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Misfits

The Kinks - Misfits Audio CD

A fair review of the The Kinks "Misfits" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Kinks reviews here, or go back to the The Kinks tabs.

Band: The Kinks
Title: Misfits
Rating:

Release Date: 2004-08-24
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Misfits 2: Hay Fever 3: Black Messiah 4: A Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy 5: In A Foreign Land 6: Permanent Waves 7: Live Life 8: Out Of The Wardrobe 9: Trust Your Heart=20 10: Get Up 11: Black Messiah (single remix) 12: Father Christmas 13: A Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy (US single edit) 14: Live Life (US single mix)

"You've Been Sleeping in a field, but you look well rested".
The opening track, Misfits, paints the picture of personal introspection, with Ray Davies' candor recognizing his individual quirks and song writing talent, while also feeling dismayed over the lost opportunities. Misfits is my personal favorite Kinks album! Offerings of wit, humor and charm can be found on Misfits, picking up where Sleepwalker left off and pointing to where Low Budget would be headed, as the Kinks once again came of age in the late 70's. "This is your chance, this is your time, so don't throw it away, you can have your day, cause it's true what they say every dog has his day". It's as if Ray Davies was having a premonition of the popularity the Kinks were about to enjoy, while also well aware of the many good years of music the Kinks had already provided us. Rock and Roll Fantasy is song with perfect tempo and lyrics, inviting the listener to visualize the typical fan's dream world, and is further comment on the Kinks' own destiny. The songs on Misfits, like the best Kinks songs, grap ahold of the listener and entertain you on several levels, as the music and words tell a story. Younger listeners, who usually don't listen to the words, anyway, will miss the gift of Misfits, and the Kinks music in general, but For Those Who Have Ears To Hear this is a Kinks' album you don't want to miss.

Misunderstood and Underappreciated.
Some songs here might feel a little cheesy or overproduced to some but overall there are plenty of great songs, not the least of which are the frank and straightforward narratives of Black Messiah and Out of the Wardrobe. This a strong entry from the Kinks Arista period, and much preferable to the arena rock sound of Low Budget. I must respectfully disagree with another reviewer who characterized these songs as racist and clumsy. First off if you listen even slightly to the lyrics of Out of the Wardrobe, it is not about homosexuality at all but cross dressing, an important distinction that should be obvious, especially to those who get so easily offended due to their extreme sensitity in matters of race, gender and sexual preference. And the song treats the subject matter lightly perhaps but in Ray's usual empathetic and humane style.

Black Messiah on the other hand is Ray's response to living next to some extremely hostile Rastafarians, its honest in a manner that is lacking in today's world of political correctness (which ironically is most usually invoked by privelaged whites who haven't ever interacted with others from different cultural and socieconomic backgrounds ) and the song should resonate with anyone that's ever been treated poorly based on their skin color. And if you never have been then how can you honestly empathize with those who have? Anyway these were points I felt worth clarifying. These songs represent the kind of outsider and individualistic perspective that makes Ray Davies a unique and important writer and shouldn't be dismissed out of hand simply because they dare to address sensitive issues in an honest manner that may deviate from what is considered acceptable in these times.

With that said Misfits and Rock n' Roll Fantasy stand out as probably the two best songs on this record, but there's plenty here to like and the remastering is top notch! .

An Emotionally-Resonant Masterpiece
The title track, "A Rock & Roll Fantasy", and "Get Up" are the centerpieces of that album. MISFITS is an emotionally-resonant masterpiece in which Ray Davies admits that the Kinks will always be outside the mainstream, but, after Elvis's death, wonders whether that's really such a bad thing. The first two songs I mentioned express how I felt when I gave promises to young women I was close to not to get "caught up" in musical trends when making dance-music choices, as well as inspiring me to look at photographs of attractive female celebrities to help me ward off the temptation to go to every food-related function I hear about (e. g. my old school's Thanksgiving Dinner). The last song, "Get Up" says that adults can age and still love rock & roll, which is reflected in my enjoyment of older alternative bands like INXS, U2, REM, and the Police. Anyone who's reaching or just past thirty should own this one. .

Good Album....
I've only heard a few songs from the Kinks (having the Come Dancing - Greatest Hits CD) but those that I've heard I've enjoyed. I'm glad to see that there are some bands out there that are remastering their CDs on SACD. I got this album mostly because it was in SACD and I want to support the format as much as I can.

That being said, I wasn't disappointed to hear the music. It is a pretty rich tapestry of a post 60's, pre-alternative band. I can hear some inklings of the upcoming new wave (and punk) movement. The lyrics are pretty good as well.

It sounds pretty good on my car stereo, but it took my SACD player at home to really bring it out. Although it says multi-channel on the jacket, I don't think it is because my system isn't picking it up. It still sounds pretty awesome though.

Now, if Pink Floyd would release more. . . . :).

Middling disc (but incredible sound!)
While it may have been more successful commercially than its predecessor, overall it lacks the charm and wit that make Sleepwalker so enjoyable. After returning from obscurity with the 1977 hit Sleepwalker, The Kinks released this more-of-the-same follow-up in 1978. "Rock and Roll Fantasy", the hit single, is a strong piece, and the musical arrangements are flawless, but there's something of a negative attitude here, most notably in "Black Messiah", a bizarre screed, presumably a kind of "angry white male" rant against black supremacy movements. As is so often true, it's hard to pin down exactly what Ray Davies is complaining about here, but there's an annoying quality to it. However, it does have a bouncy reggae-ish groove. The other tracks are pleasant enough but don't have the kind of emotional pull that you find on Sleepwalker.

The new 2004 SACD remaster is stunning. The back cover is mislabeled, indicating a 5. 1 surround sound mix; however, this is a stereo mix. This series of reissues, which includes most of the Kinks albums from Muswell Hillbillies through Word of Mouth, all sound better than these recordings have ever sounded before, with clearer stereo separation, a soundstage that's almost palpable, rich bass tones and sharp, crisp highs. (Note: Everybody's in Show Biz and Low Budget have been issued in SACD hybrid by another label. )

Strongly recommended for hard-core Kinks fans. The casual fan may want to choose the Come Dancing compilation of singles instead, which has most of the band's later hit singles.
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You can see a complete list of all The Kinks discography, or go back to the The Kinks tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.