knightni

I said that it would take a lot to get him in Tampa's mind. I don't want to send those guys for Upton, I just know that it will take a lot to get him.

I think that it's becoming a pastime.

Jenks won't make " a lot " of money. Maybe 6 or 7 mil. The Sox might pay part if they can get Upton.

QUOTE (cornball @ Nov 22, 2009 -> 07:30 PM) I think he would be the perfect piece, however he is a right handed bat and the need for a power lefty would remain. If you could work out a deal with Jenks (closer and catcher seem to be the concerns for the Rays) as the center of a deal, coupled with the farm for A Gonzales, all would be great. This ain't X-Box.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=A...p&type=lgns

Flowers, Hudson, Jenks and D2 for Upton might be TBs offer.

It was pretty easy.

Ehhh. don't really drink. No clue.

http://www.sporcle.com/games/baseballmemorables.php New Quiz!

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 22, 2009 -> 06:07 PM) What's upton's contract/Arb status? http://www.draysbay.com/2008/8/4/585960/th...about-b-j-upton Hmm.. Okay, that's not as bad as I thought. With arb though, he could be pulling down 9-10 mil a year.

I'd rather keep the young guys and rebuild than throw a bunch of prospects at another AL team for a guy due for a giant payday.

Patrick Bateman loved that music.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 22, 2009 -> 04:32 PM) Kinda feeling un-hip again. Like, it's hip to be square!

