It’s a 5 from me. VGPS is an all time classic record and they have a singles back catalogue up there with the very best. Saw Ray Davies at Isle of Wight in 2005 and he was brilliant. Always thought they were far more worthy contemporaries of The Beatles than the Stones were. 5/5.
A lot of their singles annoy me but Village Green is one of the best albums of the 60s - dare I say it, a better complete album than any released by The Beatles. Also, Lola. 4/5
They’re a five. I haven’t dived much beyond the singles, other than Village Green, but there are so many great songs there it’s impossible to not give them the fivest of fives.
Amazing run of early and properly era defining singles.
That run of of 7 albums from The Kink Kontroversy to Muswell Hillbillies is peerless.
Can make a claim to making not 1 but multiple genuine contenders for greatest pop single ever - You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset, Days.
Even the later stuff has some absolute gems - Come Dancing is a truly wonderful song.
Arthur is actually even better than Village Green imo.
I think they need more time to appreciate than certain other same era bands doing ostensibly similar stuff but the results are far superior. The songs are brilliantly written and constructed and just reward repeated listening.
If you’ve only heard a Best Of it really is worth going to the individual albums to truly reveal how great they are.
You basically have to work past or attune your ears to the 80s production and affectations, once you do that it truly is a wonderful song that is a very close call for getting my vote for best song.
Five. Think they were the band that made me realise as a teenager that “old music” could be as enjoyable and entertaining as anything new. Could do beautiful wistful heartache and urgent rock equally well, and were funny with it.
Always love the stories of fraternal violence too, stabbing each other with forks and shit.