Recently discussing the life and times of The Kinks in interview with The Independent, Ray Davies said the following when asked if that much rumored reunion was still possibility: “No, but I will continue to play with ex band members like [Kinks drummer] Mick Avory from time to time. With Dave, a lot of it is psychological. I’ll guide him in, and coerce and nurture him, and when the time is right I suppose I’ll even shout at him again. I’m an Alex Ferguson-type motivator – I’m not a great producer like Lou Adler or Phil Spector.”
And, like that, the year of rumors, and writing, becomes frivolous.
In case you need reminding, the band propelled the ‘60s with an avant garde knack for weaving poetry into some of the best riffs heard even today. Among company such as Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, and our own modern guitar hero, Derrick Trucks, the Kinks was able to bypass even future generations with songs like, “You Really Got Me,” and “Waterloo Sunset” to engrave the revered place of legendary status.
Regardless of forlorn history between brothers/bandmaters Ray and Dave – which any fan of the Kinks both loathes and reveres – the band stuck together throughout some its darkest hours, including breakups and the Davies brothers notorious sibling quarrels. But with Dave Davies’ stroke in 2004, the band has put off a most anticipated reunion, setting aside the promise of a new album. According to Ray, Dave is still recovering, however, is still unable to join the rest of the band – one of the main reasons a reunion currently falls into the “no” category.
On the bright side, we have renowned video director, Julien Temple’s feature film based on the band to look forward to (via Rolling Stone), but just like the Kinks’ pledge to reunite, we are left with the mystery of a definite release date for the biopic. Perhaps celluloid is the best way to mythologize the band whose career has spanned more than four decades and has influenced a countless number of musicians. So, all is not lost.
