The Kinks

The Kinks may be the all-time most underrated band, followed perhaps by Tesla.

Their songs are well-crafted, equal or better than similar stuff put out by the Beatles, with a lyrical viewpoint which puts them (in my view) above at least Paul McCartney. While the Beatles wrote some brilliant pop songs, their lyrics - though good - weren't the sort of stuff that would make you really sit up. Apart from some of Lennon's stuff.

In any case, this is a question to be asked - why did the Kinks never get the success that the Beatles did? Two reasons I think (a) they weren't as good looking; (b) most of their songs have an undeniable bitterness and cynicism to it, all this tempered by a good sense of humour, to sort of lessen the pain.

For example, here's Sunny Afternoon:

The tax mans taken all my dough,
And left me in my stately home,
Lazing on a sunny afternoon.
And I cant sail my yacht,
Hes taken everything Ive got,
All Ive gots this sunny afternoon.

Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze.
I got a big fat mama trying to break me.
And I love to live so pleasantly,
Live this life of luxury,
Lazing on a sunny afternoon.
In the summertime
In the summertime
In the summertime

My girlfriends run off with my car,
And gone back to her ma and pa,
Telling tales of drunkenness and cruelty.
Now Im sitting here,
Sipping at my ice cold beer,
Lazing on a sunny afternoon.

Help me, help me, help me sail away,
Well give me two good reasons why I oughta stay.
cause I love to live so pleasantly,
Live this life of luxury,
Lazing on a sunny afternoon.
In the summertime
In the summertime
In the summertime

Ah, save me, save me, save me from this squeeze.
I got a big fat mama trying to break me.
And I love to live so pleasantly,
Live this life of luxury,
Lazing on a sunny afternoon.
In the summertime

Incidentally, this song bears a little resemblance to Green Day's virtually unknown masterpiece Misery, in that they share the same attitude to life I guess.