The Kinks – UK Jive

I love this album-am i the only one? Interesting that three tracks heve been shortened for the 10 track UK/US vinyl versions but full edits on the 10 track European vinyl version.

I had high expectations when UK Jive was released in 1989. It was the groups' 25th anniversary and they had just been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Together with the release of a new album I was hoping that it would give the waning popularity of the group a boost. When I first heard the album I knew this wasn't going to be the case. In fact, this was the very first time I was really disappointed in a new Kinks album.

Over the years I've grown to appreciate the album for what it is but sometimes I wonder how the reception would have been if Ray Davies wouldn't had made some last minute changes to the tracklist.

For instance, ENTERTAINMENT originally was not intended for release on UK Jive. The track was recorded in 1981 during the sessions of what would become 'Give The People What They Want'. In 1983 the track almost made it onto an early version of 'State Of Confusion'. Why was this 8 year old song added to the tracklist? The Kinks had recorded a fine song called THE MILLION-POUND-SEMI-DETACHED for UK Jive. The track was so good that it was also to become the opening track and the title of the album. Davies suggested to LONDON Records that he wanted to make some kind of extended promo/short film with 'MILLION' as leitmotiv but the record company did not want to shell out the kind of money Davies thought he needed for the film.

Enraged with the decision LONDON confronted him with he decided to pull the track off the album, reshuffle the remaining songs, replaced the casualty with an 8 year old remixed track and retitle the album into UK Jive. Kinks fans interested in how good 'MILLION' in fact is should try to get their hands on The Singles Collection from Castle/Essential which has a nice bonus disc called 'Waterloo Sunset - The Songs Of Ray Davies'. Listen to that and imagine UK jive opening with that!

For the remainder of the album I have to add that it would have been nice to spread Dave's three songs more evenly over the album instead of tagging them onto the tail end as some kind of Dave corner and I think the album could have done without WHAT ARE WE DOING. Some fans will wonder if that might have been the only correct album title for this collection of tracks after reading my review......