The Missing Link

Somehow, except their unavoidable hits, I managed to go 34 years completely ignoring the Kinks. I blame it on their mid 80's stuff - that song about tearing down the dance hall, especially - I couldn't stand it. Hated it. Lumped it in with Tina Turner and Wang Chung and the rest of the cheese-encrusted 80's pop abominations.

A few years ago, I got the Rushmore soundtrack, which had a couple of really good, old, Kinks songs on it, and my interest was piqued - but only a bit. They were no longer just That Band With A Bunch Of Hits That Turned To Shit (no, not the Rolling Stones) - I got a hint that there might be some depth to this band. And, finally, disgusted with the state of new music these days, I turned to the past: Pink Floyd (got "Wish You Were Here", to replace my beat up vinyl copy) and the Kinks.

So, I just got my first Kinks album: "The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society". I'm four songs into it and I realize now where the Lilys, Big Star and Guided By Voices come from: they are direct descendents of the Kinks. Especially the Lilys. It's not that they kinda sound like they heard the Kinks and nicked a bit of the sound on a lark; it's more like they sprouted fully-formed from Ray Davies' forehead. I really like the Lilys, but they sound so much like The Kinks that I'm thankful I heard them first, else I would've dismissed them immediately as mere rip-offs.