Kinks is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Kinks. It was released on in the United Kingdom by Pye Records. The original United States release, issued by Reprise Records on , omits three tracks and is instead titled You Really Got Me.
Release In France a 4-track EP with the songs from the album was released in 1965. It featured "Got Love If You Want It" (the title track), "I Took My Baby Home", "Cadillac" and "Beautiful Delilah". This EP was reissued in 2017 as part of Record Store Day 2017.
The album was re-released in 1998 in the UK on Castle Records with twelve bonus tracks. This reissue was itself reissued in 2004 on the Sanctuary label.
A deluxe edition was released on 28 March 2011.
Reception
Consequence of Sound listed the album as a key example of proto-punk, observing "lean aggression" and a "jolting", "in-your-face" approach, and described their rendition of Chuck Berry's "Beautiful Delilah" as the first punk rock cover.
The AllMusic review by Richie Unterberger assessed the album as lacking in consistency, commenting: "As R&B cover artists, the Kinks weren't nearly as adept as the Stones and Yardbirds; Ray Davies' original tunes were, 'You Really Got Me' aside, perfunctory Mersey Beat-ish pastiches... [the] tunes that producer Shel Talmy penned for the group... were simply abominable."
Rock critic Mike Saunders of Rolling Stone had a more positive opinion of the Kinks' debut LP, described the album as one of their "successful rock and roll albums".
Track listing All tracks are written by Ray Davies unless otherwise noted.
Side one "Beautiful Delilah" (Chuck Berry)2:07 "So Mystifying"2:58 "Just Can't Go to Sleep"1:58 "Long Tall Shorty"(Don Covay, Herb Abramson)2:50 "I Took My Baby Home"1:48 "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter" (J. D. "Jay" Miller)2:03 "You Really Got Me"2:13
Side two "Cadillac" (Ellas McDaniel)2:44 "Bald Headed Woman" (Shel Talmy)2:41 "Revenge" (Davies, Larry Page)1:29 "Too Much Monkey Business" (Berry)2:16 "I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain" (Talmy)2:01 "Stop Your Sobbing"2:06 "Got Love If You Want It" (James Moore)3:46
Note The original US release retained the same divisions between sides one and two but omitted three tracks: "I Took My Baby Home", "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter" and "Revenge".
Personnel According to band researcher Doug Hinman:
The Kinks Ray Davies lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica; lead guitar Dave Davies backing vocals, electric guitar; lead vocal Pete Quaife backing vocals, bass guitar Mick Avory drums ; tambourine, maracas
Additional musicians Rasa Didzpetris backing vocals Perry Ford piano Bobby Graham drums Arthur Greenslade piano Jon Lord organ Jimmy Page twelve-string acoustic guitar Unknown session musician rhythm guitar
Production Shel Talmy producer Bob Auger engineer
Charts
+Weekly chart performance Chart (1964–65) PeakpositionUK Melody Maker Top Ten LPs4UK New Musical Express Best Selling LPs5UK Record Retailer LPs Chart3US Billboard Top LPs29US Cash Box Top 100 Albums25US Record World 100 Top LPs20 West German Musikmarkt LP Hit Parade7
+Year-end chart performance Chart (1965) RankingUS Billboard98US Cash Box76
Notes
References
Sources