Who's the Best British Rock Band? (Besides Beatles & The Rolling Stones)
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- #TheWho #TheKinks #1960smusic
The Beatles and the Rolling Stones are the undisputed giants of the British Invasion, but who’s third? Is it the Animals, Yardbirds, or the Dave Clark Five? Not quite. And bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd came later. The real contenders are The Who and The Kinks.
In this episode of Robert’s Record Corner, we dive deep into both legendary bands, comparing their hits, styles, and influence during the British Invasion (1964-1966). We also look at their landmark albums from 1969: The Who’s Tommy and The Kinks’ Arthur.
The Who gave us the anthems that defined classic rock radio, while The Kinks captured the essence of everyday life with a uniquely English touch. Which band had the greater impact?
And the answer ultimately for me is clear.
Tune in to explore their contributions, their rivalry, and their lasting legacy in rock music history!
(Note: I am aware that if I pick the Kinks, Who fans will be particularly upset. And if I pick the Who, Kinks' fans will shrug it off. They're used to snubs. Which I find endearing.)
Robert's Record Corner appears every other Monday. Hope you enjoy. Please like and subscribe. It's a huge help.
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Thanks everyone for the comments! For this video, I've defined "British Invasion" as bands that reached the USA in 1964 to 1966, so bands like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin etc were post-(First) Invasion. Seems fair enough? If you want to listen to some of the Kinks/Who songs DURING that 1964-66 timeframe, I made this Spotify playlist that is sequenced chronologically open.spotify.com/playlist/2HP9vjOIR1SuGaoSbDxA3E?si=f0851fcd55b44a48
Later Psychedelic bands like Pink Floyd were unfortunately classed British Invasion, when they came out too late for that, and were part of the Psychedelic boom that exploded later in the sixties, and out-fashioned most of the British Invasion.
@@RobertsRecordCorner okay that makes sense. However u went through there whole carrier so found that a little confusing. But probably me not listening 😁. And that being the case ,yeh the kinks makes sense. Consider the kinks beat the Who to the punch by best part of a year. And the Who didn't have hits in the USA unti. l 67 . So I think the Hollies are contenders there in that mid 60s period. Maybe not for song writing. But hits ,vocals, musicianship they are there abouts.
@@matthewashman1406 Hollies were awesome; I think they had the best vocals of the Brit Invasion. They also did really well in the UK. I wonder myself why The Moody Blues are not mentioned? They did not have many hits in the UK but many in the US and sold a boatload of albums in both countries.
@@theglavine sure yeh moodies were Great 👍. But I guess they didn't sell big till later on
The Who are the Who. But the Kinks? Man, they’re the KINKS.
More Kinks videos? More Kinks videos!
@@trott Yes! Thanks for watching senor.
Lyrically, Ray Davies is incredible. I prefer The Kinks over the Stones, the Beatles, and The Who. Ray has penned a huge catalog of amazing music.
And Peter Townshend hasn’t been prolific the last 60 years?
I sometimes prefer The Who, The Kinks and The Yardbirds over The Beatles and The Stones, although both of those bands made great material.
Love The Who, Love The Kinks but don’t forget The Small Faces, The kings of Cockney Rock!
Agree. The Small Faces were terrific but unfortunately down to dodgy management were not part of the USA invasion.
But the question was, “Who’s the best British band besides the Beatles and the Stones?” It didn’t mention the British Invasion of America.
@@georgecapote6374 He mentioned the British invasion in the opening sentence.
Yep!
The Kinks, denied from touring the U.S. for four long years, but you can't keep a good band down!
The Kinks …
I’ve seen them in London, England & Toronto … I saw Ray Davies do his solo theatrical show and several small shows with Ray fronting a new band playing Kinks music
The Kinks hands down. Ray Davies is on another level. Dig your channel.
@@tomrobinson5776 Thank you!
I gotta give the edge to The Kinks. That run of albums from Face to Face through Muswell Hillbillies is unmatched. The Who stepped it up with Tommy and their live performances, but Ray Davies songwriting muscle is second only to Lennon/McCartney in my opinion.
@@rsdemarco Agree about the run. Not sure any albums after Muswell quite reconnects with Ray's best. Though I enjoy it all. Thanks for watching
Third. Dylan is first
Ray is first in my opinion !
