Best Kinks Song? ***Official Poll*** (1 Viewer)

[northern exposure]

Waterloo Sunset

one of the best songs from the 60s. Beautiful song

Father Christmas is my 2nd fave Christmas song

Father Christmas is my 2nd favorite Christmas song too. My #1 is Fairytale of New York by The Pogues. What is your #1?

 

[Anarchy99]

It’s rare I ever get to tell this story, but it fits here. 

Twenty years ago my wife and I had tickets to Ray Davies’ Storytellers Tour. We were at the venue well before showtime and found a bar to have a few drinks. When it got close to show time, we headed across the street for the show. 

Except we spaced it and didn’t realize it was an early show, so we were actually an hour late. Whoops. The next issue was we had front row center seats, so there was no good way not to cause a disruption. Between songs we tried to sneak into our seats. 

My wife lit up a room and stood out in a crowd, and Ray started talking to us as we found are seats. He said take our time as everyone would wait for us to get comfortable.  He joked about what we were doing for an hour and mentioned he’d have been late too if got to spend an hour with her. 

She apologized for being late and asked what we missed. Ray then got the band to play a medley of all the songs they already played. He then asked her if there was a song she wanted to hear and he played that next. He ended this side bar by shaking my hand and telling me how lucky I was. 

One of life’s more embarrassing but memorable moments. 

Esit to add: Forgot to mention my wife always wanted to look like she was on the red carpet. So she looked stunning in a dress and high heels with a big giant hat on. Had gotten her hair done that day and had perfect makeup on. Looked beautiful and high society.

To finish our interruption of the show, Ray played the end and the last two verses of Dedicated Follower of Fashion. 

Oh yes she is, oh yes she is. Her world is built round discotheques and parties. This pleasure seeking individual always looks her best. Cause she’s a dedicated follower of fashion. 

Oh yes she is, oh yes she is. She flits from shop to shop just like a butterfly. In matters of the cloth she’s as fickle as can be. Cause she’s a dedicated follower of fashion. 

Totally, totally awesome. The crowd went nuts and the show continued. 

 

[rockaction]

It’s rare I ever get to tell this story, but it fits here. 

Twenty years ago my wife and I had tickets to Ray Davies’ Storytellers Tour. We were at the venue well before showtime and found a bar to have a few drinks. When it got close to show time, we headed across the street for the show. 

Except we spaced it and didn’t realize it was an early show, so we were actually an hour late. Whoops. The next issue was we had front row center seats, so there was no good way not to cause a disruption. Between songs we tried to sneak into our seats. 

My wife lit up a room and stood out in a crowd, and Ray started talking to us as we found are seats. He said take our time as everyone would wait for us to get comfortable.  He joked about what we were doing for an hour and mentioned he’d have been late too if got to spend an hour with her. 

She apologized for being late and asked what we missed. Ray then got the band to play a medley of all the songs they already played. He then asked her if there was a song she wanted to hear and he played that next. He ended this side bar by shaking my hand and telling me how lucky I was. 

One of life’s more embarrassing but memorable moments. 

That's an awesome story. Thanks for sharing.  

 

[AAABatteries]

Great story Anarchy

 

[zamboni]

I would also go with "Waterloo Sunset" - to me, such a tremendously well-crafted song and one of the better tunes that came out of the '60s (which is obviously saying a lot).

Second would be "Celluloid Heroes", but much prefer the live version from "One For The Road" rather than the studio version.

An underrated tune mentioned above is "A Rock and Roll Fantasy".

 

[HellToupee]

Father Christmas is my 2nd favorite Christmas song too. My #1 is Fairytale of New York by The Pogues. What is your #1?

the same

 

[OldMilwaukee]

Attitude

The Kinks

You go down the pub, you wear make up
And old Dad's trousers, why don't you tidy up?
You talk like a docker but you act like a queer
You drink champagne then complain it's too dear

You try so hard not to follow any trends
Then you cry in your beer
And say you've got no friends
But is it any wonder you've got no friends?

It's not the make up or the way you ought to dress
It's not your appearance, they all detest
It's not your manners that you gotta improve
Ooh, it's your attitude

Attitude, tu, tu, tu, your attitude
(Your attitude, it's your attitude)
Attitude, tu, tu, tu, your attitude
(It's your attitude)

Take off your head phones, hear what's going on
You can't live in a time zone, you've gotta move on
But before you get there, there's one thing you've gotta do
Oh, change your attitude

Attitude, tu, tu, tu, your attitude
(It's your attitude, it's your attitude)
Attitude, tu, tu, tu
(It's your attitude)

The '80s are here
I know 'cause I'm staring right at them
But you're still waiting
For 1960 to happen

You might have the illness, but you've got the cure
You've got the answer, you will endure
You're the only person that's gonna pull you through
Ooh, with your attitude

Attitude, tu, tu, tu
Your attitude
Attitude, tu, tu, tu
Your attitude

Attitude, tu, tu, tu
(It's your attitude)
Attitude, tu, tu, tu

You gotta learn to be positive, it's your only chance
You mustn't be so defensive, you gotta join in the dance
But it isn't your dancin' that you've gotta improve
Ooh, it's your attitude

Attitude, tu, tu, tu
(It's your attitude, it's your attitude)
Attitude, tu, tu, tu

It's all in the music
It's all in your brain
Used all the old ways
Now it's all gotta change

Attitude, your attitude
Attitude

Songwriters: Robert Davies / Shena Elizabeth Winchester / James David Winchester / Thomas Reil / Jeppe Reil Soerensen / Bradley Bell / Gary Noakes

 

[worrierking]

I came here to vote for "Living on a Thin Line."  Then I read all the posts about it.

