Comments for Kinks, the, Misfits

Trying again! Though Ray Davies had sworn off concept albums when he left RCA, this second album for Arista could easily qualify as one. Most of the songs are about misfits of one sort or another: allergy sufferers, tax exiles, cross- dressers and so on. Meanwhile, Live Life and Get Up offer advice to this sort of downtrodden character. Only Trust Your Heart, written by brother Dave, fails to fit the theme. All in all, this is probably my favorite album from the Arista years.

Not one of the strongest Kinks albums, but worth the price for Dave''s "Trust Your Heart", a high point for him and a glimpse of what was to come on his first solo LP. Brother Dave certainly does''t wear his heart on his sleeve!

Though Ray Davies swore off concept albums when the Kinks signed with Arista, their second album with the new label could easily be considered one. The difference is that this is an open-ended, thematic concept, as opposed to something like Soap Opera, which had a strict story line that could be limiting. Almost all the songs here are about misfits of some sort: allergy sufferers, tax exiles, cross-dressers, and what have you. Two songs -- Live Life and Get Up -- offer advice to this type of downtrodden character. The only song that doesn`t really fit the "concept" is Trust Your Heart, written by brother Dave. All in all, a very enjoyable mix, and probably my favorite from the Arista years.