Um, how exactly is this guide “complete”? The latest studio album represented is Word of Mouth, despite the fact that they released 3 subsequent studio albums.

Not that I was surprised to discover the content of those snippets (emphasis on “snip”), but you’d think they’d assign someone to the task that actually likes The Kinks’ music. But I guess my passe and seeming “it’s all good” fandome would appear quaint to anyone working for Rolling Stone. I guess it’s too much for me to hope that someone on this planet in such a position would have the balls to just unequivocally love something. I’m not asking for an uncritical hagiography – but it would be nice if the author were more concerned about exploring what’s to appreciate about someone’s work (like The Kinks) instead of being too worried about appearing to have “critical distance” by slighting the vast majority of the catalogue. Endemic of our times, no less. The review comes off as too cautious and non-committal on the off-chance someone who reads it actually decides to accuse the author of being a Kinks fan. What? Not me – I wouldn’t be caught dead spinning a copy of Sleepwalker! I’m cool – I like The Strokes. My advice: don’t bother reviewing it – you have nothing of value to add so just ask your editor for another assignment.

I think The Kinks are & always will be essential listening. But I wouldn’t touch a single one of their post-reprise lps. Although Ray’s last and current solo lps are quite fine.

This guy is awful. He just rags on every single album. His Complete Guide isn’t very complete considering it only has one side… a bad side.