19. Aerosmith 4 of 24 lists - 56 points - highest ranking #4 knightni Aerosmith is an American hard rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many subsequent rock artists. The band was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. Guitarist Joe Perry and bassist Tom Hamilton, originally in a band together called the Jam Band, met up with singer Steven Tyler, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarist Ray Tabano, and formed Aerosmith. In 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford, and the band began developing a following in Boston. They were signed to Columbia Records in 1972, and released a string of multi-platinum albums, beginning with their 1973 eponymous debut album. In 1975, the band broke into the mainstream with the album Toys in the Attic, and their 1976 follow-up Rocks cemented their status as hard rock superstars.[13] By the end of the 1970s, they were among the most popular hard rock bands in the world and developed a loyal following of fans, often referred to as the "Blue Army".[14] However, drug addiction and internal conflict took their toll on the band, which resulted in the departures of Perry and Whitford, in 1979 and 1981 respectively. They were replaced by Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay. The band did not fare well between 1980 and 1984, releasing a lone album, Rock in a Hard Place, which went gold but failed to match their previous successes. Although Perry and Whitford returned in 1984 and the band signed a new deal with Geffen Records, it wasn't until the band sobered up and released 1987's Permanent Vacation that they regained the level of popularity they had experienced in the 1970s. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, the band scored several hits and won numerous awards for music from the multi-platinum albums Pump (1989), Get a Grip (1993), and Nine Lives (1997). Their comeback has been described as one of the most remarkable and spectacular in rock 'n' roll history. After 39 years of performing, the band continues to tour and record music. Aerosmith is the best-selling American hard rock band of all time, having sold more than 150 million albums worldwide, including 66.5 million albums in the United States alone. They also hold the record for the most gold and multi-platinum albums by an American group. The band has scored 21 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, nine #1 Mainstream Rock hits, four Grammy Awards, and ten MTV Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and in 2005 they were ranked #57 in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. After forming the band and finalizing the lineup in 1971, the band started to garner some local success doing live shows. Originally booked through the Ed Malhoit Agency, the band signed a promotion deal with Frank Connelly and eventually secured a management deal with David Krebs and Steve Leber in 1972. Krebs and Leber invited Columbia Records President Clive Davis to see the band at Max's Kansas City in New York City. Aerosmith was not originally scheduled to play that night at Max's Kansas City, but they were able to pay their way on the bill. Aerosmith signed with Columbia in mid-1972 for a reported $125,000 and issued their debut album, Aerosmith. Released in January 1973, the album peaked at #166. The album was straightforward rock and roll with well-defined blues influences, laying the groundwork for Aerosmith's signature blues-rock sound. Although the highest charting single from the album was "Dream On" at #59, several tracks (such as "Mama Kin" and "Walkin' the Dog") would become staples of the band's live shows and receive airplay on rock radio. The album reached gold status initially, eventually went on to sell two million copies, and was certified double platinum after the band reached mainstream success over a decade later. After constant touring, the band released their second album Get Your Wings in 1974, the first of a string of multi-platinum albums produced by Jack Douglas. This album included the rock radio hits "Same Old Song and Dance" and "Train Kept A-Rollin'", a cover done previously by The Yardbirds. The album also contained several fan favorites including "Lord of the Thighs", "Seasons of Wither", and "S.O.S. (Too Bad)", darker songs which have become staples in the band's live shows. To date, Get Your Wings has sold three million copies. It was 1975's Toys in the Attic, however, that established Aerosmith as international stars competing with the likes of Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. Originally derided as Rolling Stones knockoffs in part due to the physical resemblance between lead singers Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger, Toys in the Attic showed that Aerosmith was a unique and talented band in their own right. Toys in the Attic was an immediate success, starting with the single "Sweet Emotion", which became the band's first Top 40 hit. This was followed by a successful re-release of "Dream On" which hit #6, becoming their best charting single of the 1970s. "Walk This Way", re-released in 1976, reached the Top 10 in early 1977. In addition, "Toys in the Attic" and "Big Ten Inch Record" (a song originally recorded by Bull Moose Jackson) became concert staples. As a result of this success, both of the band's previous albums re-charted. Toys in the Attic has gone on to become the band's bestselling studio album in the States, with certified U.S. sales of eight million copies. The band toured in support of Toys in the Attic, where they started to get more recognition. Also around this time, the band established their home base as "The Wherehouse" in Waltham, Massachusetts, where they would record and rehearse music, as well as conduct business. Aerosmith's next album was 1976's Rocks, which "captured Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking". It went platinum swiftly and featured two FM hits, "Last Child" and "Back in the Saddle", as well as the ballad "Home Tonight", which also charted. Rocks has sold four million copies to date. Both Toys in the Attic and Rocks are highly regarded, especially in the hard rock genre, and appear on such lists as Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and are cited by members of Guns N' Roses, Metallica, and Mötley Crüe as having large influences on their music. Soon after Rocks was released, the band continued to tour heavily, this time headlining their own shows and playing to several large stadiums and rock festivals. The next album, 1977's Draw the Line, was not as successful or as critically acclaimed as their two previous efforts, although the title track proved to be a minor hit (and is still a live staple), and "Kings and Queens" also experienced some success. The album went on to sell 2 million copies; however drug abuse and the fast-paced life of touring and recording began affecting their output. While continuing to tour and record into the late 1970s, Aerosmith acted in the movie version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Their cover of the Beatles hit "Come Together" was included in the album's soundtrack and would be the band's last Top 40 hit for nearly 10 years. The live release Live! Bootleg, originally released as a double album, was put out in 1978 and captured the band's rawness during the heyday of the Draw the Line tour. Lead singer Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry became known as "The Toxic Twins" because of their notorious abuse of drugs on and off the stage. Just after the recording of their sixth studio album, 1979's Night in the Ruts, Joe Perry left the band and formed The Joe Perry Project.[8][9] Perry was replaced first by longtime band friend and songwriter Richard Supa and then by guitarist Jimmy Crespo (formerly of the band Flame). Night in the Ruts quickly fell off the charts (although it would eventually go platinum several years later), its only single being a cover of The Shangri-Las' "Remember (Walking in the Sand)", which topped out at #67.