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Was heavy rock born 50 years ago? The Kinks' You Really Got Me was released on August 4, 1964.
Telegraph UK ^ | 11:35AM BST 04 Aug 2014 | By Neil McCormick, Rock Critic

Posted on 08/05/2014 12:43:42 PM PDT by a fool in paradise

...You Really Got Me delivered something very different. It is taut but increasingly hysterical, hard driven and explosive, an out-and-out rocker. It is more riff than song. And what a riff. It consists of just two power chords, three strings of the guitar, sliding up and down over two frets, striking five times in three beats of the bar then restarting after the fourth beat. It has a feeling of being chopped off in its prime and constantly restarted, spluttering like a motorbike getting ready to race, a jerky, stop-start quality that creates an incredible sense of urgency.

It was their third single for Decca, and after two flops, everyone knew this was make or break. Ray wrote the song, influenced by the riffs of American blues, and was the driving force in the studio. In the days when recording sessions tended to last about as long as it took to play the song once, Ray rejected several early takes, insisting on re-recording it to try and capture his band’s live energy. He was unhappy with the slow, bluesy tempo and kept urging the band to play faster....

Released on August 4, 1964, You Really Got Me crept up the charts for a month before eventually giving the Kinks their first number one. Heavy rock, as we think of it now, took a few more years to get a grip, and it wasn’t really until the last years of the decade that it became almost the definitive sound of a more adult popular music. The Who blatantly imitated The Kinks on their classic Talmy produced debut, I Can’t Explain, in 1964. The Rolling Stones fuzzy riff (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction appeared in 1965....

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: kinks; rockandroll; thekinks; youreallygotme
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To: yellowdoghunter

My first husband really liked “Mississippi Queen” by a group called Mountain back in the day-we used to go sit in the car in the driveway late on Saturday nights so as not to wake up the kid playing tapes and doing other stuff...


61 posted on 08/05/2014 3:19:38 PM PDT by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: Texan5

Mississippi Queen is on my iPod. You just have to change the song when it gets to the crappy middle part.


62 posted on 08/05/2014 3:24:45 PM PDT by Clint N. Suhks ( Laughter is the best medicine, unless you have diarrhea.)
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To: Texan5

I know Mississippi Queen....good song and story...LOL!


63 posted on 08/05/2014 3:34:43 PM PDT by yellowdoghunter (Welcome to Obamastan! (Mrs. Yellowdoghunter))
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To: yellowdoghunter
The best opening guitar riff EVER is from Sweet Child O’ Mine.

It's certainly up there with the greats. Although "Sweet Home Alabama's" is pretty sweet. And "Smoke on the Water." And "Goin' Up Around the Bend." And ...

64 posted on 08/05/2014 3:36:06 PM PDT by IronJack
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To: a fool in paradise

Does Mr. Rock at least have a legitimate birth certificate? (they only cost $10)


65 posted on 08/05/2014 3:41:13 PM PDT by faithhopecharity ((Brilliant, Profound Tag Line Goes Here, just as soon as I can think of one..))
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To: vetvetdoug

Yep, Leo


66 posted on 08/05/2014 3:51:50 PM PDT by D Rider
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To: Minsc
I’m not so sure. I thought the Rolling Stones “Satisfaction” was the first song that used a fuzz box. Strangely enough Richards only used one on one other song and otherwise plays straight.

The first use of a fuzz guitar was Marty Robbins "Don't Worry" from 1961, produced by an accident in the studio when a tube in the amp blew during the recording. Marty liked it so much he kept it in the song.

67 posted on 08/05/2014 3:58:04 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono (NRA)
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To: Clint N. Suhks

I have it on one of the CD’s I take in the 4Runner to listen to on the way to and from jobsites.


68 posted on 08/05/2014 4:09:33 PM PDT by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: yellowdoghunter

Good times-young, just out of college with new jobs, first house and a little cub-about 8 years later, when we moved to a new house, we were unpacking and arranging our stereo stuff, tapes and records and we found a doobie in the bottom of a box of tapes. When the kid went to a slumber party the next weekend, we bought a bottle of wine, turned on a blacklight in the living room, cranked up the stereo and lit up-it was much improved with age, or maybe we were just out of practice...


69 posted on 08/05/2014 4:22:21 PM PDT by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: faithhopecharity
Does Mr. Rock at least have a legitimate birth certificate?

Why yes...yes I do.

70 posted on 08/05/2014 4:57:31 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: Texan5

You mean there was a time when parents would be discreet when they wanted to occasionally have a little fun?....LOL!


71 posted on 08/05/2014 5:01:46 PM PDT by yellowdoghunter (Welcome to Obamastan! (Mrs. Yellowdoghunter))
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To: ROCKLOBSTER

Oh heck! I guess that means you can’t run for President ....


72 posted on 08/05/2014 6:16:01 PM PDT by faithhopecharity ((Brilliant, Profound Tag Line Goes Here, just as soon as I can think of one..))
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To: newfreep

“Peter & Gordon’s cover of “I Go To Pieces””

The best Peter and Gordon song ever, I think I was a sophomore or junior in high school. The period from 1964 thru the early 70’s was the best music of all time>


73 posted on 08/05/2014 9:04:02 PM PDT by longhorn too
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To: a fool in paradise

in a gadda da vida


74 posted on 08/06/2014 8:04:42 AM PDT by ops33 (Senior Master Sergeant, USAF (Retired))
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