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Performed by Ray Davies, Mick Avory, Jim Rodford, and Ian Gibbons of The Kinks. LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from The Kinks – a set that's got all the wit of their late 60s material, a bit of the rootsy currents of Muswell Hillbillies, and a lot more bite than the group would have in some of their next few albums to come! Ray Davies' pen is razor-sharp, as is his vocal approach – and the songs are maybe even more gritty than the group would have done a few years before – furthered by some of the instrumental currents that also bring in a few acoustic elements and some Americanized riffs, which are then also matched by an occasional twang in Ray's vocal presentation. Plus, the double-length set also features one album of studio material, and a second live album – almost as a "bonus" thrown in for good measure. Studio tracks include the hit "Celluloid Heroes", plus "Here Comes Yet Another Day", "Maximum Constipation", "Unreal Reality", "Hot Potatoes", "Motorway", and "Supersonic Rocket Ship" – and live cuts include "Skin & Bone", "Alcohol", "Banana Boat Song", "Lola", "Holiday", and "Mr Wonderful". LP, Vinyl record album

It's hard to go wrong with The Kinks at this point in their career – a time when even at their most basic, the group had something special that set them apart from most of their contemporaries! There's a definite bluesy undercurrent to most of the music here – an aspect that Ray Davies would shake a bit more in later years, but which here comes to light in a really good way – mixing up some rootsy energy with the jangly guitar lines that the Kinks used to shade in their grooves. Titles include the classic "So Tired Of Waiting" – plus "Come On Now", "So Long", "Something Better Beginning", "Come On Now", "Nothing In The World That Can Stop Me Worryin Bout That Girl", and "Look For Me Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Ray Davies is really coming into his own by the time of this third album by The Kinks – penning almost all the tunes in the set, and really starting to stretch out with some of his more unique ideas! The songs are already beginning to show that picture postcard side of British pop that was the Kinks stock in trade during their best years – and the themes and subjects are really expanded from the group's music of the previous years – already shaking off their American influence, and bringing the world a decidedly English version of rock and roll. Of course, the album does feature the group's wonderful cover of "Milk Cow Blues" – still a nice link to the earlier years – plus the Davies originals "When I See That Girl Of Mine", "I Am Free", "Till The End Of The Day", "The World Keeps Going Round", "I'm On An Island", "It's Too Late", "You Can't Win", "Where Have All The Good Times Gone", "Gotta Get The First Plane Home", and "Ring The Bells". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums from The Kinks – the kind of material that pulled them strongly past their bluesy, garagey roots – into a role that has them giving some of the clearest, keenest visions of 20th Century British society – with all of its joys and worries! The tunes here are wonderful – well-penned little odes to the common man and fading scenes and styles of the UK – presented together as a sublime portrait of a late 60s England that hardly any other group would try to touch – all with wit and wisdom from the great Ray Davies, and loads of tuneful work from the rest of the band. Titles include "Do You Remember Walter?", "Picture Book", "Sitting By The Riverside", "Village Green", "All Of My Friends Were There", and "The Village Green Preservation Society". LP, Vinyl record album

