A Kinky Update

I wrote this in my seminar blog, in response to the fact that I got to grill the new class and got my seminar blog praised to high heaven
Crap it's been a long time since I wrote in this blog. I guess since I'm not taking the class anymore there's really no need, but I feel inspired. This past week I got the chance to peek in on this semesters Rock/Soul/Prog class and there have been a plethora (well I say plethora) of articles having to do with my Rock gods, the Kinks, so I felt I should write. Besides I'm incredibly bored and can't find this episode of Torchwood I've been looking for. So, onto the Kinks!
As I've previously mentioned in this blog, I blame the Kinks for the present state of British rock music. When I say blame, I don't mean in a bad way. I mean, they're the reason Brit-pop existed and hence the reason my favourite band exists. And a whole bunch of other bands as well, including anyone who can claim Blur, Oasis, the Pretenders, the Jam, Pulp, Supergrass, or the Madness as an influence. Well, my view was all but confirmed in a book that recently read called The Kinks: A Very English Band. As you can guess it's a biography of the band from their very beginnings till around 2002. (Technically the band is still together, despite the fact that the Brothers Davies all but hate each other and none of the other band members know what the hell is going on.) My thesis that you can connect the Kinks to Kaiser Chiefs through Blur and the Jam can now commence!
Another one of my postulates, that Ray Davies is an incredibly bitter man, was also confirmed in none too certain terms. Not only is Mr. Davies incredibly bitter over everything ever, he's also slightly paranoid, something of a nutter, obsessed with concept albums (see the Kinks back catalogue starting with The Village Green Preservation Society), and is very controlling of all of his artistic output. If you've every wanted to read a biography of Ray Davies couched in a history of the Kinks, I would highly recommend The Kinks: A Very English Band by Neville Marten and Jeff Hudson. Heck, if you've ever wanted the full back story on the Kinks, I would suggest that book.
Now onto the articles I was talking about earlier. Both we written by Jason Heller who is a staff writer at the AV Club. The first article is Mr. Heller's perspective on the Kinks and what they mean to him. When I read it, I was absolutely thrilled to finally know that there was someone else out there who thought as highly of the band as I did. The second article is a "primer" on the Kinks and includes most of the vital tracks that anyone new to the band should listen to before diving into the full back catalogue. My only addendum would be "Dandy," "Dedicated Follower of Fashion," "Mr. Pleasant," "Starstruck," "Apeman," and "Better Things." (I had to keep adding songs as I looked at the best of albums I have. I only meant to add three originally.) Of course most intro courses focus on the band's earlier material because it's the most accessible in the Kink's back catalogue. As mentioned before, after Village Preservation Society Ray got rather obsessed with writing concept albums and rock operas and really started hating the idea of writing "hits" or "singles." If you like what you here, then maybe you can venture into the more obscure albums.
So there you have it. My update on all things Kinks. I'll be keeping an eye on the new R/S/P class and might update based on my inspiration level. Until then feel alright.