THE KINKS
compilations
Greatest Hits (1966)
Reprise
I hate records but my vinyl copy of this is a prized possession. Gorgeous cover art, and of course one undeniable song after another. The one and only problem with this compilation is that it's much too short and the Kinks hadn't really hit their stride yet, so it doesn't have the consistency and variance it may have enjoyed had it arrived a few years later. But no record that opens with the 1-2-3 punch of "You Really Got Me," "Tired of Waiting for You," and "Set Me Free" can be far from great. Technically never released on CD but see below.
The Kink Kronikles (1972)
Reprise
If you know nothing of the Kinks, this is what you need. Two discs of golden-era Kinks, note-perfect, moving, and head-spinning -- without a doubt one of the best greatest hits compilations ever, on a par with ENDLESS SUMMER and THE GREAT 28. There's simply not a song here that isn't revealing and marvellous in one way or another. Though it only covers the band's work from FACE TO FACE to LOLA VS. POWERMAN, it shows all facets of their charm. I can't imagine many people not loving this collection, and there's no hardcore fan out there who could come up with a better tracklist -- or who can resist this one. The best Kinks release and one of the best double-LPs of all time.
Celluloid Heroes (1976)
RCA
The range of music covered here -- from MUSWELL HILLBILLIES to SCHOOLBOYS IN DISGRACE -- is the Kinks' weakest, so it's a bit of miraculous genius on Ray Davies' part that, in this revised version of the 1976 compilation, the ashes of the succession of early '70s failures for the band manage to combine for a cohesive and lovely singles collection. A lot of these songs, like the great "He's Evil" and chilling "No More Looking Back," work infinitely better outside the contexts of their respective albums. This isn't niche music at all, it comes off beautifully and presents a surprising number of classics -- "Sweet Lady Genevieve" is one of their most irresistible pop songs. This is a must for casual fans who love the '60s or '80s material and want more but aren't interested in the hit and miss albums from the RCA period. (It is imperative that those same fans pick up MUSWELL HILLBILLIES, however.)
Come Dancing with the Kinks (1986)
Arista
I like the Kinks' Arista material a great deal despite what some consider a radical change in tone from the band's previous work. I hear the same thing I always heard in them -- dancing inside crushing loss, conquered with humor or music or not conquered at all. The original version of this compilation is a tasty introduction with highlights such as the inescapably beautiful title track, the wistful "A Rock & Roll Fantasy," a bitter "Juke Box Music," sweet "Better Things," and hysterical "Low Budget," plus a timeless classic in the obscure "Long Distance." A revised version issued on Konk in 1999 has far less personality. Seek out the original.
Greatest Hits bonus tracks (1989)
Rhino
The original GREATEST HITS album above, of interest primarily for its knockout cover art, was expanded by Rhino for CD release in the late '80s. Unfortunately, they gave it a new cover, but they also made it a more comprehensive overview of the pre-FACE TO FACE Kinks, adding eight songs including the immortal "Sunny Afternoon" plus classics like "Stop Your Sobbing," "I'm Not Like Everybody Else," "Where Have All the Good Times Gone?," and both sides of the "You Still Want Me" single.
Lost & Found (1986-89) (1991)
MCA
I think I'm supposed to hate this, but it's not happening. Okay, sure, it's unnecessary. The Kinks only recorded two albums on MCA plus a live set, so a compilation might seem like a futile exercise, but sometimes when you rip away all the bullshit a better record can result. Musically, this all merits at least ****. Whatever hoary bullshit there was on those albums isn't here. All of a sudden you start to think that the Kinks didn't lose their way at all in the late '80s, and these are great songs. I'm still not sure I can defend the existence of this compilation, but it sure is good.
The Story of the Kinks (1995)
"Donna" (!?)
I hate to say it but I'm not clear on the origin of this collection. It was my introduction to the Kinks so I wish I knew more, but all I can figure out is that it's Dutch and seems to have been created for an airline. The packaging is awful but I honestly believe this would make for an excellent Warner Bros. greatest-hits package, since such a single-disc entity does not yet exist. This has both the early classics from "You Really Got Me" to "See My Friends" plus classics from the late-'60s albums (including "Starstruck," oddly enough) and all the non-LP stunners like "Days" and "Autumn Almanac." It even has "Dandy"! I walked away a convert for life. Someone should really give this a proper release.