Motown perfected it!
I've got sunshine........
Heard it through the grapevine, not much longer would you be mine....
RESPECT, find out what it means to me...
I could go on.
two by the kinks waterloo sunset and days
the kinks are sadly overshadowed by the beatles and stones, but are equally as good (actually better than the stones in my mind)
I love to differ with you dj cause you're so hip
What do Van Halen, the Raincoats, Mott the Hoople, the Pretenders, Elvis Costello, Big Star, the Fall, Herman's Hermits, the Jam, Kristy Macoll, David Bowie and Blur have in common? Not a whole hell of a lot except that they've all done songs penned by Raymond Douglas Davies of course. The Kinks songbook of the '60s is varied and strong enough to get such a wide range of groups as fans. The band rode in on the British invasion with loud, unruly rockers but soon turned into a quirky, nostalgic outfit that made their best work totally out-of-synch with the rest of the music world: only Donovan was as out-of-it musically but Davies had a better ear for melodies and more thoughtful lyrics.
When the band started out with a string of hits including "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All the Night," it looked like they were on top of the world and ready to stay there. Problems racked the band though including, for Ray, nervous breakdowns, blackouts, and drunken fits. As Ray put it, there was "jealousy, greed, resentment, misunderstanding" not to mention his storing money in footware. It was the pressure of touring, mistrust of managers and record companies and worst of all, an incident with the powerful American Federation of Musicians union. Whether Ray did or didn't slug someone isn't important- the result is that the band was banded from gigging in the USA for four years. For a band that was just peaking, this was a disaster. Also considering that most bands don't last for four years, it was amazing that the band survived. As it was, they had to watch a flood of other English bands invade the States and rake in the money.
Back home in England, their singles scored pretty well though their albums were (financial) flops. It was during this time, about 1966-1971, that was the band's prime time where they made great, very unfashionable music. Like the Beach Boys, the Beatles and Rolling Stones, the band starting making albums as complete statements rather than just a bunch of singles with filler. But while the rest of the USA/UK bands were indulging in psychedelic sounds, Davies in company were indulging in whimsy, music hall and nostalgia: you could almost imagine him in a straw hat and stripped shirt with a cane, a smile and a wink prancing around a stage. It was too British for the American market and not "groovy" enough for Swinging London. The result was that the Kinks albums from this time (up to LOLA) were thought to have only chalked up a sales of a couple of thousand only after tearing up the charts a few years before that.
I'll post the link in a minute
dj, Better than the beatles, in mine!
ok, maybe i'm having an anyeurism or something
are you agreeing or disagreeing with me panzade
i've read the post twice and i'm not sure
all i've got to say is they are probably in my top 5 fave bands
I'm not one to butt in (hahaha) but it sounds to me as if panzade is in agreement with you!
that was the direction i was leaning myself
SORRY DJ my post said how I felt about the Kinks and that I don't think they were as strong as Beatles and Stones. But it's subjective and I respect your admiration for the band.
http://www.furious.com/perfect/kinks.html
Dang, guess I was wrong!
I thought you were going the other way, since you mentioned all their songs being sung by others!
Love the kinks, just don't think they're as strong as Beatles and Stones
i read the link, it covers most of what i consider the bands best work, i admit the mid 70's to late 80's stuff was not the best, basically anything after the misfits lp i usually avoid
My nominee for most perfect pop song ever:
Erase and Rewind - the Cardigans
You've all overlooked one.
Without a doubt, the greatest and most perfect pop song EVER is "Sailing" by Christopher Cross.
Just go to his website if you don't believe me. The intro has it playing in the background. Instant tranquility.
Every and any Motown hit.
I do love MoTown.
But when I think of pop, I think of the smarmy music that wishes it could be rock, but just aint.
You know, like Muskrat Love, and Grease.
suzy wrote:I do love MoTown.
But when I think of pop, I think of the smarmy music that wishes it could be rock, but just aint.
You know, like Muskrat Love, and Grease.
True. I usually do too, but almost every pop song has been modeled after the structure, melodies, harmonies and hooks found in Motown hits. You can't get much more poppy than "My Girl" or "Tears of a Clown".
doglover wrote:kickycan wrote:You've all overlooked one.
Without a doubt, the greatest and most perfect pop song EVER is "Sailing" by Christopher Cross.
Just go to his website if you don't believe me. The intro has it playing in the background. Instant tranquility.
Whatever happened to Christopher Cross anyway. I remember when he ran away with a bunch of Grammy's for his fabulous album, then he wasn't heard from again. 
He's still around. The reason I even remembered him is because he is going to be playing in May at B.B. King's Blues Bar. I heard his record company kind of gave up on his second album, and after that, I guess nobody really cared.
But Sailing is still the greatest pop song ever.
Blue Berry Hill!