Ray Davies is a far superior Songwriter.
I'm a fan of both. I have all the albums of both bands (except the very latest one by the Who). And I think you nailed it. Over the decades, the Kinks have given us far more timeless songs-and there's more emotion and introspection in those songs: Oddly enough, I've never really liked "Waterloo Sunset" all that much, but there's so much more: "Days", "Shangri-La", "Animal Farm", "This Time Tomorrow", and on and on. Pete Townshend is a great, great songwriter, but even he didn't come up with "I miss the morning dew/Fresh air, and Sunday School".
@@PFNel Well said. I have also struggled to love Waterloo as much as everyone else. "Autumn Almanac" slays me. "Shangri-La" is probably my fav. Thank you for watching!
@@RobertsRecordCorner I was in the car with a friend, and "Autumn Almanac" came on (my iPod was set to play random songs). She hated it and said it should never even have been issued! Subjectivity - what are you gonna do? For me, the Kinks are third, and perhaps not even third ... but that depends very much on your definition of greatness. Which, of course, is a whole other discussion.
@@RobertsRecordCornerOh wow. Really disagree there. Waterloo Sunset is one of the greatest songs ever written in my view. Best single song of the 60’s, even allowing for all the Beatles magnificent songs.
I used to like Waterloo Sunset. But it has been played too often. So I stick to the rest of their catalog.
BOTH BRILLIANT.
@@23theseeker50 Undeniable!
The Who
I think even Pete Townshend would concede that The Kinks should go before them.
You're probably right....but I'd disagree with him. The Who was on a different level for me.
@@televinv8062 The two bands had their different strengths and weaknesses and it depends on what you value more, I'd say. Live the Who were untouchable but I like the Kinks' songs more.
@Scotttyist yes and it really comes down to personal preferences.
The Kinks in the studio and the Who live.
@@soldmeout Hard to argue
💯
My two favorite bands!! Tied for first!! Gotta have everything by these bands!!! Killer music 🎵
As far as the Kinks 70's concept records, Schoolboys in Disgrace is the best, some great rocking tunes and Ray's whimsical look back on Schooldays. Also the gem of The Great Lost Kinks Album of outtakes released in 1973 are beautiful songs like Lavender Hill, Till Death Do Us Part, Rosemary Rose, Misty Water, etc. songs most bands would die for. For me its 1. Kinks 2. The Who 3. Stones 4. Beatles, 5. Zombies, 6. Animals
Huge fan of the Lost Album. Must admit my favorite '70s concept album is a hybrid of Pres Act 1&2. Too much there, but my fav of the period is scattered on both. Thanks for your list!
Kinks or The Who? Impossible to decide.
God Save the Kinks! Well presented.
My top five is
The Beatles
The stones
The animals
The kinks
The small faces
The who
The yardbirds
The Spencer Davis group
Great list. I would add 9. The Hollies 10. The Troggs
The Pretty Things anyone? Emotions was a great underated album. Don't bring me down, Rossalyn, Midnight to six man, should have been bigger but too much competition!
Like them both. The Kinks are very underrated. I've never actually heard the album Aurthur. Maybe compare it more with Quadrophenia. A lot was changing in the UK people got toilets of their own not shared with others on the landing. The new council houses had a, cludgie with a sitting toilet and bath, bedrooms, hot water. I like the way Davies in a politically non partisan way highlights for him the good and bad in the break down of the old uk and empire. For me it's akin to asking who's better The Beatles or Bob Dylan?
You should give Arthur a listen. Great l.p.
Arthur is my fav Kinks album (and I do prefer Quadrophenia to Tommy fwiw).Thanks for commenting!
But there were also the Small Faces...?!
Yes but not British invasion. But then again neither are the who😮
@@matthewashman1406 The Who invaded; just charted low until 1966.
Pink Floyd. Traffic. Moody Blues. Genesis. Yes.
Yes? No, thank you.
I'm sorry, but your introduction is wrong.
