[Rachael B]

I've aqquired the two Mobile Fidelity released Kink's albums and all I can say is wow. When I heard they were coming out I was beligerent about them, literally. I, of course, wanted their 60's stuff. BTW, MF will release one of their 60's albums soon, any day, proably? The Kinks made so many albums it's dizzying. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I think MF has chosen wisely out of the Kink's vast catalog.

I really, really like LOW BUDJET. A check of my record collection showed I liked it before, I'd forgotten! IMO, the SACD sounds as good or better and has bonus cuts. Score: SACD 1, Vinyl nil. Besides, I only have a record player on my stereo anymore...

Because of the bonus cuts on Low Budjet you get 2 versions each of A GALLON OF GAS, CATCH ME I'M FALLING, and (WISH I COULD FLY LIKE) SUPERMAN. I'm particularly fond of CATCH ME NOW I"M FALLING where they mimic the Stones in some sort of dark sardonic way IMO. The "filler" on this album is mostly terrific. Take NATIONAL HEALTH, another Stones paraody IMO, you'll easily figur out which song when you hear it ( if you don't ask me). It's pretty catchy. On LITTLE BIT OF EMOTION they show they can do Jackson Browne better than Jackson Browne. A GALLON OF GAS shows them doing blues as well as groups that specialized at it and adding some very clever lyrics that are stille relevant 2-day, given ze wurld's thirst for petrol products.

LOW BUDJET is surely one of The Kink's best albums. They just toy with their own sound because they're so good that they can. I'm glad I rediscovered it.

The album I've been spinning frequently the last few days is EVERYBODY'S IN SHOW BIZ. I heard this album years ago and always meant to own it but never did till now. It has that anthem CELLULOID HEROES and some studio stuff and some really nice, my oppinion, live stuff. There's 2 bonus cuts in this 23 track collection, TILL THE END OF DAY and SHE'S BOUGHT A HAT LIKE PRINCESS MARINA. They're both live. TTEOTD is a harder rocker and SBAHLPM sounds something Ian Dury and The Blockheads would do. It's so English beer hall sounding, sort'a?

SITTING IN MY MOTEL is a rather good anthem about the torture of touring if you ask me. With this album you get a taste of The Kinks' country-folk rock sound. MOTORWAY sounds like a cross between The Byrds and The Goose Creek Symphony if you can possibly imagine that. Hay, err hey, it works for me.

This album is rather scizo in it's sound. Sometimes they're a rock band, sometimes they're kuntry sounding, MUSWELL HILLBILLIES, and SUPERSONIC ROCKET SHIP is Carribean sounding. Eclectic might describe this collection? LOOK A LITTLE ON THE SUNNYSIDE sounds like a parody of their own 60's sound, kind'a like Waterloo Sunset...? But, now the song is about their slipping record sales.

Hey, this album is about worth buying for CELLULOID HEROES and the live TOP OF THE POPS, and MUSWELL HILLBILLIES and all the other crazy stuff is a bonus. Their live chatter is amusing.

Both these albums are stereo hybrids. MF isn't doing M/C for the channel deprived, just stereo. It sounds like stereo muy, muy excellente to me. "...get them while they're hot, they're lovely..."

[Lee Scoggins]

Thanks Rachael for the review. They are on my buy list.

I will be posting a review of my new reference SACD soon and its a very old recordng!

[Michael St. Clair]

Rachael,

It's not in the top 5 Kinks albums (Lola, Arthur, Something Else, Muswell Hillbillies, Village Green), but your review has increased my interest.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[Justin Lane]

Rachael,

I have not seen these discs locally. Where did you pick up your copies..Tower perchance? I am placing these discs on my to buy list in hopes a sale in the near future. I like The Kinks only when they cost me less then $30.

J

[Emil Stoica]

Justin,

Several websites (including elusive and music direct) are selling them for $25. Makes it a little better.

And I agree Rachael. Both these discs are excellent, especially Low Budget.

[Rachael B]

Justin, I got EVERYBODY'S IN SHOW BIZ from Acoustic Sounds. I think I got LOW BUDJET from Elusive Disc...? The closest Tower is 180 miles west in Nashville. I wanted to drop by Tower on a recent trip to Music City but didn't have time. Tower's .com often offers some pretty decent prices but they backorder alot of stuff and cancel items off the order if they cannot obtain the title within 30 days. These discs list for $25. Not that many places sell them, MF, yet, again. Maybe that will change as they get established again?

Michael, you get the MUSWELL HILLBILLIES live with an amusing intro on EIISB. The Muswell sound is well represented amongst the live cuts. The only dissappointment was that the whole live LOLA isn't there. What you get is an edit of when they had the audience worked up to singing LOLA. It is pretty amazing how worked up they got the audience. It left me wanting to hear the whole thing.

Michael, I think I like LOW BUDJET over the other 70's Kinks I can remember or have heard. I like the hard rock orientation of it. I like the way they mock the Stones. I don't care where some so-called experts ranks it. If you like the Muswell Hillbilly sound, you should defiitely consider EIISB. Get kinky and best wishes dudes!

[Rachael B]

That's my fav too Emil! Low Budjet makes me wonder if Tenacious D drew some of that Superman inspration from it? You never know? One thing I noticed about LOW BUDJET is that it sounded way better than the average disc does when played on the SCD-775. It, of course sounded even better on the XA777. What I'm trying to get to is that it seems as if the 775 is more dependent on disc quality to sound it's best, and LOW BUDJET made the player shine. Get kinky!

[Rachael B]

That's my fav too Emil! Low Budjet makes me wonder if Tenacious D drew some of that Superman inspration from it? You never know? One thing I noticed about LOW BUDJET is that it sounded way better than the average disc does when played on the SCD-775. It, of course sounded even better on the XA777. What I'm trying to get to is that it seems as if the 775 is more dependent on disc quality to sound it's best, and LOW BUDJET made the player shine. Get kinky!

[Emil Stoica]

Yeah Rachael, I can hear the influence. Call me old fashioned but I like the Kinks a little better.

That is an interesting observation on the 775. I guess the irony is alive and well.

[Rachael B]

Emil, it's not the first disc that's given me that impression. I've had the 775 for about 2 month now. I've gotten into a routine of doing my first listen on it. Best wishes!