The Kinks - The Journey - Part 3: 1977-1984 Newly Remastered

by Kevin Wierzbicki

Here's the third release in Sanctuary Records comprehensive look at the career of the most literate of British Invasion bands, the Kinks. Always powered by the sharp wit and observational skills of front man Ray Davies, this compilation is loaded with all the hits the band had during their career resurgence from 1977 to 1984. This was the era when the Kinks were signed to Arista Records, a very fruitful period in which they were able, for the first time, to tour America and play large venues, based on the success of songs like "Catch Me Now I'm Falling," a song about how America was struggling on the world stage that's powered by heavy guitar riffs from Dave Davies that harken back to the band's earliest hits, the rocking dance floor burner "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman," the story of an obsessed fan that is "A Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy" and the title cut from the Sleepwalker album, a great cut to sing along to. Another cut about a faltering nation, this time England, plays out in the ominous "Living on a Thin Line;" there are also sad emotions in the big hit "Come Dancing" although they are mostly cloaked in an upbeat melody with circus-like keyboard parts. About the closing of a cherished dance hall, the song includes lyrics like "The day they knocked down the palais/My sister stood and cried/The day they knocked down the palais/Part of my childhood died," and to emphasize the angst with guitar, those lines are followed by a ferocious and emphatically-played Dave Davies riff. The set of a dozen songs also includes other FM biggies like "Around the Dial," "Do it Again," "Better Things," the paranoid anthem "Destroyer," "Low Budget" and the "there's hope for everyone" cut that is "Misfits." Each cut is filled with memorable hooks and Ray's astute commentary ("Living on a Thin Line" was written by brother Dave.) Material is drawn from the aforementioned Sleepwalker album, Misfits, Low Budget, Give the People What They Want, Word of Mouth and State of Confusion, and Ray, Dave and Mick Avory offer brief commentary for each song in the CD booklet. There's also a 2025 essay from Phil Alexander to be found in the booklet. A second CD features a previously-unreleased live show recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in 1993. That show is a pleasing amalgam of early and newer (at the time) songs including "Till the End of the Day," "Where Have All the Good Times Gone," "Low Budget," the fun and funny "Apeman," "Celluloid Heroes," "Dedicated Follower of Fashion," "Sunny Afternoon" and the closing cut with Dave's most famous riff ever, "You Really Got Me."

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