While The Kinks have no shortage of iconic tracks to their name—”You Really Got Me,” “Lola” and “Come Dancing” to name a few—their lesser-known songs reveal an entirely different side of the group that isn’t showcased in their poppier hits.
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[RELATED: Behind the Band Name: The Kinks]
To help those lesser-known songs not fall into complete obscurity, we’ve made a list of five of them for you to listen to. Check out our picks, below.
1. “Too Much on My Mind”
“Too Much on My Mind” (along with the rest of the accompanying album, Face to Face) saw Ray Davies begin to stake his claim as one of the most prolific songwriters in Brit rock. This soft, mid-tempo offering stood in stark contrast with the band’s earlier sound, but the evolution was a welcomed one. The whole album is seminal in The Kinks’ story, and “Too Much on My Mind” is an underrated standout.
2. “Big Sky”
The existential lyrics of “Big Sky” seem all the more impressive when you realize they were penned by a 24-year-old. Davies had a knack for wrapping deep thoughts in a blithe, pop bow. That dichotomy is part of what made The Kinks such an interesting group for the era.
3. “The Way Love Used to Be”
“The Way Love Used to Be” is likely overlooked due to its interesting release history. The song first appeared on the soundtrack to Percy, a 1971 British comedy about “the world’s first penis transplant.” It later landed on The Great Lost Kinks Album. It’s unfortunate that sometimes great songs fail to make a splash due to their release cycle. “The Way Love Used to Be” is one such song.
4. “Sweet Lady Genevieve”
The Preservation albums are highly polarizing—Kinks fans either love them or hate them. Regardless of how you feel about the work as a whole, no one can deny that there are a few glimmering moments throughout. “Sweet Lady Genevieve” is certainly one of them. This love-lorn track appears on Preservation Act 1, and despite its low stream count, it’s one of the better songs on the 11-track record.
5. “Life Goes On”
“Life Goes On” saw The Kinks shed their opera-esque sound in favor of their classic rock roots and Davies once again dipped into his observational songwriting style. He warns in the chorus, Life goes on / It happens ev’ry day / So appreciate what you got / Before it’s taken away.
[RELATED: Meaning Behind the Song: “You Really Got Me” by the Kinks]
Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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