whatever message he had in mind, it was always woven into an engaging tale featuring one or more interesting characters.
Ray consistently commented on the latest trappings of human civilization from an independent, quirky and ironic perspective.
While the group has had its share of hits over the years, and has always desired recognition and commercial success, they have never pandered to public taste, nor curried favor. Instead, they have steadfastly maintained their own unique artistic vision.
Musically the band has been a restless explorer of multiple styles, using American Country and Western, blues, rock'n roll, power rock and British music hall styles as it suited them. Whatever the genre, though, the band always fully exploited its particular musical conventions to craft powerful and moving recordings.
Ray's voice is one of the most versatile in all of rock. From strangled shout to smooth whisper, he always chooses his style to match the song. What's more, he uses his voice as an actor would, changing its tone and shading to match whatever character or mood he is representing.
Always ones to go against the grain of current trends, the Kinks have grandly resisted the current urge to cull out their most marketable recordings and reissue them in various combinations likely to appeal to the record-buying public. In some ways this is unfortunate, since an intelligent boxed set of their best work would go a long way to establishing their credentials as perhaps the most prolific, consistent recording unit in the history of rock. On the other hand, one can certainly have worse ambitions in life than to acquire a complete collection of their original recordings.