The Kinks Kinda Kinks: 2022 Reissue (Vinyl LP) * * *

One of the most important and influential artists in rock history, The Kinks have been credited by many as the crucial '60s genesis for everything from heavy metal to garage punk to Britpop. Unlike its predecessor which included numerous covers, second album Kinda Kinks (1965), was almost wholly penned by Ray Davies, including the melancholy "Tired Of Waiting For You," which was a UK No. 1 hit and No. 6 in the US, their highest ever chart placing. Kinda Kinks may lack the innocence of their debut, but there are plenty of worthwhile songs - dabblings with the dying art of Merseybeat, melancholy folk, Muswell Motown, and a dash of Phil Spector. What could have been a grab bag of styles is held together by Ray's distinctive voice and Kinda Kinks proved to be yet another major success, reaching No. 3 on the charts and selling better than any other Kinks album from this point until the end of the decade.