via//chicago

np: "waterloo sunset" - the kinks

the kinks are a band that i've slept on for way too long. sure i knew they did "Lola", "You Really Got Me", and "Come Dancing" - but i don't think i could have named much more than that. i'm sure i'd heard quite a few more, but never really processed it since '60s music isn't exactly an era i've explored much at all. i've always been into the Beatles and the Stones, and in the past few years i've gotten a great appreciation for the Byrds. well, tonight is as good a time as any to begin rectifying that mistake - as a trip to the always wonderful Record Breakers resulted in me copping a cheap vinyl copy of The Kink Kronikles, a two-album compilation of stuff from '66-'72. i'm still working through my first listen, but i'm really intrigued with it so far. "Victoria", "Waterloo Sunset", "This is Where I Belong", and "Shangri-La" are all tracks that really make me feel like my life has been incomplete without. ok, maybe a slight exagerration - but this stuff should be much more prevalent on classic rock radio than the tracks i mentioned earlier. it was a little odd to hear the original "David Watts", since i was so used to The Jam's version, but it's really a wonderful tune.

overall it was a pretty productive shopping trip tonight, i picked up some really cool shit that i'm pretty excited about:

(on vinyl:)
Heatmiser - Cop and Speeder (Portland band featuring a pre-Oscar nom Elliott Smith)
Killing Joke - What's This For...! (something i've been wanting to hear for some time now, well this and the debut)
Elton John - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (for real, '70-'75 Elton could do no wrong, recognize)

(on disc:)
American Minor - Buffalo Creek EP (pretty nifty Strokes/Kings of Leon influenced Southern rawk)
Superdrag - Stereo 360 Sound (early tracks and singles from this underrated and sadly now defunct band)
Kasabian - Kasabian (not due out here for another month or so, picked up a used promo copy)

anyway, i'm off to listen to some more Kinks...