Lifelong Kinks fan. Knew You Really Got Me and All Day All of the Night as a young kid but the game changer was this album (Muswell Hillbillies). Never looked back (and yes Kinks reference intenional).
Muswell Hillbillies was a great concept, great writing, but the way the record “sounds” - it has this gritty yet melodic sound that I just love.
The concept is multilayered. It’s a play on the Beverly Hillbillies. It’s a British take on American C & W but not a literal take. It’s autobiographical. And it’s anti urban renewal. And it’s populated by all these special Rau Davies characters.
And it has the only song by a British Invasion band that mentions a member of the Partridge Family. [Shirley Jones, in “Oklahoma USA”]
Bought Just about everything they ever released . Saw them in CT with the Beach Boys , Flo & Eddie and The Doors in the early 70’s . They sucked . It was the era of girl background singers and horns and Ray was loaded . In 1978 or 79 went to see them at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island with Ian Hunter opening and they were great . Just the 5 piece with Ian Gibbons on keys . Last time I saw them was in Tokyo in 92 or 93 at relatively humble hall and again they were fantastic . Personally I prefer the Pete Quaife era Kinks - especially the 66-68 period ( Face To Face , Something Else and Village Green and all the singles released during that time like Waterloo Sunset , Autumn Almanac, Deadend Street , etc...