The Kinks' Secret Sessions is a deluxe 3CD set from the folks at Scorpio (under the nom de plume Phenomenal Cat). As expected from the felines at Scorpio, the packaging is outrageous, including a mini-poster of 7" & EP sleeves, a cool booklet with a Ray interview, and that patented triple wallet sleeve. Disc One is a series of tracks recorded for BBC Radio 1964-1970, some of which have appeared on previous compilations, some not. Leading off Disc One is a private home recording of "Long Tall Sally" that sounds like a crime in progress - insane, snotty second-hand garage skronk. Disc Two is a collection of rare (to me, at least) Kinks live shows, alternate takes, and demos. Also included on this disc is Dave's demo for "She's My Girl" and a bunch of Ray's demos circa 1965. What makes the entire set stand out more than most is the absolute ferocious Kinks present on the opening live cuts of Disc Three, especially a seven minute-plus version of "Last of the Steam Powered Trains." During those messy seven minutes in heaven, one can hear Iggy's swagger, the Velvets' compass, any number of scuzz bands from Detroit (and Seattle for that matter), as well as newer bands like the White Stripes and the Libertines. These cuts are light years from the Kinks who would later influence Blur and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. This set is extremely limited. |