The second act of The Kinks' entry into the rock opera mode of the early 70s – and in some ways, a much more confident effort than the first! The second act of Preservation is much bleaker than the first in a number of ways – quite possibly the strongest because it seems that Ray Davies has really begun to inhabit the roles of the tunes – stretching out here in high drama on a double-length set that certainly matches Tommy for its sense of scope and ambition – even if it was less likely to generate a catchy single! Titles include "Oh Where Oh Where Is Love", "Flash's Confession", "Introduction To Solution", "Shepherds Of The Nation", "Scum Of The Earth", "Mirror Of Love", and "Salvation Road". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the oddest of the 70s concept albums by The Kinks – a set of tracks that takes Ray Davies and the band back to the school days of their youth – where they revisit frustrations, anger, and the disgrace in the title! The best moments here are the ones that unlock a bit of the straighter rocking that shows up more in late 70s Kinks work – like the excellent single "I'm In Disgrace", the anthemic "No More Looking Back", or the leadoff "Schooldays" – and a few of the weaker moments get a bit too silly, and almost showy at times – like Ray's writing for a forthcoming Broadway career. Titles include "The Hard Way", "Headmaster", "Education", "Jack The Idiot Dunce", and "Finale". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the oddest of the 70s concept albums by The Kinks – a set of tracks that takes Ray Davies and the band back to the school days of their youth – where they revisit frustrations, anger, and the disgrace in the title! The best moments here are the ones that unlock a bit of the straighter rocking that shows up more in late 70s Kinks work – like the excellent single "I'm In Disgrace", the anthemic "No More Looking Back", or the leadoff "Schooldays" – and a few of the weaker moments get a bit too silly, and almost showy at times – like Ray's writing for a forthcoming Broadway career. Titles include "The Hard Way", "Headmaster", "Education", "Jack The Idiot Dunce", and "Finale". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the highest-concept of all 70s Kinks album – a dark exploration of fame and the price of success, done as a mini-rock opera starring Norman & The Starmaker! As with some of these sets, the best tunes here are those that are the most subtle and less dramatic – and which revisit the more everyday themes of the group's Village Green years. Other tracks are a bit more showy and gimmicky, in a way that almost makes you feel silly for caring about the subject matter – even though Ray Davies's vision of the issues at hand is still as biting as ever. A few standout tracks move into straighter rocking territory, but without the kitsch of some of the other "oldies" styled numbers – and titles include "Holiday Romance", "Everybody's A Star", "Rush Hour Blues", "Nine To Five", "When Work Is Over", "Ducks On The Wall", "You Can't Stop The Music", and "Face In The Crowd". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the highest-concept of all 70s Kinks album – a dark exploration of fame and the price of success, done as a mini-rock opera starring Norman & The Starmaker! As with some of these sets, the best tunes here are those that are the most subtle and less dramatic – and which revisit the more everyday themes of the group's Village Green years. Other tracks are a bit more showy and gimmicky, in a way that almost makes you feel silly for caring about the subject matter – even though Ray Davies's vision of the issues at hand is still as biting as ever. A few standout tracks move into straighter rocking territory, but without the kitsch of some of the other "oldies" styled numbers – and titles include "Holiday Romance", "Everybody's A Star", "Rush Hour Blues", "Nine To Five", "When Work Is Over", "Ducks On The Wall", "You Can't Stop The Music", and "Face In The Crowd". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most successful of the later Kinks albums – thanks to the hit single "Come Dancing", which kind of tied together the group's later leanings with some of their sweeter, nostagic approaches from the 60s. In fact, there's a quality to the set that really has Ray Davies going back to his "little pictures" sort of approach – wrapping up individuals and individual subjects nicely in the space of 3 to 4 minutes. Titles include "Labour Of Love", "Definite Maybe", "State Of Confusion", "Heart Of Gold", "Young Conservatives", "Cliches Of The World", and "Come Dancing". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool 12" replica of an early EP from The Kinks – one that features a whole host of tracks from that moment when Ray Davies was really taking off with his songwriting, and giving the group some of the most evocative work of their career! The leadoff cut is "Waterloo Sunset" – Ray's great anthem to London – and all the other tracks are great too, and include "Act Nice & Gentle", "Mr Pleasant", "Holiday In Waikiki", "Little Miss Queen Of Darkness", and the great "This Is Where I Belong". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant funky instrumentals from the UK Cavendish Sound Library – a company who could sometimes recorded more staid music, although that certainly wasn't the case with the gems on this collection! The music is by a handful of British studio talents of the time – most of whom come from the jazz scene in earlier years – and provide a great update of their earlier talents with some very sweet electric touches! Many of these tunes have some really great keyboards – Fender Rhodes or even moogier elements – and many also have wicked basslines next to the funky drums, which really make things kick throughout. These tunes are vastly undiscovered – at least in comparison to better-known sound library funk from companies like KPM or DeWolfe – but we'd put these grooves right up there with the best of that bunch too. This second volume is full of wonderful tracks that go even farther past the first volume – funky, but jazzy too – with a lot of work by Dennis Farnon, including the cuts "Night Walk", "Soul Type Blues", "Shanghai Caper", "Cocoanut Cocktail", "Bass Bits", "Chameleon", "Crazy Legs", "Blues For Boo", "Baltic Caper", "Test Drive", and "Nuremberg Ring" – plus "Funk" and "Rock" by Chris Barron, "Equation" and "Mad Mendoza" by Trevor Duncan, "Leagueliner" by Ray Davies, "Diraffe" by Bob Adams, and "Self Deception" by Tany Turens. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the crowning achievements of The Turtles – a set that features all original material by members of the group, and stellar production by Ray Davies of The Kinks! The set's the only full length that Davies ever handled – and it's obvious the group really rose to the occasion for the honor – hitting territory that's nicely sophisticated, yet which still has the sharpness of their earlier material too – a bit like the territory that Ray was hitting at the time with his own music. The songs are both a lot more personal, and have some deeper currents too – as The Turtles, like so many other west coast pop acts, were really maturing at the end of the 60s. Titles include "She Always Leaves Me Laughing", "Somewhere Friday Night", "Dance This Dance", "You Don't Have To Walk In The Rain", "Bachelor Mother", "Love In The City", and "House On The Hill". LP, Vinyl record album

