Music Review: The Kinks – The Kink Kontroversy

The Kink Kontroversy was a good album that could have been much better. It was their third studio album but fifth release in the United States. Their label had gathered together material from their British EP’s, singles, and some leftover album tracks and created two albums that were only released in the USA in order to cash in on their popularity. The negative side was three albums worth of material was spread across five albums. If songs such as “Dedicated Flower Of Fashion,” “I’m Not Like Everybody Else,” and “A Well Respected Man” had been added to the original 1965 release of The Kink Kontroversy, it would have been a real keeper.

The album marked the beginning of the Kink’s transition from a raw and gritty rock band filled with power chords toward a more introspective and smooth style that would dominate their music for the next two decades.

Some straightforward rock was still present. “Till The End Of The Day” and “Where Have All The Good Times Gone” featured some of Dave Davies power chords and guitar work, but the lyrics were more sophisticated and thoughtful. They were far different on the cover of the old Sleepy John Estes blues tune, “Milk Cow Blues,” which was interpreted as a simple and basic rock song.

Interspersed among the album’s tracks were songs like “Ring The Bells,” “The World Keeps Going Round,” and “I’m On An Island,” which were Ray Davies’ first attempts at creating graceful, moody, and reflective music with pensive lyrics.

The production had also improved as the tinny sound that had been present on their early albums had been eliminated. The original album was recorded and released in mono and no stereo versions of the tracks from the recording sessions have ever surfaced.

The Kink Kontroversy was a coming of age album for The Kinks as they were beginning to cut the cord from their previous style and sound and begin their journey of maturation toward becoming one of the most creative bands in rock history.