The correct order is:
1. The Kinks
2. The Who
3. The Rolling Stones
4. The Beatles
No
To address the question of whether The Kinks or The Who was the better band, as opposed to which had the better catalogue of records, it's worth mentioning that Shel Talmy stated that he used session drummers with every band he produced, except The Who. All the Kinks early hits feature the brilliant Bobby Graham on drums instead of The Kinks' Mick Avory. Bobby came from a jazz background, which is why those early Kinks 45s have such a great groove. Keith Moon, on the other hand, is intrinsic to the sound of The Who.
@@johnthepickford Love Keith Moon. No one compares.
pink floyd
@@ajdc88 Great band. I consider them post-invasion, starting in 1967. I think the real "British Invasion" is 64-65, but I considered 66 too (once everyone was using sitars and clavichords and trumpets having gone to America and come back and ready to go post-R&B). idk! Thank you for watching.
Seen both bands The KInks and The Who personal I like The Who better than the Kinks. But both bands are very good.
Donovan
Pink Floyd
@@andrewbclinton A big one for sure. I didn't consider them because they started in 1967 after the main hub hub was over.
My third favorite is The Who, but the third best was the Hollies.
I like them both, but sometimes it is all The Who and other times it is all The Kinks.
the kinks
Strictly speaking songs you can make a very compelling case for the Kinks. Arthur is fine but didn’t have the cultural cache of Tommy( although to be fair , I prefer Village Green Preservation Society over both, Quadrophenia as well). But The Who get the edge in terms of performance, personality and stage presence. I love both bands, but ultimately it’s The Who for me. Besides, The Who has Live at Leeds
Who is this guy? An excellent exploration of the question. And a good argument for The Kinks. But for me it will always be The Who. I try to appreciate the Kinks but too often they leave me cold. This is all a matter of personal taste. I would not argue my point vs anyone on the other side.
(I'm Robert.) Thanks for watching!
100% Agree even though The Who were more popular with 100 Million records sold compared to The Kinks` 2 Million records,The Kinks were without a doubt better
The Kinks have sold over 50 Million records-check your sources..
Umm there definitely is a doubt 😊
Who only had 1 US Top 10 hit. The Kink's first three singles went Top 10. Herman's Hermits had 9 Top 10s in a row including a cover of the Kink's 'Dandy'. So as far as singles, The Kinks win in the US & UK. Kinks are said to have sold 50 million worldwide but the Who wins on albums. The caveat here is that the Kinks were banned for unprofessional behavior while the Who was allowed to use that as a schtick!
@@theglavine 50 Million Albums,singles or Records in General?
You Really Got Me peaked at # 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, not # 2.
You're right! Some times my "7" looks like a "2" in my notes! Argh. Thanks for the comment
A d what is with Small Faces????
Yep, The Kinks.
Pentangle
@@RootBoyJim Been listening to them lately!
had the tv show gone ahead the album would have betten tommy
the kinks.
In this context, Kinks. But overall Genesis.
THE WHO….absolutely….
Though you mention Herman's Hermits you forgot Freddie and the Dreamers which make the kinks and the who the 5th or 6th best band after the Hollies.
@@brucenenke-vk5nk I'll admit, I donny know Freddie! Thanks for watching. I will check them out.
@@RobertsRecordCorner Manfred Mann.
Beatles, Stones, Kinks & Who are 1st ballot R&R Hall of Famers; Freddie are never beens and Hollies are great and got in much later. Graham Nash inducted the Kinks in 1990, the same night as The Who went in!
@@theglavine Yes but did the Beatles have a dance, was there a 'Do the Beatle' or 'Do the Stone' yet Feddie and the Dreamers invited 'The Freddie' so there.
@@CIMAmotor Fox On the Run was a nice little bluegrass nugget by the original Manfred Mann. The lead singer of the Earth Band was fantastic and boy they did some great progressive rock covers; especially of Springsteen and Dylan (well original MM did too)!
GOD SAVE THE KINKS! But I love the Small Faces and the Zombies
@@mikeshadrick3243 I absolutely should have mentioned them!
@@RobertsRecordCorner Great, but Zombies had no chart success in the UK (did have a Holy Trinity of singles in US) and did not last long while Small Faces had little chart success in US or in the UK for that matter. I love them, but the list given is between the other 1st ballot R&R Hall of Famers besides Beatles and Stones; Who and Kinks. Think of this, Pink Floyd was not 1st ballot & Queen was something like the 6th ballot.
this "best" shit is boring and id going nowhere by now. How about "favorite"?
kinks...I am a fan since 64...your facts are wrong ....KINKS had the first concept album in 1968...Village Green Preservation Society! 700 songs in the kinks catalog with 20 new ones coming!