A true masterpiece of late 60s pop – music originally recorded for a TV special in 1969 – and one of the Kinks' greatest albums ever! The semi-concept album traces the woes, worries, and hopes of a British family, as one half is on the verge of emigration to Australia. The work comes out of the sort of songwriting that Ray Davies had been perfecting on albums like Village Green and Something Else – but the overall style is more sophisticated, yet not nearly as self-indulgent as some of the 70s concept clunkers. Instead, the songs are brilliantly tight, and stand on their own well past the concept of the original album. Titles include "Victoria", "Brainwashed", "Australia", "Shangri-La", "Mr Churchill Says", and "Yes Sir No Sir". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from The Kinks – a set that's got all the wit of their late 60s material, a bit of the rootsy currents of Muswell Hillbillies, and a lot more bite than the group would have in some of their next few albums to come! Ray Davies' pen is razor-sharp, as is his vocal approach – and the songs are maybe even more gritty than the group would have done a few years before – furthered by some of the instrumental currents that also bring in a few acoustic elements and some Americanized riffs, which are then also matched by an occasional twang in Ray's vocal presentation. Plus, the double-length set also features one album of studio material, and a second live album – almost as a "bonus" thrown in for good measure. Studio tracks include the hit "Celluloid Heroes", plus "Here Comes Yet Another Day", "Maximum Constipation", "Unreal Reality", "Hot Potatoes", "Motorway", and "Supersonic Rocket Ship" – and live cuts include "Skin & Bone", "Alcohol", "Banana Boat Song", "Lola", "Holiday", and "Mr Wonderful CD

Excellent work by The Kinks – cut right on the cusp of their earlier bluesier years, and their perfect picture postcard pop sides of the late 60s! The album's got a number of groovy little tunes that virtually put the jangle in 60s pop – with impeccable writing by Ray Davies, and all those little twists and turns that make his songs so great. And the themes, styles, and overall presentation of the whole thing are really stretching out nicely – with a sense of wit and critique on British society that really have the group coming into their own! Titles include "Party Line", "Dandy", "Session Man", "Rainy Day In June", "Most Exclusive Residence For Sale", "Fancy", "You're Lookin Fine", and "Sunny Afternoon". CD also features bonus tracks – "Mr Pleasant", "This Is Where I Belong", "Mr Reporter", "I'm Not Like Everybody Else", and "Big Black Smoke". CD

