Give the People What We Want
The Songs of The Kinks
Sub Pop
The Kinks are one of the forgotten greats of yesteryear; they were rockin’ out before you were even a glimmer in your mom’s eye. It’s nice to see a tribute to them, although a tribute of more rockin’ bands might have been better (a Relapse tribute to The Kinks?).
The cream of the crop here (was there any question) is the great Mudhoney, twinkling away on the pianos with “Who’ll Be the Next in Line.” It’s fantastic, so much so that I feel this version tops the original! The Murder City Devils offer up a quite frightening version of “Alcohol”; frightening in presentation (unnerving and unsettling), not quality – it’s quite good, in a Nick Cave kind of way.
Other quality renditions of Kinks’ tracks here are The Congratulators’ “Session Man,” Model Rockets’ downtrodden version of “Ring The Bells,” The Pinkos’ “Brainwashed,” The Minus 5’s Beatlesque “Wicked Annabella,” and The Briefs’ blistering version of “Come Dancing.” These tracks could have been put out as the entire record, and it would stand on it’s own.
Most disappointing were the following: The Makers’ poorly done “Strangers,” The Fastbacks’ disinterested performance of “Waterloo Sunset,” and Mark Lanegan’s overly pretentious “Nothin’ in the World…”
Sub Pop: http://www.subpop.com
