Kinks Reunion? Kolor Us Kautiously Optimistic

Are The Kinks finally, really getting back together? According to the man himself, Ray Davies, they really are – in fact, he says they’ve been working on new material in the studio. “I think it’s kind of an appropriate time to do it,” Davies, 74, told the BBC’s Channel 4 News. “The trouble is, the two remaining members, my brother Dave and [drummer] Mick [Avory], never got along very well. But I’ve made that work in the studio and it’s fired me up to make them play harder, and with fire… I’ve got some very Kinks tunes in my head.”

This is great news! At least, I think it is. I mean, it could suck, too. People tend to forget how bad those last couple of Kinks albums for MCA and Columbia were, if they even remember them at all. But then again, both of Ray’s Americana albums with The Jayhawks (the second, Our Country: Americana Act II, has just been released) have been pretty wonderful, as was Dave’s 2017 album with his son Russ, Open Road. So… let’s approach this with kautious optimism, shall we? As for any sort of tour, for the time being Ray’s playing it coy, quipping that “The Kinks will probably play in the local bar.” Oh, to be a local at whatever London pub that may be…