A real standout from Ray Davies and crew – heavy-hitting here with guitars that seem a bit more amped up than usual, and a slight post-punkish groove that's almost a reinvention of the group's sound for an 80s new wave market! The album's a surprisingly hard rocker in parts, and has a darkness that's a nice change from some of the late 70s Kinks material – but also shows Ray still able to come up with some more tender numbers in just the right spots. Tracks include "Add It Up", "Destroyer", "Yo Yo", "Art Lover", "Better Things", "Killer's Eyes", "Around The Dial", and "Give The People What They Want". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that maybe marked the close of one chapter of The Kinks, and the start of another – music that still holds on to some of the best elements of their late 60s Village Green era, but which also moves the group into some of the headier territory of their Muswell Hill/RCA years too! Ray Davies has never sounded more earnest – still able to pull off wit when needed, but also more down to earth – and because of the massive title hit, the set was also one that put the group in front of the ears or more folks than had been hearing them in previous years. Titles include, of course, the mega-hit "Lola" – plus "This Time Tomorrow", "Apeman", "Strangers", "The Contenders", "Long Way From Home", "Rats", and "Top Of The Pops". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of tracks by the Kinks – originally written as the soundtrack for a film that barely saw the light of day – yet presented here as a classic late 60s album that's up there with the other gems from the same period as Arthur and Village Green! A few tunes are instrumental – as you might expect from a soundtrack, and the songs hold together well with similar themes – and those cuts are mixed with some wonderful vocal numbers that have Ray Davies working at the top of his game – that picture postcard way of putting over a scene or a story – served up in titles that include the excellent "God's Children", an instrumental version of "Lola", and the cuts "Animals In The Zoo", "Whip Lady", "Dreams", "Helga", and "Willesden Green". CD

Brilliant funky instrumentals from the UK Cavendish Sound Library – a company who could sometimes recorded more staid music, although that certainly wasn't the case with the gems on this collection! The music is by a handful of British studio talents of the time – most of whom come from the jazz scene in earlier years – and provide a great update of their earlier talents with some very sweet electric touches! Many of these tunes have some really great keyboards – Fender Rhodes or even moogier elements – and many also have wicked basslines next to the funky drums, which really make things kick throughout. These tunes are vastly undiscovered – at least in comparison to better-known sound library funk from companies like KPM or DeWolfe – but we'd put these grooves right up there with the best of that bunch too. Titles include"Milky Way" and "Star Voyage" by John Scott, "Two Bars" and "The Scape Goat" by Pete Moore, "The Big Score" by John Cacavas, "One Way Trip" by Sam Fonteyn, "Smile Of A Stranger" by Dominic Sands, "Riff Raff" by Geoff Bastow, "Come Cuban" by Edward White, "Kaleidoscope" by Tony Kinsey, "Funk" and "Rock" by Chris Barron, "Equation" and "Mad Mendoza" by Trevor Duncan, "Leagueliner" by Ray Davies, "Diraffe" by Bob Adams, and "Self Deception" by Tany Turens – and lots of titles by Dennis Farnon that include "Night Shade", "The Rally", "Southbound", "Snowmobile", "Night Driver", "The Trackers", "Lady Killers", "Soul Type Blues", "Shanghai Caper", "Cocoanut Cocktail", "Bass Bits", "Chameleon", "Crazy Legs", "Blues For Boo", "Baltic Caper", "Test Drive", and "Nuremberg Ring". CD

The roots of British mod, served up here in a fantastic package that's overflowing with soulful, jazzy, and groovy gems that we might never have heard otherwise! The big British Invasion love of American sounds is no secret to anyone – but the cuts here are all from a moment before on the London scene, and represent some really wonderful experiments in ways of mixing together elements of jazz, soul, and blues – and coming up with something really fresh and unique! Tracks are a great mix of instrumental and vocal modes – and as usual with Ace, they're supported by detailed notes that really open up our understanding of both the music, and this point in time. Titles include "Danger Man" by Red Price Combo, "A New Kind Of Lovin" by Eden Kane, "Christine" by Miss X, "Sugar Baby (parts 1 & 2)" by Jimmy Powell, "When You Walked Out" by Alex Murray, "Chicago Calling" by Cyril Davies & His Rhythm & Blues All Stars, "King Of Kings" by Jimmy Cliff, "It Ain't Necessarily So" by Duffy Power, "Gurney Slade" by Max Harris, "Moanin" by Lynn Cornell, "I'm Just A Baby" by Louis Cordet, "Orange Street" by The Blue Flames, "Strawberry Fair" by Anthony Newley, "Sounds Like Locomotion" by Sounds Inc, and "Air Travel" by Chris Farlowe. CD

