Comments for Kinks, the, Phobia

Despite the high hopes of Columbia and Ray Davies, this album was a definite flop. I suppose as a result of that, the Kinks and many of their fans seem to have taken the attitude that it was a poor effort, doomed to failure from the beginning. But it's hard to see why. I think Scattered is one of the most moving songs in the Davies catalog, and that's saying something. Then there's Still Searching, Only a Dream, Hatred, Somebody Stole My Car... I think it's their best since Word of Mouth.

Bad backup from the recordcompany made this long waited for and superb record a flop. It is the best record made of a band surviving from the sixties.

How did this album get overlooked? Quite apart from great songs like "Scattered" the album features some more playful efforts like "Only A Dream" that remind me of the small tales Ray so often spun on earlier albums.

It is true that Phobia has sold the least well of all Kinks albums since Sleepwalker, perhaps before then, but the reasons have been outlined above. Critics were none too kind about the album, but the last album that critics said a nice word about was Muswell Hillbillies in 1971. This album, to me, is their finest work since then. A few of the American riffs on some songs seem a little cliched, perhaps, but at 78minutes long, there's a easily a whole album of its best moments. The important thing, is that it doesn't contain any of the lyrical cringes that dog albums of the late-70s and 80s. Scattered and Did 'Ya are the first songs of this period that dare to recapture much of the style of 60s Kinks work that Davies, and most people, to be fair, hold to be his best. This could be seen a testimony to the quality of these two songs. The nearest is perhaps 'Now and Then' from UK Jive. Here, the distance and ambiguity of Davies' earlier work is once again prominent, rather than the directness of later songs. "To the fields we are scattered, Then from the dust we born We survive somewhat battered To a new life, a new dawn. In the end, what will it matter, There'll only be my ashes to scatter, And all the logical answers to a worrying mind Will be scattered in time" Did 'Ya, unlike many of the later society rants, holds back Davies' passion in a lighter sound and focusses it in some particularly strong lines: "Did ya ever think when thinks were really fab That we'd be looking through a dustbin for a dog-end to drag, Sleeping on park-benches wrapped in plastic-bags, Ah, baby." The developing chorus is also one of the most original and catchy, in the vein of their 60s work, that Davies has written for many years. 'Still Searching' is touching in the same way that 'Misfits' or 'Don't Forget To Dance' were, and 'The Informer' is a subtle, ambiguous song, that does not really belong to any age of the Kinks. Its music is in the later ballad-style, though far slower and more sensitive; but its lyrics are not quite like anything he has written before. The American-style society-rants aren't particularly different from those of recent years, but the lyrics are stronger and the musical range does not require Davies to strain his somewhat diminished vocals, which perhaps is the only reason the Kinks didn't make it bigger in the 80s. 'Don't'; a song which captures the scene of a man standing on the ledge of tower block from the perspective of the crowd that gathers in the street below, urging him "Don't look down"; is one of the strongest of these, while 'Phobia' is perhaps the finest attempt Davies has made at a rock song divorced from his perrenial concerns since, and in the same eerie way, as 1977's 'Full Moon'. It's a crying shame that the album was over-looked - there are weak tracks 'Hatred (A Duel)' and 'Surviving', but in 'Hatred's case, and to some extent in 'Surviving', the problem is over-length rather than anything else. But it is an album that sees the Kinks back on top form after the often cliched and cringe-making UK Jive and boding well for new solo and band releases in 1996.

In my opinion, this is the one of the best Kinks albums of all time and for me, that is saying a lot. With the exception of the title song, these are some of Rays' best songs in many years. It's too bad things didn't work out with Columbia, but judging from this album, we can look forward to more great Rock and Roll from Ray and Dave

the title track rocks,a very consistent album

I think that Phobia is an excellent album. So I don't understand all this criticism. RAY and DAVE did a fantastic job. Just me: Roy van Eijk from Holland

It's all true. Phobia was great and the critics were all wrong. Just listen for yourself. If you've been into the Kinks for a long time, or feel you h

I think the critics were a little harsh on this album too. I liked this album alot when i first bought in 1993 at age 13. I heard it is more hardrocking then their few previous albums. It has alot of great songs like "Over The Edge", "Hatred", "Babies", "Drifiting Away", and "Scattered." It is a fine album and very typical of Ray..not one of their best but very satisfying. Hopefully they will record another album in the 90's....thats all i can say.

I agree with most of the above. Great album!

Yes indeed. A great album but a little bit overproduced. "Wall Of Fire" is a great rock-song with extraordinary Dave-guitarwork. "Drift Away": overproduced. The riffs drown in the sound wall. "Don't": Very sensitive song: my favourite track on Phobia. Back in '93 "Radio-CD" (former Austrian radio station) played the single "Scatterd" nearly every day for a month or so. Unbelievable! "Hatred" is very good rock again with excellent Dave-guitar. Ray at his best on "Still Searching" and "Phobia". I love that album although the commercial success stayed away.

I actually read some good reviews of this album (Rolling Stone Magazaine) Hatred had some good FM airplay and it''s a shame it never really caught on because I think it was their best since State of Confusion. I though "Somebody Stole My Car" was a fun song to listen to could have been a hit. Sure it was silly, but so was Superman and that worked out just fine. The Informer is a song I listen to over and over trying to figure out what it was really about.

Superb, obscure recent release from one of rocks` most durable, consistent bands. Ray davies again show he can pen a fine tune with jems such as scattered and Drift Away. The album starts out extremly forceful and blends that energy with some slower more sentimental songs reminiscent of Kinks classics like waterloo Sunset. My only compaint might be that at 60 minutes long the album is a bit unfocused at times, but that is a compaint I`ll live with from any band.

Phobia is the greatest record ever !!!!!!! forget all what you read about it, it is definitive an outstanding superb album. THANK YOU RAY

THANK YOU DAVE

IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THAT PHOBIA RECORD , THAN YOU ARE A POOR BASTARD THE LYRICS ARE SOOO SPECIAL AND THE MUSIC IS....WWOOOOOWW!!! that record is the best OF ALL TIMES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!