[45] The band continued to tour in support of Night in the Ruts with new guitarist Jimmy Crespo onboard, but as the 1970s came to a close, the band's popularity waned. Steven Tyler collapsed onstage during a performance in Portland, Maine in early 1980. Also in 1980, Aerosmith released its Greatest Hits album. The album has gone on to become the band's bestselling album in the United States, with sales of 11 million copies. In the fall of 1980, Tyler was injured in a serious motorcycle accident, which left him hospitalized for two months, and unable to tour or record well into 1981. In 1981, the band suffered another loss with the departure of Brad Whitford who recorded Whitford/St. Holmes with former Ted Nugent vocalist/guitarist Derek St. Holmes. After recording guitar parts for the song "Lightning Strikes", Whitford was replaced by Rick Dufay and the band recorded their seventh album Rock in a Hard Place in 1982. The album was considered a commercial failure, only going gold, and failing to produce a major hit single. During the tour for Rock in a Hard Place, Tyler again collapsed on stage, this time at the band's homecoming show in Worcester, Massachusetts, after getting high with Joe Perry, who met with Aerosmith backstage that evening. On February 14, 1984, Perry and Whitford saw Aerosmith perform. They were officially re-inducted into the ranks of Aerosmith once more two months later. In 1985 the band released the album Done with Mirrors, their first studio album with Geffen and their first album since the much-publicized reunion. While the album did receive some positive reviews, it only went gold and failed to produce a hit single, or generate much buzz outside the confines of rock radio. The album's most notable track, "Let the Music Do the Talking", was in fact a cover of a song originally recorded by The Joe Perry Project and released on that band's album of the same name. Nevertheless, the band became a popular concert attraction once again, touring in support of Done With Mirrors, well into 1986. In 1986, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry appeared on Run D.M.C.'s cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way", a track blending rock and roll and hip hop that not only cemented rap into the mainstream of American popular music, but also marked Aerosmith's true comeback. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and its associated video helped introduce Aerosmith to a new generation. Yet the band members' drug problems still stood in their way. In 1986, lead singer Steven Tyler completed a successful drug rehabilitation program, at the discretion of his fellow band members and manager Tim Collins, who believed that the band's future would not be bright if Tyler did not get treated. The rest of the band members also completed drug rehab programs over the course of the next couple of years. According to the band's tell-all autobiography, Collins pledged in September 1986 he could make Aerosmith the biggest band in the world by 1990 if they all completed drug rehab. Their next album was crucial because of the commercial disappointment of Done With Mirrors, and as the band members became clean, they worked hard to make their next album a success. Permanent Vacation was released in September 1987, becoming a major hit and the band's bestselling album in over a decade (selling 5 million copies in the U.S.), with all three of its singles ("Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", "Rag Doll", and "Angel") reaching the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. The group went on a subsequent tour with labelmates Guns N' Roses (who have cited Aerosmith as a major influence), which was intense at times because of Aerosmith's new struggle to stay clean amidst GN'Rs well-publicized, rampant drug use. Aerosmith's next album was even more successful. Pump, released in September 1989, featured three Top Ten singles: "Janie's Got a Gun", "What It Takes", and "Love in an Elevator", as well as the Top 30 "The Other Side", re-establishing Aerosmith as a serious musical force. Pump was a critical and commercial success, eventually selling 7 million copies, achieving four-star ratings from major music magazines, and earning the band their first ever Grammy win in the category of Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, for "Janie's Got a Gun". The recording process for Pump was documented in the video The Making of Pump, which has since been re-released as a DVD. The music videos for the album's singles were featured on the release Things That Go Pump in the Night, which quickly went platinum. In support of Pump, the band embarked on the 12-month Pump Tour, which lasted for most of 1990. On February 21, 1990, the band appeared in a "Wayne's World" sketch on Saturday Night Live, debating the fall of communism and the Soviet Union, and performed their recent hits "Janie's Got a Gun" and "Monkey on My Back". On August 11, 1990, the band's performance on MTV's Unplugged aired. In October 1990, the Pump Tour ended, with the band's first ever performances in Australia. That same year, the band was also inducted to the Hollywood Rock Walk. In November 1991, the band appeared on The Simpsons episode "Flaming Moe's" and released a box set titled Pandora's Box. In 1992, Tyler and Perry appeared live as guests of Guns N' Roses during the latter's 1992 worldwide pay-per-view show in Paris, performing a medley of "Mama Kin" (which GN'R covered in 1986) and "Train Kept-A Rollin". 1993's Get a Grip was just as successful commercially, becoming their first album to debut at #1 and racking up sales of 7 million copies in a two-and-a-half-year timespan. The first singles were the hard rocking "Livin' on the Edge" and "Eat the Rich". Though many critics were unimpressed by the focus on the subsequent interchangeable power-ballads in promoting the album, all three ("Cryin'", "Crazy" and "Amazing") proved to be huge successes on radio and MTV. The music videos featured then up-and-coming actress Alicia Silverstone; her provocative performances earned her the title of "the Aerosmith chick" for the first half of the decade. Steven Tyler's daughter Liv Tyler was also featured in the "Crazy" video. Get a Grip would go on to sell more than 7 million copies in the U.S. alone, and over 15 million copies worldwide. The band won two Grammy Awards for songs from this album in the category of Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: for "Livin' on the Edge" in 1994 and "Crazy" in 1995. Aerosmith had signed a $30 million contract with Columbia Records/Sony Music in 1991, but had only recorded three of their six contractual albums with Geffen Records at that point (Done with Mirrors, Permanent Vacation, and Pump). Between 1991 and 1996, they released two more albums with Geffen (Get a Grip and Big Ones), which meant they now had five albums with Geffen under their belt (along with a planned live compilation), which meant they could now begin recording for their new contract with Columbia. The band took time off with their families before working on their next album, Nine Lives, which was plagued with personnel problems, including the firing of manager Tim Collins, who, according to band members, had nearly caused the band to break up. The album's producer was also changed from Glen Ballard to Kevin Shirley. Nine Lives was released in March 1997. Reviews were mixed, and Nine Lives initially fell down the charts, although it had a long chart life and sold double platinum in the United States alone, fueled by its singles, "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)", the ballad "Hole in My Soul", and the crossover-pop smash "Pink" (which won the band their fourth Grammy Award in 1999 in the Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal category). It was followed by the over two-year-long Nine Lives Tour, which was plagued by problems including lead singer Steven Tyler injuring his leg at a concert, and Joey Kramer suffering second degree burns when his car caught fire at a gas station. However, the band also released their only #1 single to date: "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", the love theme, written by Diane Warren, from the 1998 film Armageddon, starring Steven Tyler's daughter Liv. The song stayed on top of the charts for four weeks and was nominated for an Academy Award. The song helped open Aerosmith up to a new generation and remains a slow-dance staple. 