The roots of British mod, served up here in a fantastic package that's overflowing with soulful, jazzy, and groovy gems that we might never have heard otherwise! The big British Invasion love of American sounds is no secret to anyone – but the cuts here are all from a moment before on the London scene, and represent some really wonderful experiments in ways of mixing together elements of jazz, soul, and blues – and coming up with something really fresh and unique! Tracks are a great mix of instrumental and vocal modes – and as usual with Ace, they're supported by detailed notes that really open up our understanding of both the music, and this point in time. Titles include "Danger Man" by Red Price Combo, "A New Kind Of Lovin" by Eden Kane, "Christine" by Miss X, "Sugar Baby (parts 1 & 2)" by Jimmy Powell, "When You Walked Out" by Alex Murray, "Chicago Calling" by Cyril Davies & His Rhythm & Blues All Stars, "King Of Kings" by Jimmy Cliff, "It Ain't Necessarily So" by Duffy Power, "Gurney Slade" by Max Harris, "Moanin" by Lynn Cornell, "I'm Just A Baby" by Louis Cordet, "Orange Street" by The Blue Flames, "Strawberry Fair" by Anthony Newley, "Sounds Like Locomotion" by Sounds Inc, and "Air Travel" by Chris Farlowe. CD

Two groundbreaking collections in one cool package! Volume 3 is one of our favorite volumes in the London Is The Place For Me collection – and a brilliant batch of work that criss-crosses West African, West Indian, and postwar jazz styles! Most of the recordings here were done under the leadership of Ambrose Adekoya Campbell – a transplant to London from Lagos in the postwar year, and an artist who had a huge influence on the changing rhythms of his scene. Campbell mixed styles of his roots with those of the larger London community around him – in a way that let in more Latin and Caribbean influences to more traditional African styles – often using guitar in a high-life styled way, but also bringing in some key jazz phrasings as well. Titles include "We Have It In Africa", "Iku Koni Payin", "I Am A Stranger", "Lagos Mambo", "Ela Da Awa", "and "Calabar-O" by West African Rhythm Brothers; "The Wind In A Frolic" and "Unity" by Nigerian Union Rhythm Group; "Ibikunle Alakija" by Ayinde Bakare & His Meranda Orchestra; and "Late Ojo Davies" and "Geneva Conference" by West African Rhythm Stars. Volume 4 features a collection of incredible work from the postwar, post-colonial years in the UK! As with other volumes, there's an array of Carribean and African influences at work here – often highly rhythmic and performed with lots of percussion, but also served up in ways that has the original modes coming into contact with more contemporary UK styles! Most of the work here was recorded in London, but overflowing with global styles that include mentos, high life, calypso, Latin, and even a bit of jazz – played by an array of artists who all found new means of expression in the capital. Titles include "Mambo Indio" by Shake Keane, "Alphonso In Town" by Lord Kitchener, "Give Her The No 1" by Eric Hayden, "Khauleza" by Dorothy Masuka, "Chicken & Rice" by Young Tiger, "Egyptian Bint Al Cha Cha" by Ginger Johnson, "Don't You Go Away" by Cab Kaye, "Highlife Piccadilly" by The African Messengers, "Darling Don't Say No" by Nat Akins, "African Jazz Cha Cha" by Ginger Johnson, "Piccadilly Folk" by Lord Kitchener, and "Ilu Oyinbo Dara" by Victor Coker. CD