Though it could be argued that they were the smallest of the British invasion’s big four, The Kinks still hold an influence on contemporary rock that proves just as strong as The Who or The ‘Stones.
Though it could be argued that they were the smallest of the British invasion’s big four, The Kinks still hold an influence on contemporary rock that proves just as strong as The Who or The ‘Stones. Unlike those stadium-storming dinosaurs, there’s next to no chance of a Kinks reunion tour of any sort, thanks to the brothers Davies being separated by enough acrimony to make the Gallaghers look like the Jonas Brothers.
See My Friends sees Ray sketch a musical family tree with the aid of an impressive selection of mostly A-list guests, tracing a diverse range of intergenerational branches back to the stem of Kinks classics. Each track undergoes a slight gentrification to accommodate each respective artist, resulting in a broad cross-section of most variations of rock genealogy.
While there is something for fans of metal, indie, folk, stadium, country, and whatever, the amalgamation of genres means being able to listen through the album without molesting the skip button proves a tough task. I mean, the Venn diagram for Spoon versus Bon Jovi fans probably looks more like an illustration of Pluto’s distance from the sun.
If the album is guilty of demographic box-ticking, it does so in the least cynical way possible. Each track is treated with the upmost reverence – with the exception of Billy Corgan’s mangled mash-up of All Day And All Of The Night and Destroyer (which was a remake of sorts of All Day, confusingly enough).
Mumford and Sons surprisingly sound the most Kinks-like on Days, Metallica don’t need to strain too hard to inject metal into the iconic riff on You Really Got Me, and upcoming British songstress Paloma Faith twists the gender-bending Lola.
Jackson Browne’s stripped back take on Waterloo Sunset is intoxicatingly perfect, and proves to be the standout track by far.
Though a literal representation of The Kinks’ lasting influence is hardly necessary (you need look no further than the ever-prevalent garage rock scene), See My Friends proves a refreshingly tasteful homage to one of the twentieth century’s most vital bands.