1998 also saw the release of the double-live album, A Little South of Sanity, which was assembled from performances on the Get a Grip and Nine Lives tours. The album went platinum shortly after its release. The band continued with their seemingly neverending world tours promoting Nine Lives and the "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" single well into 1999. In March 2001, the band released their 13th studio album Just Push Play, which quickly went platinum,[34] fueled by the Top 10 single "Jaded"[45] and the appearance of the title track in Dodge commercials.[109] They were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame soon after their album was released, in late March 2001.[51] Aerosmith is the only band to be inducted to the Hall of Fame with a song active in the charts ("Jaded").[64] Later that year, the band performed as part of the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert in Washington D.C. for 9/11 victims and their families.[110] The band flew back to Indianapolis for a show the same night, as part of their Just Push Play Tour.[111] The band started 2002 by ending the Just Push Play tour, and simultaneously recording segments for their Behind the Music special on VH1, which not only chronicled the band's history but also the band's current activities and touring. The special was one of the few Behind the Musics to run two hours in length. In July 2002, Aerosmith released a two-disc career-spanning compilation O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, which featured the new single "Girls of Summer" and embarked on the Girls of Summer Tour with Kid Rock and Run-D.M.C. opening. O, Yeah! has since been certified double platinum. MTV honored Aerosmith with their mtvICON award in 2002. Performances included Pink covering "Janie's Got a Gun". Shakira performed "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", Kid Rock played "Mama Kin" and "Last Child", Train performed "Dream On" and Papa Roach covered "Sweet Emotion". In addition, testimonials featured surprise guests Metallica, as well as Janet Jackson, Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst, Alicia Silverstone and Mila Kunis. In 2003, Aerosmith co-headlined with Kiss on the Rocksimus Maximus Tour, in preparation for release of their blues album. They also performed a song for Rugrats Go Wild,"Lizard Love". Aerosmith's long-promised blues album Honkin' on Bobo was released in 2004. This was a return to the band's roots, including recording the album in live sessions, working with former producer Jack Douglas, and laying down their blues-rock grit. It was followed by a live DVD, You Gotta Move, in December 2004, culled from performances on the Honkin' on Bobo Tour. "Dream On" was also featured in an advertising campaign for Buick in 2004, targeting that marque's market which is now composed largely of people who were teenagers when the song first charted. On November 1, 2007, the band began work on the final studio album of their current contract with Sony. It is believed that the album will be a mix of re-recorded tracks left off previous albums as well as brand new material. In an interview, guitarist Joe Perry revealed that in addition to creating a new album, the band was working closely with the makers of the Guitar Hero series to develop Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, which is dedicated to the band's music. The game was released on June 29, 2008 and contains many of their most popular songs. Steven Tyler announced on VH1 Classic Radio on September 4, 2008 that Aerosmith intends to enter the studio at the end of September 2008 to complete the band's 15th studio album. It will be the band's first album of original material since 2001's Just Push Play. Tyler also confirmed that the band plans to begin a new U.S. tour in June 2009, in support of the as-yet-untitled album. This tour was supposed to be preceded by a concert in Venezuela on February 1, 2009. However, on January 15, Tyler said the band would be unable to play the gig because of a second knee injury of guitarist Joe Perry. In mid-February 2009, it was announced that the album would be produced by the famed Brendan O’Brien and that the album would likely be recorded live, like their earlier records. Although the band had hoped to finish the album before the tour starts in June 2009, Perry said that the group "realized there wasn't any chance of getting [the album] finished before we hit the road for the summer." The tour is also slated to feature ZZ Top as the opening act. The Aerosmith/ZZ Top Tour, presented by Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, was officially announced and the first dates released on April 8, 2009. Tyler pulled out of a planned South American tour at the end of the year and seems intent on pursuing solo projects. Tyler told Classic Rock magazine, "I don’t know what I'm doing yet, but it's definitely going to be something Steven Tyler: working on the brand of myself – Brand Tyler." Meanwhile, guitarist Joe Perry will be touring the States at the end of 2009 with talks of performing some shows in Japan and the UK early in 2010. In November 2009, Joe Perry stated that Tyler had not been in contact with the band and could be on the verge of quitting Aerosmith. Perry stated that the rest of the group was "looking for a new singer to work with." However, despite the rumors of his leaving the band, Tyler joined The Joe Perry Project onstage on November 10, 2009 at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, and they performed the Aerosmith single "Walk This Way" together. According to sources at the event, Tyler assured the crowd that he is "not quitting Aerosmith." Aerosmith discography 1973 "Mama Kin" - Hot #75 1973 "Dream On" - Hot #59 1974 "Same Old Song and Dance" - #54 1975 "Sweet Emotion" - #36 1975 "Toys in the Attic" - #96 1976 "Dream On" (re-issue) - #6 1976 "Last Child" - #21 1976 "Home Tonight" - #71 1976 "Rats in the Cellar" - #100 1976 "Walk This Way" (re-issue) - #10 1977 "Back in the Saddle" - #38 1977 "Draw the Line" - #42 1978 "Kings and Queens" - #70 1978 "Come Together" - #23 1978 "Chip Away the Stone" - #77 1979 "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" - #67 1982 "Lightning Strikes" - Rock #21 1985 "Let the Music Do the Talking" - Rock #18 1985 "Shela" - Rock #20 1987 "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" - Hot #14 - Rock #4 1987 "Hangman Jury" - Rock #14 1988 "Angel" - H #3 - R #2 1988 "Rag Doll" - #17 - #12 1988 "Magic Touch" - R #42 1988 "Rocking Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu" - R #44 1989 "Chip Away the Stone (re-issue)" - R #13 1989 "Love in an Elevator" - #5 - #1 1989 "F.I.N.E.*" - R #14 1989 "Janie's Got a Gun" - #4 - #2 1990 "What It Takes" - #9 - #1 1990 "The Other Side" - #22 - #1 1990 "Monkey on My Back" - R #17 1990 "Love Me Two Times"- R #27 1991 "Sweet Emotion (re-issue)" - R #36 1991 "Helter Skelter" - R #21 1993 "Livin' on the Edge" - #18 - #1 1993 "Eat the Rich" - R #5 1993 "Fever" - R #5 1993 "Cryin'" - #12 - #1 1993 "Amazing" - #24 - #3 1994 "Deuces Are Wild" - R #1 1994 "Crazy" - #17 - #7 1994 "Blind Man" - #48 - #3 1995 "Walk on Water" - R #16 1997 "Nine Lives" - R #37 1997 "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)" - #35 - #1 1997 "Hole in My Soul" - #51 - #4 1997 "Pink" - #27 - #1 1998 "Taste of India"- #3 - #40 1998 "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" - #1 - #4 1998 "What Kind of Love Are You On" - R #4 2000 "Angel's Eye" - R #4 2001 "Jaded" - #7 - #1 2001 "Fly Away From Here" - H #103 2001 "Sunshine" - R #23 2001 "Just Push Play" - R #10 2002 "Girls of Summer" - R #25 2004 "Baby, Please Don't Go" - R #7 2006 "Devil's Got a New Disguise" - R #15 Factoid: It took 25 years with "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", for Aerosmith to get their first #1 on the US Hot 100. "Love In An Elevator" http://media-convert.com/convert/?xid=7-lzpkjjxs

