Hailing from Muswell Hill in London, The Kinks were one of the top British bands of the sixties, with over twenty hit singles in the UK, including a trio of number ones, the famous tribute to their home city 'Waterloo Sunset' being one. They also had ten top thirty hits in the USA thanks to the clever and sometimes sardonic songwriting of Ray Davies, who dominated the band and deservedly went on to be knighted. When the seventies came along, they recorded a number of critically acclaimed concept albums, and their live shows became more theatrical, with the band shifting focus to become pioneers of arena rock in America. Following a resurgence of commercial popularity in the late seventies and early eighties, the band continued to record interesting and lyrically insightful albums. They last performed together in 1996.
The combination of Ray's songs and the musicianship of the band – including his brother Dave Davies, with whom Ray had a rather tempestuous relationship – has led to many bands citing them as an influence. This book examines every track released by The Kinks, whether released on single or album, and provides a valuable insight into one of music's greatest groups.
Martin Hutchinson has been a music fan all his life and his knowledge of sixties and seventies music is encyclopaedic, having completed over 270 liner notes for CDs. He has written for numerous newspapers and magazines (a labour of love rather than profit) for over thirty years and has also written comedy sketches for TV and Radio. This is his first book. Martin is also a quizzer, having been on a dozen TV quizzes (including Bullseye and The Chase, both of which he won). He lives in Horwich, near Bolton, UK, with his wife Michaela, who also loves music.