Search - Kinks :: Lola versus Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One

"Strangers On This Road We Are On, We Are Not Two We Are One

Robert I. Hedges | 07/30/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Lola versus Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One" is a rock landmark, and by far the best Kinks album of all time. The album is extremely varied in songwriting style, all overshadowed by the legendary monster single "Lola" (which certainly is great), but as much as I love Ray Davies' songs and album concept, my favorite Kinks song is Dave Davies' hauntingly beautiful "Strangers", a song that is angst-laden and genuinely touching without feeling preachy or stilted. It's an absolutely perfect piece of music, and by itself justifies buying this album and giving it a five star rating.



I love the variations in songwriting style reinforcing central themes of love and individualism in a technologically speeding society, but all the songs stand on their own merits: of the fourteen songs, the only one I am not especially fond of is "Denmark Street", which means this is an amazingly consistent album. I generally prefer the uptempo Kinks' tracks (which, again, emphasizes how truly great "Strangers" actually is), and on this CD they don't disappoint. Starting off with "The Contenders" the band demonstrates their proficiency for great rock; likewise "Rats" and "Powerman" are also thematically consistent and especially well-executed. In the middle of the bunch is the sultry classic "Lola" which really does justify the airplay it has received over the years. On the other end of the spectrum "Strangers" and "A Long Way From Home" show that the band knows how to turn down the volume and pace and still make musical magic.



"Lola versus Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One" realizes Ray Davies' ultimate need for a conceptual album where the individual songs really do combine synergistically into something greater than the components, but where the songs are still viable outside the greater context of the album. If you can own only one Kinks album, or you are just starting to listen to the band, this should definitely be the album you buy. Despite the needlessly unwieldy album title, I could not recommend "Lola versus Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One" more highly."