The Kinks Sleepwalker

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.

The Kinks became arena rockers with Sleepwalker, and its follow-up, Misfits, follows in the same vein, but it's a considerable improvement on its predecessor. Ray Davies has learned how to write within the confines of the arena rock formula, and Misfits is one of rock & roll's great mid-life crisis albums, finding Davies considering whether he should even go on performing…

The Kinks release the third and final part of their very special anthology series - The Journey – Part 3. Part 3 covers their transformative RCA/Arista period spanning 1977 to 1984, a period seeing the band finally break America, leaving behind their iconic pop and experimental phases, and returning to a fresh and concise style of classic songwriting that draws on their own distinct British sense of self. Disc 1 features classic tracks and hits from the era, personally chosen by the band and remastered from the original ½” and production tapes, including ‘Come Dancing’, ‘Destroyer’, and ‘Living On A Thin Line’.

The Kinks were one of the most important bands from the "British Revolution" in the sixties. The band, based in Muswell Hill in London, consisted of the brothers Davies, (Ray and Dave), Mick Avory and Pete Quaife. During their existence they have played different styles of rock('n'roll) music. Interesting were their lyrics, usually about the lower class of society. Singer Ray Davies has always had a fascination for the ordinary people. After two flops they had their first big hit in 1964: You Really Got Me. This song had a rough guitar riff, that's why some people even call it the first heavy metal song ever. They kept scoring hits after that, timeless songs like Sunny Afternoon, Waterloo Sunset, Lola and All Day And All Of The Night.