Ghost from space, not Space Ghost.

I really love "Catch Me Now I'm Falling."

20. The Kinks 4 of 24 lists - 56 points - highest ranking #6 BigEdWalsh The Kinks are an English rock group formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray Davies and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorized in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks have been cited as one of the most important and influential rock bands of the era. Their music spanned a wide range of genres, from hard rock and R&B to a style of their own influenced by British Music hall, folk and country. The Kinks first gained prominence in 1964 with their third single, "You Really Got Me", written by Ray Davies. It became an international hit upon release, topping the charts in the UK and reaching the Top 10 in the US. In the remainder of the decade Ray Davies' writing skills slowly evolved, and the group became known for songs and concept albums reflecting on English culture and lifestyle. Albums such as Face to Face, Something Else, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur, Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One, Muswell Hillbillies and their accompanying singles are considered amongst the most influential recordings of the period. During the New Wave era, groups such as The Jam, The Knack, and The Pretenders covered Kinks songs and Britpop acts such as Blur, Oasis and Supergrass have cited them as a major influences. The Kinks' influence has carried on until today; in the VH1 documentary HEAVY: the Story of Metal The Kinks are mentioned as one of the early bands that can be traced with a heavy metal sound. The group have been the recipient of several awards and in 1990, their first year of eligibility, The Kinks were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. As self-professed Kinks fan Pete Townshend said for The History of Rock 'n' Roll: "The Kinks were much more quintessentially English. I always think that Ray Davies should one day be Poet Laureate. He invented a new kind of poetry and a new kind of language for pop writing that influenced me from the very, very, very beginning." The fledgling group began auditioning at several studios for various labels, but these attempts all ended in rejection. Eventually a demo tape landed in the hands of American record producer Shel Talmy, who helped them land a contract with Pye Records in early 1964. It was during this time that The Ravens changed their name to The Kinks. Before signing to the label, drummer Willet left the band. The Kinks invited Mick Avory (b. Michael Charles Avory, February 15, 1944, in East Molesey, Surrey), to replace Willet after seeing his advertisement in the magazine Melody Maker. With a background in Jazz drumming, Avory's previous experience included one gig with the fledgling Rolling Stones. The first single The Kinks released, "Long Tall Sally", was a cover of a Little Richard song. It was almost completely overlooked, however, and failed to chart. Nevertheless, the band received heavy publicity through the efforts of their managers Robert Wace, Grenville Collins, and ex-1950s showbiz star Larry Page. Despite this their second single, "You Still Want Me", also failed to chart. Due to the failure of their past two singles, Pye records threatened to drop the group if another single did not find more success. The Kinks released their third single, "You Really Got Me", in August 1964. Boosted by a performance on the television show Ready Steady Go!, it quickly hit No. 1 in the United Kingdom and, after a quick import to the American label Reprise Records, made the top 10 in the United States. The loud, distorted guitar riff — achieved by Dave Davies' slicing of the speaker cones in his Elpico amplifier (referred to by the band as the "little green amp") — gave the song its signature, gritty guitar sound. "You Really Got Me" was extremely influential on the American Garage rock scene, and went on to work as a blueprint for numerable genres, including hard rock, and heavy metal. After the success of "You Really Got Me" the group recorded their fourth single, "All Day and All of the Night", another hard rock tune, which was released in late 1964. It rose to No. 2 in the United Kingdom, and hit No. 7 in the United States. In 1965, The Kinks recorded "Set Me Free" and "Tired of Waiting for You", which both found great success, the latter topping the UK charts. The group released three albums and several EPs in the next two years. They also performed and toured relentlessly, headlining package tours with the likes of The Yardbirds and Mickey Finn, which caused tension within the band. Some legendary on-stage fights erupted during this time as well. The most notorious incident was at The Capitol Theatre, Cardiff, Wales on 19 May 1965, involving drummer Mick Avory and Dave Davies. The fight broke out during the second number of the set, "Beautiful Delilah". It culminated with Davies insulting Avory and kicking over his drum set after finishing the first song, "You Really Got Me". Avory responded by knocking down Davies with his Hi-Hat stand, rendering him unconscious. He then fled from the scene, fearing he had killed his bandmate, and Davies was taken to Cardiff Royal Infirmary, where he received 16 stitches to the head. To placate police, Avory later claimed that it was part of a new act in which the band members would hurl their instruments at each other. Following the summer 1965 American tour, the American Federation of Musicians refused permits for the group to appear in concerts in America for the next four years, cutting the Kinks off from the main market for rock music at the height of the British Invasion. Although neither the Kinks nor the union gave a specific reason for the ban, at the time it was widely attributed to their rowdy on-stage behaviour. The group made its first tour of Australia and New Zealand in January 1965 as part of a "package" bill that included Manfred Mann and The Honeycombs. A stopover in Bombay, India on the way to Australia led Davies to write the song "See My Friends" (released as a single in July 1965). This was a prominent early example of crossover music, and along with The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood", was one of the first pop songs of this period to display a direct influence from the traditional music of the Indian subcontinent. According to Ray Davies' book X-Ray, he was inspired to write "See My Friends" after hearing the songs of local fishermen during an early morning walk. Directly after their return from Asia, recording began immediately - the day after - on their next project, Kinda Kinks. The LP was completed and released within two weeks. Consequently, the production was rushed and, according to Ray Davies, the band was not completely satisfied with the final cuts. Due to record company pressure, however, no time was available to fix certain flaws present in the mix. Ray Davies has expressed his dissatisfaction towards the production not being up to par. Commenting on this, he said: “ A bit more care should have been taken with it. I think (producer) Shel Talmy went too far in trying to keep in the rough edges. Some of the double tracking on that is appalling. It had better songs on it than the first album, but it wasn't executed in the right way. It was just far too rushed. ” -Ray Davies, Kinda Kinks CD liner notes. The band's stylistic changes were first evident in late 1965, with the appearance of singles like "A Well Respected Man", "Dedicated Follower of Fashion", and their third album The Kink Kontroversy. These demonstrated the progression in Davies' songwriting, from hard-driving rock numbers toward songs rich in social commentary, observation, and idiosyncratic character study, all with a uniquely English flavour. The satiric single "Sunny Afternoon" was the biggest U.K. hit of summer 1966, topping the charts and displacing The Beatles' "Paperback Writer". Prior to the release of The Kink Kontroversy, Ray Davies suffered a nervous and physical breakdown from the pressures of touring, writing, and ongoing legal squabbles. He spent several months recuperating, during which he wrote several new songs and pondered about the band's direction. Quaife also left the band for much of 1966 after an automobile accident.