In the past year or so I bought three Kinks/Ray Davies related books, so I figured it was time to read them. I started with this one. People online (some of them) had suggested that it was a decent history of the band, and I did learn a few things. However, I found the book overall to be short on details and insights. What it did have, unfortunately, was an author who had a few flaws himself. [continued]
First off, he doesn’t seem to like the band much at all. So why write a biography of them? He did praise some of their 60s output but after that he gets brutal and seems to despise most of their music. I just don’t get that. They did a long string of good-to-great albums that he really trashes (song by song) and seems to hate with a passion. His opinion, I guess, but it’s presented as fact.
Second, his writing style is often times more about himself than the Kinks. And he tries so hard to be clever that it is infuriating. Humor is one thing but there’s a sense of smugness and reference-dropping throughout that was very off-putting. His main goal seems to have been to make himself seem witty and clever.
Third, there was very little to no input from the band. Some people associated had a say but it wasn’t a very deep dig into the members or their lives. I’ve read a lot of band and artist bios and autobios and this was one of the least illuminating.
That said, I don’t regret reading it. I only paid $1.00 at a thrift store. But it left me wanting a lot more. And less. More Kinks. And less of the author.
Do you agree? Disagree? Leave me a comment below….
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Of course he likes the band. He almost single-handedly re-invented the band with his clever promotion of the Kinks in the Village Green years. Helped to spread the word of Ray Davies’ genius, and was close to Ray during these years as anyone. Also did some brilliant compilations . Do your homwork! . . . If on the other hand he disliked the band’s output after Lola, well, a lot of his most fervent 60’s fans would agree with him.
Thanks Steve,
I’ll pass on this one. I do love The Kinks. Schoolboys In Disgrace is one of my favorite albums.
Reid – I don’t agree about the output after Lola. There are a lot of really good songs after that. But to each their own. I’m glad he helped them in the 60s, but he really turned on them in my opinion. They were still a great band.
Mike – I love Schoolboys too and a lot of their other stuff.