Coda.fm

Come Dancing With the Kinks: The Best of the Kinks 1977-1986

by The Kinks

• Buy it at Amazon.com

After Ray Davies exorcised his theatrical demons on the Preservation, Soap Opera, and contract-closing Schoolboys in Disgrace albums, the Kinks left RCA for Arista and what would be their most successful string of stateside albums. Under Clive Davis's direction, Ray returned to writing tighter pop songs, while brother Dave rediscovered the joy of simple power chords. This compilation of tracks from the band's Arista years gathers some of the decade's most contagious works, including "Catch Me Now I'm Falling," "Sleepwalker," "Superman," "Destroyer," Dave's "Living on a Thin Line," and the title track, whose roller-rink organ and music-hall nostalgia made the Kinks MTV heroes. Sure, "A Gallon of Gas" and the tub-thumping "Low Budget" slip into novelty terrain, but they're offset by a selection of revved-up live tracks ("Lola," "You Really Got Me"), wistful masterpieces ("A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy," "Misfits," "Don't Forget to Dance," "Good Day"), and the best working-class Xmas anthem ever ("Father Christmas"). All in all, a fine sampling of the Kinks' second coming. --Bill Forman