[22] After he recovered, he decided to step back from the band. Mick Avory's friend John Dalton replaced Quaife until he decided to return to the band at the end of the year. This caused some tension, as Avory was more used to Dalton's style of playing. "Sunny Afternoon" was a dry run for the band's Face to Face, which displayed Davies' growing skill at crafting gentle yet cutting narrative songs about everyday life and people. For the recording the band recruited session musician Nicky Hopkins on keyboards, mellotron, and harpsichord. Hopkins had first played with the band during The Kink Kontroversy sessions the year before. He would play on the band's next two studio albums and would also be featured on numerous live BBC recordings with the band, before joining The Jeff Beck Group in 1968. The Kinks' next single, a social commentary piece, "Dead End Street" was released at the time of Face to Face and became another U.K. Top 10 hit. It failed commercially in the United States, only reaching No. 73 in the Billboard charts. One of the first promotional music videos was produced for the song as well, filmed on Little Green Street, a diminutive eighteenth century lane in North London, located off Highgate Road in Kentish Town. In May 1967, The Kinks returned with "Waterloo Sunset", an emotional single with the melancholic observer spying two lovers meeting and crossing over Waterloo Bridge in London. The song was rumoured to have been inspired by the romance between two British celebrities of the time, actors Terence Stamp and Julie Christie, although Ray Davies denied this in his autobiography, and claimed in a 2008 interview that "it was a fantasy about my sister going off with her boyfriend to a new world and they were going to emigrate and go to another country." The single became on of the group's biggest UK successes, peaking at #2 on Melody Maker. The song went on to become one of their most popular and best-known, with pop music journalist Robert Christgau calling it "the most beautiful song in the English language." Pete Townshend of The Who has called it "divine" and "a masterpiece",[ and Allmusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine concurred, citing it as "possibly the most beautiful song of the rock and roll era." The songs on the 1967 album Something Else By The Kinks expanded the musical progressions of Face to Face, adding English music hall influences to the band's sound. Dave Davies scored a major chart success with "Death of a Clown", co-written with Ray and recorded by The Kinks, but also released as a Dave Davies solo single. After a disappointing commercial reception for Something Else, The Kinks rushed out a new single, "Autumn Almanac", which became another U.K. hit. But their next single, "Wonderboy", released in the spring of 1968, stalled at No. 36 and would become the band's first single not to make the U.K. Top Twenty since their early covers. Throughout 1968, Davies continued to pursue his deeply personal songwriting style, while at the same time rebelling against the heavy demands placed on him to keep producing commercial hits. At the end of June, The Kinks released the single "Days", which made #12 in the United Kingdom. It was a Top 20 hit in several other countries in the summer of 1968 — although it did not chart in the United States — and it is also notable as the last recording made by the original lineup of the group. Their next album, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, was released in the autumn of 1968 in the UK. It was greeted with almost unanimously positive reviews from both UK and US rock critics, but at the time the album failed to sell strongly, with an estimated 100,000 copies sold worldwide. Despite this, the album has become The Kinks' best selling original record. A collection of thematic vignettes of English town and hamlet life, it was assembled from songs written and recorded over the previous two years. The album's deliberately understated production contrasted with the extravagant style then in vogue, and it did not have a popular single ("Starstruck" was released in North America and continental Europe, but failed to chart anywhere but the Netherlands). Although it was commercially unsuccessful, Village Green, upon its US release in January 1969, was embraced by the new underground rock press, particularly in the United States, where The Kinks' status as a cult band began to grow. In The Village Voice a newly-hired Robert Christgau called it "the best album of the year so far", and Circus magazine ran an article under the heading "Kinks - Unhip But Original", which stated: "The Kinks are backdated, cut off from the mainstream of pop progression. Just the same they're originals and now have a fine new album out". In Boston's underground paper Fusion, a review was released stating "The Kinks continue, despite the odds, the bad press and their demonstrated lot, to come across... Their persistence is dignified, their virtues are stoic. The Kinks are forever, only for now in modern dress". Paul Williams in Rolling Stone wrote a review that heaped praise on Village Green, saying "I've played [Village Green] twice since it arrived here this afternoon, and already the songs are slipping into my mind, each new hearing is a combined joy of renewal and discovery. Such a joy, to make new friends! And each and every song Ray Davies has written is a different friend to me." The record was not without criticism, however. In the student paper California Tech, one writer commented that it was "schmaltz rock", and that it is "without imagination, poorly arranged, and a poor copy of the Beatles". The album remains popular today. It was re-released in a 3 CD "Deluxe" edition in 2004, and an album track, "Picture Book", was featured in a popular Hewlett-Packard television commercial in 2004, helping boost the album's popularity considerably. In early 1969 Quaife had told the band he was quitting. Initially the other members didn't take the remark seriously, however on April 4th an article was featured in New Musical Express magazine featuring his band, named Maple Oak, which he had recently formed without the rest of The Kinks' knowledge. This caused lead vocalist and songwriter Ray Davies to make a personal plea to Quaife, asking him to return for the sessions for their upcoming album. Quaife, however, rejected this offer and continued with his band. Within a day Davies called up bassist John Dalton, who had filled in for Quaife in the past, as a replacement. Dalton would take a more permanent position with The Kinks this time, remaining with the group until 1977, with the release of Sleepwalker. Ray Davies traveled to Los Angeles, California in April 1969, to help negotiate an end to the American Federation of Musician ban on the group, opening up an opportunity for the group to return to touring in America. The group's management quickly made plans for a North American tour, to help restore their standing in the US pop music scene. Before their return to the United States, The Kinks recorded another album, Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). As with the previous two albums, Arthur was soaked with British lyrical and musical hooks, having been conceived as the score for a proposed but never realised television drama. It was a modest commercial success and was particularly well received by music critics in America.[48][3] Much of the album revolved around themes of the Davies brothers' childhood, their sister Rosie, who had migrated to Australia in the early 1960s with her husband, Arthur Anning (the album's namesake), and life growing up during World War II. The Kinks embarked on their tour of the US in October 1969.[47] The tour fell apart as the group struggled to find a hold in the American concert scene, and many of the scheduled dates were canceled. The band manged to play a few major underground venues at the Fillmore East and performed for a night at New York's Carnegie Hall. The band added keyboardist John Gosling to their line-up in early 1970. Before this, Nicky Hopkins, along with Ray, had done most of the session work on keyboards. Gosling debuted with The Kinks on "Lola" in May 1970, an account of a confused romantic encounter with a transvestite, that became both a U.K. and U.S. hit Top 10 hit, helping return The Kinks to the public eye. The track originally contained the word "Coca-Cola", but the BBC refused to play it as this was considered a violation of their product placement policy. The portion of the song then had to be hastily re-recorded by Ray Davies, with the offending line changed to the generic "cherry cola". The group's accompanying album Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One was released in November of 1970, and was an immense success both critically and commercially, charting in the Top 40 in America, making it their most successful since the mid-1960s. The album also featured the group's final U.K. Top 10 hit, "Apeman". In 1971, the band released Percy, a soundtrack album to a film of the same name about a penis transplant. The album did not receive positive reviews, and it is generally regarded as a lesser effort, containing only seven full songs with the remainder being instrumentals. The band's U.S. label, Reprise, declined to release it in America, precipitating a major dispute that contributed to the band's departure from that label. In 1971, the band's contracts with Pye and Reprise expired. Before the end of the year, The Kinks signed a five-album deal with RCA Records and received a million dollar advance, which helped fund the construction of their own recording studio, Konk. Their debut for RCA, Muswell Hillbillies, was soaked with country, bluegrass and music hall influences and is often hailed as their last great record, though it was not as successful as its predecessors. It was named after the Davies brothers' birthplace in Muswell Hill, and contained songs focusing on working-class life and the Davies' own childhood. Muswell Hillbillies, despite positive reviews and high expectations, peaked at #48 on Record World and #100 on Billboard. 