The Kinks: In Performance [With Book]

Officially established in 1963 in London, England, The Kinks (formed by Ray Davies and Dave Davies, along with several others) never touched the heights of musical experimentation graced by The Beatles or the "bad boy" image of the Stones, but sported a more deeply-rooted Britishness that the music of those other bands always lacked - one that showcased influences by English music hall and English folk (in fact, the group began as a skiffle ensemble). Early on, the band's popularity shot up into the stratosphere, but events took an odd turn when the American government - for some bizarre and unknown reason - banned the group for four years (or roughly, from 1965-68). Perhaps as a result, Kinks songs and performances dramatically matured, and its lyrics deepened. New Kinks albums - and, occasionally, rock operas - continued to surface over the years, with varying degrees of success, and the band frequently changed labels, from Reprise to Rhino to Arista to Velvel to MCA and Columbia; its membership also shifted frequently, with the two Davies brothers remaining constant. Now, after this incredible career that spans almost half a century, the home video release The Kinks: In Performance provides an in-depth critical overview of the band's stylistic shifts and its musical accomplishments over the years. The program overlays incisive commentaries from such notables as Ray Davies publicist Keith Altham and Kinks biographer Johnny Rogan, atop extremely rare in-concert footage of the band culled from film and television archives.