Muswell Hillbillies

by

The Kinks

Edit

Following the international success of "Lola", RCA signed the Kinks to a record deal, anticipating more smash hit singles. What they got was something quite different.

Ray Davies had already produced some fine concept albums ("Village Green Preservation Society" and "Arthur") in the late 60s, and "Muswell Hillbillies" returns to some of those themes: the ordinary man or woman, caught up in forces beyond their control "Holloway Jail", "Uncle Son"; the good old days before technology ("Twentieth Century Man", "Complicated Life"). In passing the Kinks comment on fad diets ("Skin and Bone"), addiction ("Alcohol") and bureaucracy ("Here Come the People in Gray").

There's not a false note or a weak song to be found on this elegant and touching album. The overarching theme is a whimsical view of British fascination with the mythical America of movies ("Take me back to those black hills/That I have never seen", sings Ray in the title track). However, this is not the three-chord power rock of the Kinks' early singles; nor is it the para-metal of their later hits like "Low Budget". While their hard rock albums sold much better, my preference is for the lighter, more whimsical Kinks, with their uniquely British perspective on pop music. I rate this as one the Kinks' four or five best records.

Although it was a relative commercial failure on its release, the years have been kind to the 1970s Kinks, as more people have discovered that this music really rocks ... in its own Kinky way.

This new SACD remaster is nothing short of spectacular. The sound is crystal clear, the stereo separation is almost lifelike; in short, these songs have never sounded better. The disc plays in regular CD players and is a major improvement over previous CD issues.

Do yourself a favor: buy this disc, pour yourself a cuppa tea, and take a trip back to those black hills that most of us have never seen. As Eric Burdon once sang, "It will be worth it!"

I would not rank that album as part of the Kinks' best albums, but it's a nice addition though, if you're a Kinks' completist!

I'd say half the songs are worth it but the music is far too generic and a bit dull (plus, I'm not a big fan of that type of slide guitar). They are no Creedence clearwater revival.

But when they go Vaudeville, like in "Alcohol", they just sound excellent.

Overall, it's not a bad attempt to match American music with their englishness but it could have been so much exciting!

If you're a perfect stranger to the Kinks' music, you ought to start with a great compilation of their early tracks - "The Marble Arch Years" -, the 2 glorious classics - "Face to face" and "Something else" - and 2 almost faultless albums - "Village Green" and "Arthur or the decline of the british empire"