http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38141&rws=%2Fthe-kinks%2Fmusic-videos.rssLed by singer-songwriter Ray Davies, the Kinks recorded countless songs that have proven to be both timeless and highly influential. Their slew of early singles -- from the Hard Rock prototype "You Really Got Me" to the whimsical, lackadaisical and humorous "Sunny Afternoon" -- made them one of the most popular bands of the British Invasion. However, it was Davies' singular, distinctively noncommercial vision that made their superstardom a relatively brief part of an otherwise lengthy career. Tensions between the musicians didn't help matters, as onstage fights between Ray and his guitar-playing brother Dave were notorious. Although they ostensibly mastered the singles format, the Kinks became an album-oriented band in the truest sense: between 1968 and 1977, the band released numerous concept albums that varied wildly in quality and subject matter. The most famous, and perhaps the finest of the lot, is <I>Lola vs. the Powerman & the Money-Go-Round, Part One</I> (1970). The record is a cutting, acerbic look at the music industry, and the song "Lola" put the band back on top -- and what a song to do so, as it's become the most famous song in the rock 'n' roll oeuvre to deal with gender-swapping and/or transvestism. The Kinks continued to record powerful singles and solid albums, but their fame rests firmly on their utterly unique early material. - Eric SheaBritish Invasionen720Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:20:29 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38141&rws=%2Fthe-kinks%2Fmusic-videos.rss Led by singer-songwriter Ray Davies, the Kinks recorded countless songs that have proven to be both timeless and highly influential. Their slew of early singles -- from the Hard Rock prototype "You Really Got Me" to the whimsical, lackadaisical and humorous "Sunny Afternoon" -- made them one of the most popular bands of the British Invasion. However, it was Davies' singular, distinctively noncommercial vision that made their superstardom a relatively brief part of an otherwise lengthy career. Tensions between the musicians didn't help matters, as onstage fights between Ray and his guitar-playing brother Dave were notorious. Although they ostensibly mastered the singles format, the Kinks became an album-oriented band in the truest sense: between 1968 and 1977, the band released numerous concept albums that varied wildly in quality and subject matter. The most famous, and perhaps the finest of the lot, is <I>Lola vs. the Powerman & the Money-Go-Round, Part One</I> (1970). The record is a cutting, acerbic look at the music industry, and the song "Lola" put the band back on top -- and what a song to do so, as it's become the most famous song in the rock 'n' roll oeuvre to deal with gender-swapping and/or transvestism. The Kinks continued to record powerful singles and solid albums, but their fame rests firmly on their utterly unique early material. - Eric Shea