The Kinks

The Kinks. Now there's a band that doesn't always get the credit they deserve, and that's a cryin' shame. Formed in Muswell Hill, London in 1964, the Davies brothers — Ray and Dave — created a sound that was quintessentially English in a way nobody had managed before. Ray wrote about suburban life, village greens, and the peculiarities of Britishness. Dave just wanted to make a racket. Between 'em, they made magic.

You Really Got Me in 64 — that raw distorted guitar riff is the sound of hard rock bein' invented. Three chords and an attitude that influenced generations. Dave Davies sliced his amp speaker with a razor blade to get that sound. Proper scally behaviour. The Kinks were banned from performin' in the US for four years at their peak because of on-stage fights and general chaos. Missed out on the full British Invasion wave because of it. But the music they left behind is immaculate.

Waterloo Sunset, released in 67, is the perfect pop song. A portrait of London life — Terry and Julie meetin' at Waterloo Station — that captures the beauty of ordinary moments. Ray Davies at his absolute peak. And the album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society from 68 — I've got the original vinyl, it's one of my most treasured pieces. A concept album about a mythical disappearin' Englishness: tea, cricket, strawberry jam, village churches. Sold only about 15,000 copies on release. Now recognised as one of the greatest British albums ever made.

Lola in 70 — a song about a meetin' with a transgender woman, brave as anythin' for the time. 'Girls will be boys and boys will be girls.' Ray Davies was always ahead of the curve. The catalogue is deep — Sunny Afternoon, Dedicated Follower of Fashion, Tired of Waiting for You — songs that chronicle British life with wit, warmth, and a touch of melancholy.

The Kinks matter because they showed that British pop could be intelligent, ironic, and deeply strange. They were never the biggest band, but they might be the most English. And there's somethin' special about that.