🎧When the Needle Drops, Landscapes of Yesteryear - Pt. 2: The First Roar Sounded by The Kinks
This is "Foxtrot," a coffee shop where music lovers from the neighborhood naturally gather.
Under the guidance of Kazuhiko, the master who loves UK rock, Ami, an aspiring copperplate printmaker, and Yukihiro, a music magazine writer and friend since junior high, occasionally stop by to engage in quiet yet passionate music discussions over records and coffee.
The Kinks, "Kinks" (1964)
The Storm of British Beat
Ami "Yukihiro-san, what album did the master choose for today?"
Kazuhiko "This one, the Kinks' debut album, 'Kinks.' It came out in 1964; it's their origin point."
Yukihiro "Oh, that brings back memories. At the time of its release, the Beatles and the Stones were in their prime, and the Kinks were latecomers. But they were firmly riding the storm of the 'British Beat.' The sound coming from the radio was just so fresh."
Ami "The name 'Kinks' alone is unique, isn't it? It has a slightly eccentric ring to it that stays in your memory."
Kazuhiko "Exactly. In fact, the music is raw and straightforward. R&B covers like 'Beautiful Delilah' or 'So Much in Love' have a momentum that doesn't lose to the Liverpool bands. Rather than originality, it's more about just unleashing their impulses."
Yukihiro "And the highlight of this album is definitely 'You Really Got Me.' There's a theory that Jimmy Page played on the session, but regardless of the truth, the impact of that fuzz guitar was huge. It's a track that opened a new door for British rock."
Ami "That is truly cool. It's simple but powerful, and it draws you in immediately. It feels like the roots of modern rock."
Kazuhiko "Ami, your ears are developing too. That song holds the energy that leads to punk and hard rock. Ray Davies' sense for writing riffs was already outstanding at this point."
The Path the Kinks Paved
Yukihiro "This album doesn't yet show much of the 'satire and storytelling' they would display later. But because of that, the band's 'youth' and 'roughness' are laid bare. That's exactly why those who heard it in real-time were shocked."
Kazuhiko "That's true. Compared to the lyrical style of later works like 'Arthur' or 'The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society,' the early days were really about a band pushing with guitar riffs. The fact that this was their first step is something you can't overlook when talking about their career."
Ami "When I draw, my initial sketches are often just driven by momentum; I wonder if this album is like that. It's not a finished form yet, but it has a charm that only exists there."
Yukihiro "That's a good analogy. In both music and art, the initial impulse has a special power. The guitar riff of 'You Really Got Me' sounded exactly like it was shouting, 'This is what rock is.'"
Kazuhiko "And think about how much it influenced the lineage of guitar rock that followed. You can tell by the fact that Van Halen covered it and made it a huge hit. The shock felt by the youth of the 60s was passed directly to the rock of the 70s and beyond."
Ami "I see... So when you and Yukihiro-san were digging through used record stores in your youth, you encountered this album too."
Kazuhiko "Of course. I still remember the excitement the moment I picked up the jacket. It was a cheap record, but when I got home and dropped the needle, the room was instantly filled with heat. It felt as if the stage had appeared right in front of me."
Yukihiro "Back then, we were just listening with all our hearts. Before we could act like critics, our bodies were reacting on their own. The Kinks' first album is packed with that 'primitive power.'"
Ami "I can understand that feeling a little. I don't have much knowledge yet, but when I listen to this album, my heart gets restless just like when I'm drawing, and I want to move my hands. It has that kind of stimulation."
Kazuhiko "That is the essence of rock. Listening to music and having your heart and body moved. The Kinks' 'Kinks' is the record that captured that impulse most vividly."
Next time...
■ Characters
Kazuhiko: 52 years old. Master of the coffee shop "Foxtrot." Knowledgeable about UK rock and a record collector.
Ami: 26 years old. Waitress and aspiring copperplate printmaker. An art school graduate whose dream is to hold a solo exhibition. She started becoming interested in music through the master's influence.
Yukihiro: 52 years old. A music magazine writer and Kazuhiko's best friend since junior high school. He drops by the cafe occasionally to drink black coffee.
*The name of the cafe "Foxtrot" is derived from the Genesis album of the same name.