|
Post by martin53 on Aug 23, 2019 2:19:52 GMT -5
Yes, it certainly is! The whole album "Phobia" contains beautifully and well crafted songs which in the meantime have been become classics! The Kinks are a very tight band here. And the inclusion of "Did Ya?" is just perfect! A coherent and fantastic record throughout.
|
|
|
Post by lorendavies on Nov 29, 2019 13:25:53 GMT -5
I like the album, but in my humble opinion it is among the worst albums of the group.
|
|
entertainment
Session Man
They call it "entertainment"...
Posts: 261
|
Post by entertainment on Nov 30, 2019 12:18:05 GMT -5
It's always mind boggling just how differently two fans of the same band will perceive the same album, or song.
It's even stranger when the majority of the fans dislike "Phobia" (my favorite album), in spite of how unique the music is (so beautiful and/or so very rocking), how thoughtful and intelligent all the lyrics are by Ray and Dave (with masterful vocals from them both), and how excellently the whole band performs throughout, with the perfect energy each song requires.
|
|
|
Post by martin53 on Dec 7, 2019 5:04:55 GMT -5
We all like/love it, don't we?
|
|
|
Post by lorendavies on Dec 8, 2019 10:33:02 GMT -5
As I said before 'Phobia' does not seem like a bad album but in my humble opinion it is an expendable album, there is nothing new to listen to. They are not up to their imperial stage of the 60s and far from any album of the 70s, where Ray Davies with a creative spread risked his musical theme in which he was vilified and in which they were wonderful works underestimated and misunderstood .
|
|
entertainment
Session Man
They call it "entertainment"...
Posts: 261
|
Post by entertainment on Dec 9, 2019 16:45:09 GMT -5
I completely respect the way you expressed your opinion in your newest post! I personally find everything about the Phobia album to be new (in a great way!) in relation to their art, while building on the already wonderful songwriting, singing, and instrumentation of all of the band members. But although you disagree, at least you're not completely trashing this album (which I see as a masterpiece). So many of those who only like the early stuff are so unfeeling when it comes to appreciating the beauty of the late era Kinks. It's like seeing someone scoff at a sunset, or something.
I'll always enjoy the early stuff too, but to me, their work from the Soap Opera album until the last gig the band played in 1996 is the very best of the Kinks. Along with Something Else, Village Green, Lola Versus Powerman, and MANY gems scattered throughout their discography!
I just wish more people had favorites from the later years that they held up in the same regard as the early stuff. But I've learned that's not the case. And it's like being in the Twilight Zone when I realize they can't see the worth of the later years.
I know that's what opinions are like...I just wonder why so many people come to the conclusion that the later years aren't as good. The songs are very often as strong as their best early work! Sometimes even better!
|
|
|
Post by martin53 on Dec 10, 2019 3:40:43 GMT -5
Lorendavies
Not a bad album is a good album thus not expendable. No Kinks album ever was.
It is always a challenging adventure to discover new Kinks songs in depth as they have many twists - lyrically and musically. Maybe you should have a fresh go at „Phobia“ with a different approach? The album strictly represents The Kinks in the 90’s providing us with excellent and beautiful songs with good lyrics.
Nevertheless an opinion remains an opinon which should be respected.
Entertainment
I couldn’t agree more.
It actually made click when I read your lines „their work from the Soap Opera album until the last gig the band played in 1996 is the very best of the Kinks*. Your observation coincides with the fact that with Soap Opera (actually already earlier on in December 1974 when The Kinks performed „Preservation“ in its entirety in London) The Kinks became an extremely tight and very well organised band on stage?
Just a thought.
|
|
|
Post by lorendavies on Dec 10, 2019 13:20:48 GMT -5
Obviously also respect your admiration for the album Phobia. But from my humble opinion, not only phobia for me is not an insignificant album but since the mid-eighties until the Phobia, Ray Davies (my idol) had lost a lot of creativity and was never the one who was. State Of Confusion was his last great album ... and he didn't even have anything new. All the others that came out were great loose songs that were some of them very prominent in each album. I honestly cannot compare their risky and creative theatrical epochs to those last albums of the Kinks (without being their best time). And finally, from the Preservation Act 2 the Kinks did not release an album blatantly with innovative material, fresh, risky and with a creative spread, the others were very enjoyable albums but without innovation or anything similar. As I say, I adore "Misfits" !!!! but it is still an enjoyable album with very good songs and without waste, but little else. And comparing Misfits with Phobia is comparing Real Madrid with Everton FC. In conclusion Phobia seems to me a good record without more. Greeting
|
|
entertainment
Session Man
They call it "entertainment"...
