Search - Kinks :: UK Jive

Fine Latter Day Kinks

Moldyoldie | Motown, USA | 03/01/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Many fans lament that this album marks the beginning of the end for the group. Well, I'm a latter-day fan and I couldn't believe I could get this so cheaply (via on-line auction with postage & handling twice the price of the CD!) UK Jive has some really fine tunes to please any Kinkophile...plus really cool cover art.
"Aggravation" finds Ray Davies erupting lyrically with an onslaught of cathartic lava. Never heard him like this before. I know the feeling.
"How Do I Get Close" displays a heartfelt sentiment but is musically uninteresting.
"U.K. Jive" coulda woulda shoulda been a hit. Lots of fun.
"Now and Then" seems to rue progress to the extent that social and political growth creates conflict. Sorry, Ray. If we all grew and progressed at the same rate it would be an awfully boring world. I appreciate what you're trying to say, but true love and friendship emanates from the human heart, not the land.
"What Are We Doing" asks a lot of seemingly rhetorical questions. What's your point, Ray?
"Entertainment" is an example of why I love the Kinks. To utter a moldy cliche, I can relate. Having recently retired from local television, there was a time at the beginning of my career when I thought TV was something to which to aspire. I'm not sure I could say that today. One of the reasons is laid bare in this song. Plus, there's a great Dave riff to establish and drive the song along. Love it!
"War is Over" has a melody right out of the '60s! Yes, the war IS over. Let's not keep fighting it, but let's not forget it either.
"Down All the Days (To 1992)" couldn't have been more prophetic. From an American perspective, it actually makes me yearn for the Clinton years. I'd be interested in a European's take on this song. Also, there's an interesting nod to Van Halen in the keyboard playing. But who should be paying homage to whom? ;-)
"Loony Balloon" has to be one of the great Ray Davies tunes. I can't get it out of my head! I'm singing it in the shower, in the car, in my sleep...what more need be said?
"Dear Margaret" probably should best be commented on by a Brit. On the musical side; Dave riffs, rocks, and rants with real conviction.
"Bright Lights" is a great Dave rocker.
"Perfect Strangers" is nice filler, but the song and sentiment sound too generic.
All in all, any Kinks Kompletists in the audience might be finding themselves returning to this album more than they anticipate. At this price you shouldn't be shy, just be sure to haggle a little on the postage & handling. :-)"

A good album that could have been better.......

G. Eggens | 08/01/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I had high expectations when UK Jive was released in 1989. It was the groups' 25th anniversary and they had just been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Together with the release of a new album I was hoping that it would give the waning popularity of the group a boost. When I first heard the album I knew this wasn't going to be the case. In fact, this was the very first time I was really disappointed in a new Kinks album.

Over the years I've grown to appreciate the album for what it is but sometimes I wonder how the reception would have been if Ray Davies wouldn't had made some last minute changes to the tracklist.

For instance, ENTERTAINMENT originally was not intended for release on UK Jive. The track was recorded in 1981 during the sessions of what would become 'Give The People What They Want'. In 1983 the track almost made it onto an early version of 'State Of Confusion'. Why was this 8 year old song added to the tracklist? The Kinks had recorded a fine song called THE MILLION-POUND-SEMI-DETACHED for UK Jive. The track was so good that it was also to become the opening track and the title of the album. Davies suggested to LONDON Records that he wanted to make some kind of extended promo/short film with 'MILLION' as leitmotiv but the record company did not want to shell out the kind of money Davies thought he needed for the film.

Enraged with the decision LONDON confronted him with he decided to pull the track off the album, reshuffle the remaining songs, replaced the casualty with an 8 year old remixed track and retitle the album into UK Jive. Kinks fans interested in how good 'MILLION' in fact is should try to get their hands on The Singles Collection from Castle/Essential which has a nice bonus disc called 'Waterloo Sunset - The Songs Of Ray Davies'. Listen to that and imagine UK jive opening with that!

For the remainder of the album I have to add that it would have been nice to spread Dave's three songs more evenly over the album instead of tagging them onto the tail end as some kind of Dave corner and I think the album could have done without WHAT ARE WE DOING. Some fans will wonder if that might have been the only correct album title for this collection of tracks after reading my review......"