I see VG as more thematic than conceptual. There is no set story here. But, hey, if it gets another point for the Kinks, I'll take it! Thanks for watching.
Don't be rude, it's a very good video montage and a beautiful tribute to our favorites !
There were concept albums before either of those; I don't think it's so important who got what out the door. And yes, _Arthur_ very much tells a story, it was commissioned to do just that, after all.
Love The Kinks, but The Who (particularly from 1970 on ) were up on another level both live and on record via classics like Who’s Next & Quadrophenia.
@@stevejohnston8254 The '70s made the Who. The '60s made the Kinks. Maybe?
The Kinks should get the bronze medal. I liked The Who but I can hardly name any of their records and feel that after Tommy they got too `clever’.
Interesting in light of my recent discovery that the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks & Who were the British Invasion bands who made it into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame on the 1st Ballot. Led Zeppelin was the other 60s UK band to accomplish that feat. Fine bands like the Animals & Dave Clark Five performed great songs but were not generally known for great albums or songwriting and did not last; although the Animals had a psychedelic rebirth as Eric Burdon and the Animals! I'm a massive Kinks fans who thinks the Kinks songwriting craft speaks much more to everyday people than the Who; or even the Beatles. Would any famous rock star write a song like 'Only A Dream' about being a nerd afraid to approach a woman?
There's the Beatle and the rest. Why are we talking about the Stones? True, a very good band who had a handful of great singles in the 60s but not so many great albums until the very late 60s and early 70s. The Kinks are their equals, maybe even better than the Stones. Then there's the Clash, Led Zeppelin, the Small Faces, the Smiths, so many to choose from.
God Save the Kinks!!!! The Who are great, by God, no doubt about that. "Live at Leeds" is my favorite live album of all time. But you hit the nail on the head. The Who were singing about a pinball playing messiah. The Kinks were singing about a working class girl who buys a hat like Princess Marina. She'll never wear it Ascot, but she wears it while she's cleaning the stairs. And she is so proud of it. That is real life my friend, and making art of it, which is the greatest thing art can do. Both bands are great, but the Kinks....they are truly great.
If Ray Davies had done nothing else other than Waterloo Sunset he would go down as a legendary songwriter. And of course he did do so much more.😊
Just don’t forget that The Who had one of the worlds best drummer and bassist. And Pete did a pretty good job combining song writing, guitar work and stage performance. Adding revord sales and longivity, I vote for The Who.
Ok about the musical technique and live performances but Ray Davies songwriting is unrivaled.
Born 1955, I love both as I do with Beatles & Stones. It started with the Fab 4, followed by The Stones. Loved the Kinks until The Who released „Live at Leeds“ Couldn’t stop listening to it until „Who‘s Next“. Many prefer The Kinks - anyone is allowed to have his personal preferences.
Abbey Road & The White Album, above mentioned Who LP‘s and Dark Side of The Moon are my all time favourites.
Cheers and stay tuned
I think I prefer the Kinks but it's hard to choose. I also love The Zombies.
The KINKS of course ! But can I be objective as I am a Kinks fan since 1966 and I knew them personally ?
I used to run the Kinks French Konnektion in the years 1977-84 !
Thanks for this story, very fair analysis of the British invasion. Great video montage. Keep up the good job !
@@procol14 Thank you'd
IMHO The Kinks best album was 'Something Else' from 1967, Included besides Waterloo Sunset was Dave's Death of a Clown, I'm Not Like Everybody Else, David Watts, Two Sisters and Dave's Love Me Till the Sun Shines. The Kinks hit their stride on this album.
The Who is the greatest band of all time. They may not have sold as many albums as some of their contemporaries, but if you saw them in their prime or even today, you will know. They have made movies. They have been on Broadway. The have put out albums as early as 1965 and as late as 2020 and they all are great. If John Lennon had lived, maybe there would be competition for The Who.
Moody blues
I like both bands, but hard pressed I would choose The Who. They were a bit more mad and outrageous - and artsy.
