KINKS : TO THE BONE

 

Disc One (37:52)

  1. All Day And All Of The Night
  2. Apeman
  3. Tired Of Waiting
  4. See My Friends
  5. Death Of A Clown
  6. Muswell Hillbillies
  7. Better Things
  8. Don't Forget To Dance
  9. Sunny Afternoon
  10. Dedicated Follower Of Fashion
  11. Do It Again
  12. Do It Again

Disc Two (63:35)

  1. Celluloid Heroes
  2. Picture Book
  3. Village Green Preservation Society
  4. Do You Remember Walter
  5. Set Me Free
  6. Lola
  7. Come Dancing
  8. I'm Not Like Everybody Else
  9. Till The End Of The Day
  10. Give The People What They Want
  11. State Of Confusion
  12. Dead End Street
  13. A Gallon Of Gas
  14. Days
  15. You Really Got Me
  16. Animal
  17. To The Bone

Label : Guardian Records

Venue : Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth, UK + Theatre Of Living Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA + Konk Studios, London, UK

Recording Date : March 25, 1993 + May 1, 1993 + April 11, 1994

Release Date : October 3, 1994 / 1996 (2CD reissue)

Review (AllMusic) : Since the mid-'70s, the Kinks have not been able to stop themselves from attempting their own variations on pop music trends, taking stabs at everything from bombastic heavy metal to sleek disco-flavored pop. On To the Bone, the group became another one of the scores of veteran rock acts to record an acoustic, "unplugged" album. However, the group's American popularity was at an all-time low in the mid-'90s and the band wasn't able to score a major-label record deal, let alone land a spot on MTV's prime-time ratings bonanza, Unplugged. So, the bandmembers financed their acoustic greatest-hits record To the Bone themselves, releasing it on the U.K. independent label Grapevine. Naturally, Ray Davies' songs work well in such a stripped-back setting, but the album is nothing more than a pleasant diversion, featuring a lovely version of "Waterloo Sunset," possibly the most beautiful song of the rock & roll era.

Review (The Night Owl) : The Kinks have always been one of the most overlooked and underrated bands to come out of England. Let's face it--they had some tough competiton in the early years. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who all started out around the same time. Still, The Kinks had quite a few hits of their own. The latest release from the band, To the Bone, is a collection of newly recorded Kinks classics, and the band's first compilation to include tracks covering their entire career. The tracks range from scaled-down unplugged versions, to all-out electric performances. "All Day and All of the Night" opens the first CD, and it rocks like no other version you've heard. The one complaint I've always had with The Kinks in concert is the sing-alongs, and unfortunately this CD is no exception. The difference this time out is an extremely enthusiastic audience, and a performance to match. Half-brothers Ray and Dave Davies, along with the rest of the band, play every note as if their lives depend on it. Several of the songs were recorded live at the band's Konk Studios, where they brought in a handful of fans and friends to give the songs a more intimate feel. It's interesting to hear the band's hits (as well as some of the lesser known tracks) played acoustically. "Apeman" is great as always, and older tracks like "Tired of Waiting" and "Sunny Afternoon" really benefit from the updated arrangements. "Do it Again" starts out acoustically, segues into a brief collage of early tracks, then rocks out on an electric version of the song that puts the original to shame. The second disc is the better of the two CDs. Starting with the ever-poignant "Celluloid Heroes," disc two winds its way through an updated version of "Set Me Free" and several more hits. "Lola" is here (of course), but another sing-along mars the otherwise spirited performance. Just once, I'd like to hear a live version of this song without the crowd trying to sing along. "Come Dancing" is one of those songs that always seemed just a little too happy to me. The new version is more powerful than the original, and comes across much better. The next five songs in a row are some of the best tracks on To the Bone. Starting with the 1964 B-side, "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" (which features some excellent leads from Dave) and going through "Dead End Street," the band rocks. Things slow down temporarily for an acoustic version of "A Gallon of Gas," only to rock out again on the band's first hit, "You Really Got Me." To the Bone also features two new tunes--"Animal" (which sounds like a Tom Petty song) and the title track (which, at times, is eerily similar to "Spooky" by The Classics IV). When all is said and done, To the Bone shows just how many great songs Ray Davies has written over the years. It makes an excellent starting point for those who may be just discovering The Kinks, and it's a great collection for longtime fans too.

Review (Amazon) : This two-disc set is a live retrospective featuring 26 mostly (though not entirely) acoustic renditions of Kinks classics and obscurities, and possesses a poignancy and generosity of spirit that raises it several notches above standard Unplugged-style fare. The band's gracefully low-key reinterpretations of relative obscurities like "Picture Book," "Days," "Do You Remember Walter," and "Death of A Clown" are enough to blow a decade and a half's worth of arena-rock dust off the band's reputation. The group's updating of their early punk anthem "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" carries new levels of resonance that the band could scarcely have dreamed of in 1964. The two new studio recordings are a bit slight, but they sport an unfussed sweetness that's hard to argue with.