Posts: 261
|
Post by entertainment on Dec 14, 2019 16:54:53 GMT -5
State Of Confusion was his last great album ... and he didn't even have anything new. I hear completely new chord progressions, melodies, and lyrics here (and every album after). I have some favorite bands who do re-hash (and I still appreciate the emotion of the songs and the message), but The Kinks aren't one of them.
We cannot count the very few times they made songs that referenced previous songs musically or lyrically.
As for comparing the albums Misfits and Phobia, I could explain why I find Phobia to be much stronger, but it would sound like I don't like the Misfits album, when I love at least four of the songs, and greatly enjoy the rest! (I wish "Get Up" was longer, though!) I love every song on Phobia. And I love every song on UK Jive (except one which I still greatly enjoy...the song "UK Jive".)
Though I disagree with your opinion, I appreciate the polite way you express it. With so many cruel internet people, it's refreshing to see you write an opposing view so thoughtfully!
|
|
entertainment
Session Man
They call it "entertainment"...
Posts: 261
|
Post by entertainment on Dec 14, 2019 16:57:08 GMT -5
Entertainment
I couldn’t agree more. It actually made click when I read your lines „their work from the Soap Opera album until the last gig the band played in 1996 is the very best of the Kinks*. Your observation coincides with the fact that with Soap Opera (actually already earlier on in December 1974 when The Kinks performed „Preservation“ in its entirety in London) The Kinks became an extremely tight and very well organised band on stage? Just a thought. It's wonderful to hear from someone who appreciates the later Kinks, as all the albums after "State of Confusion" are so very, very underrated! You have a great theory as to why I like Soap Opera and onward best! What I know for sure is that the albums I mentioned as my favorites are the ones that I enjoy most often, even though I really like all eras, and the solo work as well!
|
|
|
Post by martin53 on Dec 16, 2019 17:01:06 GMT -5
Thank you for your in-depth feedback, Entertainment! Loved it!
|
|
entertainment
Session Man
They call it "entertainment"...
Posts: 261
|
Post by entertainment on Dec 23, 2019 17:48:48 GMT -5
Thank you so much for reading and appreciating my in-depth feedback, Martin! I wish I could see the picture next to the " " but Photobucket won't allow it.
|
|
|
Post by martin53 on Dec 27, 2019 0:03:18 GMT -5
My pleasure, Entertainment!
|
|
|
Post by HollyH on Dec 31, 2019 0:28:51 GMT -5
"No Kinks album is expendable" -- Lorendavies, I completely agree. That said, compared to other Kinks albums, Phobia doesn't entirely hit the mark for me. I think perhaps it's because on that album Ray didn't allow Dave's creative input to influence the music as much as it did on other albums. It has some really wonderful music on it, though, and I agree with Entertainment that Ray was bringing some new sounds into the mix, advancing his craft as he did with every album. I just think that at that point Ray had stopped listening to other people's judgments, and maybe he let some stuff through that was personally meaningful to him but didn't quite connect with his listeners. The band was going through a lot of turmoil at the time, and it's not surprising that the album didn't quite come together. Sad that this should have been their last LP. The Beatles managed to go out on a high note with Abbey Road, but then I think they knew it was the end for them, and when the Kinks released Phobia, they had no idea it would be their swan son.
|
|
|
Post by martin53 on Dec 31, 2019 2:01:53 GMT -5
Yep. As I mentioned in one of my previous postings – „No Kinks Record Is Expendable“. When The Kinks released the unforgettable „Phobia“ and they had no idea it would be their swan song - had Ray already written new songs for an envisaged new group album? In the affirmative where and what for were they used?
|
|