1972's double album Everybody's in Show-Biz consisted of half studio tracks and half live tracks recorded during a two-night stand in New York's Carnegie Hall. The record featured the ballad "Celluloid Heroes" and the Caribbean-themed "Supersonic Rocket Ship", their last U.K. Top 20 hit for more than a decade. "Celluloid Heroes" was a bittersweet rumination on dead Hollywood stars in which Ray Davies admits that he wishes his life were like a movie, "because celluloid heroes never feel any pain/And celluloid heroes never really die." The album was moderately successful in the United States, peaking at #47 on Record World, and #70 on Billboard. The record was a transitional piece between the band's early 1970s rock material and the theatrical incarnation in which they would immerse themselves over the next four years. In 1973, Ray Davies dove headlong into the theatrical style, beginning with the rock opera Preservation, a sprawling chronicle of social revolution, and a more ambitious outgrowth of the earlier Village Green Preservation Society ethos. In conjunction with the Preservation project, The Kinks' lineup was expanded to include a horn section and female backup singers, essentially reforming the group as a theatrical troupe. Preservation: Act 2 was the first project recorded at Konk Studio; from this point forward, virtually every Kinks studio recording would be produced by Ray Davies at Konk. Ray's marital problems during this period would prove to adversely affect the band. In late 1973, his wife, Rasa, left Davies and took their children with her. Davies went into a state of depression, culminating when he announced onstage that he was "sick of it all". A review of the concert published in Melody Maker stated: "Davies swore on stage. He stood at The White City and swore that he was 'F......[sic] sick of the whole thing'.... He was 'Sick up to here with it'.... and those that heard shook their heads. Mick just ventured a disbelieving smile, and drummer[sic] on through 'Waterloo Sunset.'" Davies proceeded to announce that the Kinks were breaking up, but this attempt was foiled by the group's publicity management, who pulled the plug on the microphone system. Davies then collapsed due to a drug overdose, and was rushed to a hospital. A 1994 article and interview with Davies on the event stated the following: “ "Hello," he said to the nurses. "My name is Ray Davies. I am the lead singer of the Kinks. I am dying." One of them then asked him for his autograph. "It was funny," insists Davies now, and laughs a lot to prove it. "It was even funny at the time. When you're that down, everything is funny." Against the advice of a doctor, he discharged himself from the hospital. "You're going to die if you leave," the doctor warned him. Davies recalls leaving the hospital in the style of an old music-hall comedian, Jimmy Wheeler: "Ta-ta for now, folks. Aye-aye. That's your lot." That same year, he spent Christmas Day going round and round on the Circle Line on the Underground, drinking cans of Kronenbourg. ” The Independent, August 27, 1994. Davies eventually pulled through his depression, but throughout the remainder of the Kinks' theatrical incarnation the band's output remained uneven and their already failing popularity eroded further. Preservation: Act 1 was released in late 1973 amid generally poor reviews, although its live performances fared better with the critics. Preservation: Act 2, the sequel to Act 1, appeared in the summer of 1974 to a similar reception. Davies soon began another musical, Starmaker, this time for the Britain's Granada Television. After a broadcast with Ray Davies in the starring role and The Kinks as both back-up band and ancillary characters, the project eventually morphed into the concept album The Kinks Present a Soap Opera, released in the spring of 1975, in which Ray Davies fantasized about what would happen if a rock star traded places with a "normal Norman" and took a 9-5 job. In 1975, The Kinks recorded their final theatrical work, Schoolboys in Disgrace, a backstory biography of Preservation's capitalist overlord Mr. Flash. The record was a modest success, peaking at #45 on the Billboard charts. Ray Davies Toronto, April 29, 1977 The Kinks signed with Arista Records in 1976, reborn with the encouragement of Arista's management as an arena rock band, stripped back down to a five-man core group. During this period Heavy-metal band Van Halen achieved a major hit with a remake of "You Really Got Me", which boosted The Kinks' commercial resurgence. John Dalton left the band before finishing the sessions for their debut Arista album. Andy Pyle was brought in to complete the sessions and to play on the following tour. Sleepwalker was released in 1977. The album was a return to success for the group, peaking at #21 on Billboard. Andy Pyle and keyboardist John Gosling soon left the group to work together on a separate project. Dalton returned to complete the tour, and ex-The Pretty Things keyboardist Gordon John Edwards joined the band. The Kinks' second Arista album Misfits, and their only album with Andy Pyle, was released in 1978 and included the minor hit "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy", helping make the record another success for the band. Dalton left the band permanently after the end of their UK tour, with Gordon John Edwards soon to follow. Ex-Argent bassist Jim Rodford joined the band, which recorded Low Budget with Ray Davies handling keyboard duties. Former Life keyboardist Ian Gibbons was drafted for the following tour and soon become a permanent member. Despite the personnel changes, the group's recording and concert success continued to grow. During this time in the late 1970s, new wave bands like The Jam ("David Watts") and The Pretenders ("Stop Your Sobbing") and hard rock acts like Van Halen ("You Really Got Me") recorded successful covers of Kinks songs, boosting each band's fame. At the same time, these cover versions helped fuel the commercial success of each new Kinks release. The hard and punk rock sounds of Low Budget (1979) helped make it the group's most successful album in America, peaking at No. 11. 1979 also saw The Kinks headline at Madison Square Garden for the first time. A live album (the group's third) and video, both called "One for the Road", followed in 1980, bringing the group's concert drawing power to a peak between 1980 and 1983. Dave Davies also took advantage of the group's improved commercial standing to fulfill his decade-long solo ambitions and released albums on his own, including the eponymous "Dave Davies" in 1980 (also known by its catalogue number "PL13603" owing to its cover art, which depicted Dave Davies as a leather-jacketed piece of price scanning barcode) and 1981's less successful "Glamour". The next Kinks album, Give the People What They Want, was released in late 1981 and reached number 15 in the US. The record attained gold status, and featured the optimistic pub-rocker "Better Things" (a rare UK hit single), as well as "Destroyer" and Around the Dial, tracks reminiscent in sound to the band's 1960s heyday. The Kinks spent the better part of 1982 touring. In spring 1983, the nostalgic "Come Dancing" became their biggest American hit (at number 6) since "Tired of Waiting for You". It also became the group's first top 20 hit in the UK since 1972, peaking at number 12 in the charts. The anthemic album State of Confusion followed and was another commercial success, going to number 12 in the US, but once again failing to chart in the UK, as had all previous albums since 1967. Prominent tracks were the ballads "Don't Forget to Dance (a US top 30 hit, and minor UK chart entry)," "Long Distance", the title track and the gentle sing-along "Heart of Gold". During this time, Ray Davies became romantically involved with Pretenders leader Chrissie Hynde, resulting in the birth of a daughter, Natalie Ray, in 1983. The Kinks performed Saturday Night Live three times during this period, further adding to their resurgent popularity. They first performed for SNL in 1977, then again in 1981, and one final time in 1984. The Kinks' second wave of popularity effectively peaked with State of Confusion in 1983, but both internal and external factors would soon begin to undermine them. A music video-fueled influx of new, fresh talent and styles