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- Date Released: July 1, 1986
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: '80s, Classic Rock
- Label: KOCH Records
A Kinks-sized collection of Carter-era essentials from this truly classic rock band.
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We Say...
When the Kinks signed with Arista Records in 1976, Ray Davies effectively abandoned the village greens of Britain for the basketball arenas of America. For the next decade, the band's theatrical concept albums took a back seat to sleek, radio-friendly slabs of mainstream rock that won the Kinks a new generation of Stateside fans, even as they alienated rock critics everywhere. While it lacked the timeless charm of the Kinks' late-'60s work, their Arista period still produced some of Davies' finest (and most underappreciated) songs, as evidenced by Come Dancing With the Kinks, a compilation of hits from 1977 to 1984.
Dated production values aside, "Full Moon," "Misfits," "A Rock N' Roll Fantasy" and "Good Day" (in which Davies muses on romantic strife, nuclear holocaust and the death of actress Diana Dors) are among the most heartbreaking ballads in the Ray Davies canon. "Sleepwalker," "Destroyer" and "Do It Again" rock harder than anything the Who or the Stones released in the same era; ditto for "Father Christmas," possibly the angriest holiday song ever waxed. Throw in the glorious "Better Things," a live "Lola" and the disco goof "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman", and you've got a collection no true Kinks fan should be without. -
They Say...
Originally released as a double-album set in 1986, just after the Kinks had their last run at chart success, Come Dancing With the Kinks (The Best of the Kinks 1977-1986) does an excellent job of summarizing their stadium rock and AOR radio favorites on Arista. It leaves no single or radio favorite behind, while adding such terrific obscurities as "Long Distance" (originally only released as a bonus track on the State of Confusion cassette; the early '80s were a completely different world than the late '80s), the non-LP single "Father Christmas," the wonderfully sentimental album track "Better Things" (a close, upbeat cousin to Dylan's "Forever Young"), and the charming "Heart of Gold." In addition to these, there are live takes of "You Really Got Me" and "Lola" taken from the fine One From the Road album. It winds up being a representative selection of the Kinks' time as stadium warriors. They may have released some good albums during this period -- and Misfits and Low Budget are close to great -- but listeners looking for the bare essentials from this period will not be disappointed with this first-rate collection. [Three songs -- "Catch Me Now I'm Falling" plus the title tracks to Misfits and Sleepwalker -- were dropped from the CD reissue of Come Dancing in order to have it fit the running time of a late-'80s compact disc.]
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| 01. |  |
Come Dancing |
3:57 |
|
| 02. | |
Low Budget |
3:49 |
|
| 03. | |
Catch Me Now I'm Falling |
5:59 |
|
| 04. | |
A Gallon Of Gas |
3:50 |
|
| 05. | |
(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman (Disco Edit) |
5:59 |
|
| 06. | |
Sleepwalker |
4:05 |
|
| 07. | |
Full Moon |
3:53 |
|
| 08. | |
Misfits |
4:42 |
|
| 09. | |
A Rock 'N' Roll Party |
5:00 |
|
| 10. | |
Do It Again |
4:13 |
|
| 11. | |
Better Things |
2:59 |
|
| 12. | |
Lola (Live) |
4:48 |
|
| 13. | |
You Really Got Me (Live) |
3:39 |
|
| 14. | |
Good Day |
4:35 |
|
| 15. | |
Living On A Thin Line |
4:16 |
|
| 16. | |
Destroyer |
3:47 |
|
| 17. | |
Don't Forget To Dance |
4:39 |
|
| 18. | |
Father Christmas |
3:43 |
|
18 Total Tracks, 77:53 Total Length
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Credits
- The Kinks - Main Performer // Dave Davies - Guitar // Dave Davies - Harmonica // Dave Davies - Keyboards // Dave Davies - Vocals // Dave Davies - Vocals (Background) // Dave Davies - Producer // Zaine Griff - Bass // Ray Davies - Synthesizer // Ray Davies - Guitar // Ray Davies - Piano // Ray Davies - Composer // Ray Davies - Guitar (Rhythm) // Ray Davies - Keyboards // Ray Davies - Vocals // Ray Davies - Producer // Ray Davies - Compilation // Mick Avory - Percussion // Mick Avory - Drums // John Beecham - Trombone // Clem Cattini - Percussion // Clem Cattini - Drums // John Dalton - Bass // Robert Ellis - Photography // Ian Gibbons - Keyboards // Ian Gibbons - Vocals (Background) // John Gosling - Keyboards // Robert Henrit - Percussion // Robert Henrit - Drums // Alan Holmes - Sax (Tenor) // Ron Lawrence - Bass // Bob Ludwig - Remastering // Nick Newell - Keyboards // Nick Newell - Saxophone // Andy Pyle - Bass // Jim Rodford - Bass // Nick Trevisick - Percussion // Nick Trevisick - Drums // Mitchell Cohen - Liner Notes // John Swenson - Liner Notes // John Swenson - Research // George DelGiorno - Package Design // Dave Nives - Reissue Producer
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