The Kinks are way too "English" to be as big in the US as they are over there.  Lots of bands/artists who were big there never quite caught on here for the same reason.  Ian Dury and the Blockheads, The Smiths.  Queen is one of the biggest bands ever in England, while here they maybe scratch the top 25-30 on a good day.

 

[HellToupee]

The Kinks are way too "English" to be as big in the US as they are over there.  Lots of bands/artists who were big there never quite caught on here for the same reason.  Ian Dury and the Blockheads, The Smiths

The Jam are a great example of this

 

[worrierking]

The Jam are a great example of this

You are correct, sir!

 

[Galileo]

I came here to vote for "Living on a Thin Line."  Then I read all the posts about it.

The Kinks are way too "English" to be as big in the US as they are over there.  Lots of bands/artists who were big there never quite caught on here for the same reason.  Ian Dury and the Blockheads, The Smiths.  Queen is one of the biggest bands ever in England, while here they maybe scratch the top 25-30 on a good day.

Well, they were also banned from playing in the US for about 4 years during their peak performance period.  That may also have had some impact.

 

[otb_lifer]

The Jam are a great example of this

The Jam were a very smart combo of Kinks/Who, and certainly wore their influences on their sleeve - they owed more musically to their Mod and British sensibilities than they ever did to "Punk" - but they were part of the big 4 (along with Pistols/Clash/Damned) circa '77 London scene because their tunes clocked in under three minutes, and they played "fast".  

Paul Weller is the great lost soul of that whole era ... perhaps the most talented chap of the whole lot. 

 

[Don Quixote]

A bit of a related question to the poll... best Kinks album?  Village Green would be mine -- it is about perfect start to finish.  I'd probably put Muswell Hillbillies at #2.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Difficult to pick just one, but I went off the norm and voted State of Confusion.  Loved that song from the first moment I heard it.

 

[Godsbrother]

See My Friends is my personal favorite.  

 

[kentric]

Lola.  The kind of song you sing to someone who doesn't know it to see how long it takes them to figure it out.

Favorite by a wide margin.

 

[Workhorse]

Arthur is my favorite Kinks song ever. Way underrated.

 

[AAABatteries]

As promised, I've been listening all day.  Two more I love that I'm not sure have been mentioned (although they are in the pole) - Death of a Clown and Shangri-La.

 

[Limp Ditka]

Death of a Clown

Title alone makes it a favorite.

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

I kinda wrecked this poll. Based on the number of posts for "Living on a Thin Line" it seems like it probably would have come in about 3rd to "Lola" and "You Really Got Me".

Then again, maybe that isn't the best measure. Ton of posts about "Waterloo Sunset" and it's tied with "All Day and All of the Night" and "Come Dancing".

 

[AAABatteries]

A Well Respected Man

Dedicated Follower of Fashion

.......I can't pick

 

[Gr00vus]

I wanted to vote for Do It Again. I really liked it when it first came out, and now the older I get, the more that song resonates. In the end I had to go with You Really Got Me - the definition of an epic rock song (that somewhat sadly my son knows as "that song from the Minions movie").

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

(that somewhat sadly my son knows as "that song from the Minions movie").

Is that at least the Kinks version and not Van Halen?

 

[Gr00vus]

Is that at least the Kinks version and not Van Halen?

Yes, the original Kinks version (though I think they remastered it).

 

[steelcitysledgehammers]

I was catching up on all the Bobcat Goldthwait films a few years back and he included this version of I'm Not Like Everybody Else in the film "God Bless America".  It's been on my 'Favorites' playlist ever since.  I much prefer it to the original recording.

J

 

[AAABatteries]

I was catching up on all the Bobcat Goldthwait films a few years back

Dear god, why?

 

[OC Zed]

The Kinks are an incredibly underrated band even among classic rock fans.  

I voted "Waterloo Sunset"... even though I enjoy the Bowie and Def Leppard covers better.  The lyrics are just so vivid and real no matter what era they are sang in. Coupled with such a painfully rye melody... perfection.   

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I was catching up on all the Bobcat Goldthwait films a few years back

Dear god, why?

Hey, Shakes the Clown has been called the Citizen Kane of Alcoholic Clown Movies.  

 

[WetDream]

Really need a "Screw This Guy" button next to the "Like" button.

That's usually what I want when I click like

 

[simey]

Hard to pick one, but I chose "Tired of Waiting for You" since it is the first Kinks song I ever heard, and I loved it.

 

[Buzzbait]

My favorites usually lean to deeper cuts (i.e. I like The Prophet's Song better than Bohemian Rhapsody from ANATO). In the case of the Kinks however All Day and All of the Night never gets old. Love the crunchy riff and distorted guitar! 

 

[shuke]

Criminally underrated band.  

 

[Hov34]

Powerman

 

[Rhythmdoctor]

This is my favorite Kinks song.