Right at the beginning, when both bands mainly were singles bands, The Kinks might have the upper hand
The Who every day of the week! Love the Kinks as well, but The Who are legends!
Absolutely the kinks , plus no one on the who came close to the writing genius of Ray Davis.
The Stones are great, but the 2 greatest Rock 'n' Roll bands are The Beatles and The Who!
The Pretty Things, another band that didn’t do America, were definitely in the top tier of English bands. Plus, their S.F. Sorrow was the first concept album and it is better than Tommy or Arthur IMHO. Also, don’t forget about the Move.
Nice mentions. My favorite underrated UK band is the Creation. 40 songs that sound like freakbeat Who!
@@theglavine Love The Creation.
Dave Clark deserves immense credit for propelling his band to the forefront leadership of the British Invasion of America! The Dave Clark Five and The Beatles were the 2 giant bands the led the British Invasion. The Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermit's, The Who, The Animals, Searchers, and so forth, all trailed the Beatles & The DC5. Also, there's a certain Mr Ryan who had legally relinquished his writing credits via a deal with Dave Clark. Ryan made the deal with Mr Clark. However it seems in the last few years that Ryan has endlessly complained, whined and cried to anyone and everyone that he is not credited with songs he purportedly wrote but are credited to Dave Clark. Mr Clark has the legal right to claim writing credits to the songs. Fans of the many Dave Clark Five fan groups throughout the internet are quite sick and tired of hearing Mr Ryan's constant whining, b*tching and crying over any deal he made with Mr Clark.
Thank you, well said.
Thanks for this DC5 insight!
The Who every day of the week in every year and every decade.
Anyone who saw Kieth Moon knows it’s The Who
Quadrophenia puts an end to any questions
If you evaluate a band as a group of individuals playing together onstage as an entertaining unit, then I think The Who wins. If you evaluate a band by their recorded output and their original material, then I think The Kinks win out even over the Rolling Stones.
@@dannygreen1964 Well said!
The Who.
The Who!
Love them both but I'm going for the Who and they are still going
This is tough. I always thought the Kinks had an edge for songwriting, The Who for live shows, and a tie overall. I can't deny Entwhistle and Moon, so I give The Who a slight overall edge. The Kinks had a better catalog until Tommy, though.
At the time, I think the choice for rock bands would have been between 'The Who' and 'The Dave Clark 5' IMHO. The Kinks were a great band but more 'Mod' than Rocker. Although at the time the DC5 was second only to the Beatles.
From my musical standpoint I find both bands just not good. But Ray Davis - a terrible singer - was a real good songwriter and he knew a lot of different styles and managed to include them in his work. Whereas the Who were great in only one thing: destroying their instruments and amps, which is a terrible thing to do for every real musician. Townsend was always on the search for the fourth chord - like Status Quo - and was very undisciplined on stage. All in all I don´t like them.
The who
What a fantastic video have a great day also happy first week of fall ❤😊🎸🇺🇸🍂🏴🇬🇧
No need to watch this. Beatles, Kinks, Jam.....the rest. (I did watch the video all the same and quite good it is.)
Why does any of these bands have to be perceived as better than any other? Beatles, Stones, Hollies, The Who, The Pacemakers, The Kinks all had brilliant songs and albums. Some days I feel like hearing one band's album, some days it's another band's. Rating them is BS and a true music lover wouldn't try.
The Tremeloes had many top hits like The Kinks.... I was born in 1953, I love both Kinks and Who but my #3 and #4 are Moody Blues and Led Zeppelin, The Who is #5 and then Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, The Sweet...
Love both bands but definitely The Who for me! Also The Who just got so damn Big,, but The writing of both Ray Davies and Pete Townshend I'll put up against The Beatles and The Stones any day.
I love both but, hmmm. put a gun to my head & it's The Kinks. The Who were a better live band, but Ray's songs have a timeless social resonance that will outlive the slightly neurotic navelgazing of Townshend's work. Besides, I'm from Muswell Hill... you gotta go the local team.
