Ray Davies' lyrics and themes are unique, innovative, and often quite humorous, too- simply a towering talent, and I always found the band to be quite clever and just plain fun.
Categorized in the US as British Invasion, they are recognized as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era.
The music was influenced by a wide range of genres, including rhythm and blues, British music hall, folk, and country.
They first came to prominence in 1964 with their third single, "You Really Got Me"- a huge international hit, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the Top 10 in the US.
Between the mid-60s and early 70s, the group released a string of commercially and critically successful singles and LPs, and gained a reputation for songs and concept albums reflecting English culture and lifestyle, fuelled by Ray Davies' observational writing style.
The band also experienced a revival during the New Wave era in the early 80s—groups such as The Jam, The Knack, and The Pretenders covered their songs, helping to boost The Kinks' record sales. In the 1990s, Britpop acts such as Blur and Oasis cited the band as a major influence.
The Kinks broke up in 1996, a result of the commercial failures of their last few albums and creative tension between the Davies brothers. In 1990, their first year of eligibility, the original four members of The Kinks were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2005
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The song Plastic Man was written and taped in short order when the record company expressed the need for a hit single in 1969... and it was released in the UK just days after being recorded. Unfortunately, any sales potential was snuffed by prudish BBC censors, who objected to the term "bum" in the lyrics, and banned it from the airwaves... my, how times have changed. The single was not released in the US, either- so although a true Kinks classic, most Americans have never even heard it...
A man lives at the corner of the street,
And his neighbors think he's helpful and he's sweet,
'Cause he never swears and he always shakes you by the hand,
But no one knows he really is a plastic man.
He's got plastic heart, plastic feet and toes,
(Yeah, he's plastic man)
He's got plastic knees and a perfect plastic nose.
(Yeah, he's plastic man)
He's got plastic lips that hide his plastic teeth and gums,
And plastic legs that reach up to his plastic bum.
(Plastic bum)
Plastic man got no brain,
Plastic man don't feel no pain,
Plastic people look the same,
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Kick his shin or tread on his face,
Pull his nose all over the place,
He can't disfigure, or disgrace,
Plastic man (plastic man).
He's got plastic flowers growing up the walls,
He eats plastic food with a plastic knife and fork,
He likes plastic cups and saucers 'cause they never break,
And he likes to lick his gravy off a plastic plate.
Plastic man got no brain,
Plastic man don't feel no pain,
Plastic people look the same,
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Kick his shin or tread on his face,
Pull his nose all over the place,
He can't disfigure, or disgrace,
Plastic man (plastic man).
He's got a plastic wife who wears a plastic mac,
(Yeah, he's plastic man)
And his children wanna be plastic like their dad,
(Yeah, he's plastic man)
He's got a phony smile that makes you think he understands,
But no one ever gets the truth from plastic man (plastic man)
Plastic man (plastic man).