The Kink Kontroversy is the third studio album by the English rock band the Kinks. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 November 1965 by Pye Records. Issued in the United States on 30 March 1966 by Reprise Records, it was the Kinks' first American album to feature an identical track listing to its British counterpart. It is a transitional album, with elements of both the earlier Kinks' styles (heavily blues-influenced songs such as "Milk Cow Blues" and variations on the band's power chord-driven hits from 1964 to 1965 such as "Till the End of the Day") and early indications of the future direction of Ray Davies' songwriting styles ("The World Keeps Going Round" and "I'm on an Island"). The liner notes were written by Michael Aldred.

Background

The album's title is a mocking reference to the notorious reputation the band had developed over the previous year, including onstage fights and concert riots in Europe, which led to a ban on the group's concerts in the United States. "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" makes several references and/or allusions to Beatles and Rolling Stones songs.

Release

The single "Till the End of the Day" was a major hit, reaching #8 in the UK and #50 in the US, spending eight weeks or more in each chart. American singer Bobby Rydell covered "When I See That Girl of Mine", which was released as a single in the US a full month before the Kinks' version was made public.

Reception

AllMusic praised the album as the Kinks' coming-of-age, commenting that their raw early material was being replaced by more thoughtful and sophisticated songs. They pointed out "I'm on an Island", "Where Have All the Good Times Gone", "Ring the Bells", "The World Keeps Going Round", and "I Am Free" as particularly strong examples of this.

Legacy

American indie rock band Sleater-Kinney used the same album cover layout as an homage for their 1997 album Dig Me Out.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ray Davies except where noted. Side one Side two

Personnel

According to band researcher Doug Hinman: The Kinks Additional musicians and production

Charts

Sources