The Kinks all the way! At their absolute best, they were certainly equal to, if not better than, the Beatles or the Stones. The Who had a lot of musical firepower, but I never found them particularly relatable beyond their first three albums. They lost me when they put out "Tommy" -- and the later Who just sounded turgid and bombastic to my ears. However, the Kinks' "Arthur" (released at the same time as "Tommy") was sheer brilliance -- a pinnacle of great British songwriting and muscianship.
The Who may be my favorite band ever. Largely because I was turning 13 when Who’s Next was released and it perfectly captured my male pre-teen/teen angst and energy. Yet I agree that defined as “British Invasion” band definitely The Kinks. And The Kinks are one of the most underrated bands ever
I appreciate both bands for various reasons. The Who to me anyway has a slight edge because they were featured at USA's Super bowl half time show and that's my marker if you really made it big in the world. I do like The Kinks 'Dandy' , 'Death of a Clown', 'Hatred' songs but overall I tend to play more music from The Who. Superb video.
SEPTEMBER 2024
Both of them for me, just love their music.
🇬🇧Ⓜ️🇬🇧🎼🎶🎵🎵🎵🎶🎤🎸🥁🎸🎹🎬📽️🎞️🎥🎧🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
The best live rock band I ever heard was The Who at the Village Theatre (later the Fillmore East) in NYC. This includes The Beatles who I saw on August 23, 1966, at Shea Stadium (terrible P.A., screams and all), The Stones a few times at Madison Square Garden, and the Byrds (not generally considered to be a great live band) who I saw at a local beach club in 1967
I’ve also seen Cream, Zep, Deep Purple, The Rascals, Badfinger, Procul Harem, Mountain, Queen, CSN&Y, The Moody Blues, Janis, Jimi, James Brown, and many more. All were great and I enjoyed their shows, but the energy and sound that The Who delivered eclipsed them all
The biggest charting single in the US between the Who and Kinks was actually Herman's Hermits cover of The Kink's 'Dandy' which hit #5 and was their 9th straight Top 10 hit. Well, unless you count the Doors 'Hello I Love You' which went #1 and was ruled by a UK court to be a copy of All Day and All of the Night. The Kink's have their own 5 Top 10 hits and can lay some claim to 2 'covers'. The Who has their single Top 10, 'I Can See For Miles' which charted at #9. Makes you wonder what the Kinks might have done if they had not been banned at the height of their creativity; heck, Sunny Afternoon was the #1 song in the UK in the summer of 1966 and I think would have charted higher than #14 in the US if the band could have actually made appearances in the US. Instead the Who finally caught on in America. If the Who had been banned similarly, they would have been a minor figure in the US like The Small Faces. As you can guess, I am a resounding The Kinks in this debate LOL!
The kinks are the biggest disappointment of the 60's...thought they were going to be good when they released "you really got me going", but they didn't develop at all. You can't mention them in the same breath as the beatles, the stones, the yard birds....even the hollies are more interesting. You can keep the kinks...not interested
The Who and Kinks are my two favorite bands! But, to choose one as a bigger invasion band, I pick The Who.
I think The Who are more spiritual, the Kinks are more about real life.
The Who are the best live band ever, and that has to count as well. Beatles and Stones can't touch The Who as a live band.
In the end, I love both bands and I will continue to listen and enjoy both equally!
I like what you said about being a misfit and the Kinks have a spot for you. I agree, but I also believe The Who represent the same thing. Quadrophenia is all about not fitting in and trying to find your place. I think that's why every Who fan is also a Kinks fan and vice versa.
Ray Davies has the definite edge in the songwriting department, no question. He will be immortalized for his songs. But each member of The Who is top of the class in regards to their instruments. Moon & Entwistle in particular are master Jedi level. And at their peak, no one could touch The Who for live performance. Look what they did to The Stones on the 1968 Rock N Roll Circus, devastating.
The Who Sell Out-1967,Tommy 1969, Who’s Next- 1971, Quadrophenia -1973. Any British band have a artistically productive 6 years like The Who had1967-73. All the time they were constantly touring. Do you want to compare the musicianship of The Who to The Beatles and Stobes. John Entwhistle VS Paul McCartney and Bill Wyman. Keith Moon VS Ringo and Charlie Watts. Peter Dennis Townshend VS John,George and Keith Richards.Did The LSO London Symphony Orchestra ever record a version of an album by The Beatles and The Stones like they recorded Tommy. Did The Beatles or The Rolling Stones play thei Rock Opera at The Metropolitan Opera House??!!
