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One For The Road

by

The Kinks

 
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One For The Road

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Average: 4.0 (56 ratings)

Ray, Dave and the gang showcase their powerful live show.

  • We Say...

    In the US the success of Low Budget had finally enabled the Kinks to step up to stadium gigs. Even in Britain, although the American style rock they were perfecting was decidedly out of favour, they were beginning to sense the warm breeze of rehabilitation, with the Jam and the Pretenders having taken vintage Ray Davies compositions into the Top 40. While this double live set does feature six songs from Low Budget, Davies exhumed "David Watts" and "Stop Your Sobbing" from his back catalogue to reinforce his complete dominance of the material in the face of the young upstarts. As ever, "Lola" — and the crowd participation that had become an expected part of the experience — remains a high point, although an epic version of "Celluloid Heroes" nearly steals the show. Central to the album, though, is the demonstration on tracks like "You've Really Got Me" and "Victoria," that despite all of the chaotic years on the road, the Kinks could be a powerfully tight little rock band if they put their minds to it.

  • They Say...

    The Kinks' scattershot U.S. career never fully flourished like that of their British Invasion peers. The most quintessentially British of British bands -- especially in the increasingly nostalgic songs of vocalist/rhythm guitarist Ray Davies -- the Kinks enjoyed a spike in popularity in America in the late '70s and early '80s. The gold-selling 1980 double live album One for the Road is a fascinating document of trailblazing elder statesmen who paved the way for heavy metal and punk, but never felt a glorious pop song was out of their grasp. It also proves that Dave Davies is a criminally underrated lead guitarist. The Davies brothers, bass guitarist Jim Rodford, drummer Mick Avory, and guest keyboardists Ian Gibbons and Nick Newell recorded One for the Road at several concerts in 1979 and 1980. "Lola" is the best-known track from this album, and this live reading was a minor hit single; Ray Davies' teasing intro shows his playful side. "The Hard Way"; "Low Budget"; a raw, stripped-down "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman"; "Celluloid Heroes"; and "You Really Got Me" are the other standouts. "20th Century Man" appeared on the original 2-LP release, but was cut from Arista's U.S. CD.

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