In my mind, the Kinks are # 1. Their stuff still stands up, while the Stones' (the 60s Stones I absolutely adore) are somewhat dated and problematic (the lyrics of "Brown Sugar" or "Under My Thumb?). The Beatles have been played to death so much that it is now hard to recognise their brilliance, and their oeuvre comes across as background music.
I love the Kinks and saw them in NYC in the mid 80's (Never got off my butt to go to a Who concert). The Kinks became great MTV performers. But I can't deny The Who the Bronze Medal.
The race might have ben a tie by the end of the 60's . I agree that through the 70's the Who pulled ahead (see "Live at Leeds"-May 1970). I agree that in the 80's the Kinks had better songs and videos. Maybe it's a tie?.....they do give 2 Medals in the Olympics when there's a tie.
As far as Monterey Pop goes...the Who had the bad luck to be following Hendrix. Their instrument destruction drama was a yawner to a crowd that had just been mesmerized by the Hendrix "Experience".
Great video, I have only just come across your channel. I agree that The Who and The Kinks were among the greatest British Invasion bands of the mid sixties. But easily up there with them were The Yardbirds, but who just didn't last as long. The Who were classed as one of the mid sixties British Invasion bands outside the States where they immediately exploded. But in the States, it was different, as they never exploded there until mid to late 1967, after Psychedelia exploded.
But I can tell you are from the States, as you showed a U.S. copy of the first album by The Who which had a much different cover to the UK release, and one track altered, their way out version of Bo Diddley's I'm A Man replaced by a Pete Townshend original, mistakenly titled Instant Party, and the order of the side two tracks slightly altered. You said it was issued in 1966, when it was released in the UK in December 1965, but issued in the States a few months later. You stated it was their only album until 1967, when their second album was issued in the UK in December 1966,, A Quick One, ridiculous title for an album. But that album was not released in the States until around mid 1967. By then, their really dreadful version of Martha And The Vandellas' Heatwave from the UK release, was sensibly replaced by the A side of their recent hit single Happy Jack for the U.S. release, and the whole album was very sensibly re-titled Happy Jack when released in the States. Just those two minor alterations completely polished the U.S. release.
Are you discussing the best or the most successful as they are not necessarily the same thing? The former being subjective and the latter factual. To me the best British band was Free. Out of your choice including the Beatles, Stones and Kinks - the most exciting band to watch was definitely The Who and that's not just subjective the energy they produced was second to none. I've seen all these bands live except the Beatles. I was surprised that you didn't include Led Zepelin or Deep Purple or even the Jimi Hendrix Experience as they were all British bands - is it because you're only talking about 60's bands though your title implies otherwise?
First assumption is wrong. Other than Mick Taylor, none of the Stones could have played for The Who. So, turned this off at the one-minute mark. No credibility to any interpretations of music.
Oh dear. Just one thing. The Kinks were a great live band. Ray Davies was a great frontman. I'm not saying The Who weren't as good live, but they certainly weren't better. The Kinks were more theatrical in their live shows. So really, they were different.
The Kinks! Though Village Green is not thought of as a concept album, there is a unified vibe about it, much like Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper, or Kate Bush’s The Dreaming, for example, where it seems like more than *just* a collection of great songs.
I saw them in1974 at the Felt Forum which was adjacent to Madison Square Garden, and was a relatively more intimate venue. My friend and l managed to get right up to the front of the stage ( from which, after the show, l was able to snatch one Ray’s empty Coors cans).
They previewed the wonderful Mirror of Love, with Ray using a framed mirror to reflect a purple spotlight back at the audience. Such a great show. My friend and l used our ticket stubs to get into the second show, and back down again to the front!
I saw them again about 6 months late, performing Preservation Act Two, which I loved … and it was, sadly, awful. Awful because Ray had all these other folks singing the parts of the various characters! But those prior shows (along with Jethro Tull in ‘73 at MSG) are the magical standouts of my concert-going history.
God save The Kink Kronikles!
Love the Kinks but c'mon...THE WHO! The Have The Best drummer in Rock! the Best Bassist! arguably the Best Front man and lead guitarist!