into popular music at this time effectively muted the early 80s resurgence of many of the classic acts (including fellow UK bands such as David Bowie, The Who, and The Rolling Stones). The concert market for Kinks shows in the US had largely been played out by a decade of almost non-stop touring. As these outside pressures mounted, the internal strife in the group reached a critical point. During the second half of 1983, Ray Davies started working on an ambitious solo film project, Return to Waterloo, about a London commuter who daydreams he's a serial murderer. (The film gave actor Tim Roth a significant early role.) Davies' commitment to writing, directing and scoring the new work caused tension in his relationship with his brother. Another problem was the stormy end of the volatile romance between Ray Davies and Chrissie Hynde. The old feud between Dave Davies and drummer Mick Avory also re-ignited. Soon Dave Davies wanted Avory replaced by the former drummer from Argent (a band in which Jim Rodford had also been a member), Robert Henrit, who had played drums on Dave's solo albums. It is also believed that Rodford also was instrumental in bringing his former bandmate in the fold. Dave Davies refused to work with Avory. Ray Davies said that Avory was his best friend in the band and he unwillingly had to choose sides, as said later in a 1989 interview: "The saddest day for me was when Mick left. Dave and Mick didn't get along. There were terrible fights, and I got to the point where I couldn't cope with it any more...Mick had an important sound. Mick wasn't a great drummer, but he was a jazz drummer - same school, same era as Charlie Watts." Bob Henrit was brought in to take Avory's place. At Ray Davies' invitation Avory agreed to manage Konk Studios, where he also served as a producer and occasional contributor on later Kinks albums. Between the completion of Return to Waterloo and Avory's departure, the band had already begun work on Word of Mouth, released in late 1984 with Avory still part of the line-up on three tracks. The album was similar to the last few Kinks records, but many of the songs had already been featured in solo versions on Ray Davies' companion album for Return to Waterloo, A third of the tracks featured Avory, others with Henrit, and still others supported by a drum machine which the band employed before the arrival of Henrit. Despite everything, some standout material made the cut on Word of Mouth, including Ray's ballad "Missing Persons", Dave's death-of-empire themed "Living on a Thin Line", and The Kinks' last Billboard Hot 100 entry, "Do it Again" (No. 41). They have not made the Top 40 since. Word of Mouth was the last Kinks album for Arista Records. In early 1986, the group signed with MCA Records in the United States and London Records in the UK. Their first album for the new label, Think Visual, (1986) was a moderate success, peaking at #81 on the Billboard albums chart. The subject matter of the album was varied, with songs like the ballad "Lost and Found" and "Working at the Factory" concerning blue-collar life on an assembly line, and the title track, an attack on the very MTV video culture the band had been profiting off of during the earlier part of the decade. The Kinks followed Think Visual in 1987 with another live album, titled The Road, which was a mediocre commercial and critical performer. In 1989, The Kinks released UK Jive - an out and out commercial failure. MCA Records ultimately dropped them, leaving The Kinks scrambling to find a label deal for the first time in over a quarter of a century. Longtime keyboardist Ian Gibbons left the group during this period and was replaced by Mark Haley. In 1990, their first year of eligibility, The Kinks were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, The Four Seasons, The Four Tops, Hank Ballard, and The Platters.[5] Mick Avory and Pete Quaife were on hand for the award. When receiving the award Ray Davies looked out at the audience and said, "Seeing everybody makes me realise rock 'n' roll has become respectable. What a bummer." The induction, however, did not bring back The Kinks' stagnated career. In 1991, a compilation from the MCA Records period, Lost & Found (1986-1989) was released to fulfill contractual obligations and their MCA period officially ended.[78] The band signed with Columbia Records and released the 5-song EP Did Ya in 1991, which, despite being coupled with a new studio re-recording of the band's 1968 British hit "Days," failed to chart. The Kinks' first album for Columbia, Phobia (1993), was released and recorded by the band as a four piece. Following the departure of Mark Haley after the band's sold out performance at the Royal Albert Hall, London, Gibbons rejoined for a US tour and again became part of the band. The record only managed one week in the US Billboard chart at No. 166. As usual, no impression was made on the group's home country chart in the UK. One single, "Only a Dream" narrowly failed to reach the UK chart, climbing to No. 79. "Scattered", the album's final candidate for release as a single, was announced and TV and radio promotion followed, but the record could not be found in the shops. Several months later a small number appeared on the collector market. The group was dropped by Columbia in 1994. In 1994 the band released the first version of the album To the Bone on their own Konk label in the UK, a live album recorded partly on the highly successful UK tours of 1993 and 1994, and in the Konk studio before a small invited audience. Two years later the band released a new improved double CD live set in the USA, still called To The Bone, which now consisted of two new studio tracks ("Animal" and "To The Bone") paired with effective new treatments of many old Kinks hits. The record drew respectable press but failed to chart in either the US or the UK. The band's name and profile rose considerably in the mid 1990s, mainly due to the British rock boom called "Britpop" by the UK press. Several of the most prominent bands of the decade, including Blur, Pulp, Suede and Oasis, acknowledged The Kinks as a major influence on their careers and proclaimed themselves as among The Kinks' most admiring students. Blur frontman Damon Albarn and Oasis' chief songwriter Noel Gallagher especially stressed that The Kinks were one of the bands that made the biggest impact on their songwriting as well as their development as artists and musicians. Noel Gallagher called The Kinks the 5th best band of all time.[80] Sadly, all these accolades made little difference to the commercial viability of the group. Rumours of a final break-up began to unfold. Ray Davies took to his familiar role as a touchstone for yet another generation of British rockers, and acted as Britpop's "godfather" in a manner reminiscent of his relationship to The Jam and The Pretenders in the late-1970s. His intricate autobiographical novel X-Ray was published in early 1995, while the Britpop hysteria was at its peak in the UK. Not to be outdone, brother Dave Davies responded with his memoir Kink, published in the spring of 1996. The Kinks performed the last time in mid-1996. Band members focused on their own solo projects with Ray and Dave releasing acclaimed studio albums. Talk of a Kinks reunion has circulated (including an aborted studio reunion of the original band members in 1999), but both Ray and Dave Davies had shown little interest in playing together again. One of Ray's projects has included a choral work commissioned by the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, performed but never recorded. In 1998, Ray Davies released the solo album Storyteller (a companion piece to his autobiographical novel X-Ray) which celebrated his old band and his estranged brother. Before becoming an album, Storyteller began life as a cabaret-style show in 1996. Seeing the programming possibilities inherent in Ray Davies' music/dialogue/reminiscence format, the American music television network VH-1 launched a series of similar projects featuring established rock artists, titling their show "VH1 Storytellers". Meanwhile former members John Gosling, John Dalton and Mick Avory started performing on the oldies circuit under the name of The Kast Off Kinks with guitar-player/singer Dave Clarke (who had played in the Noel Redding Band). In the autumn of 2005, The Kinks were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, at which time all of the original band members were present again. They are now the only major British Invasion band whose original members are all still alive. The award was given by long-time Kinks fan and friend of Ray, The Who's guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend, who expressed his wish to see The Kinks be reunited in 2006. In August 2007 a re-entry of The Ultimate Collection, a compilation of material spanning the bands' entire career, reached #48 in the UK Top 100 album chart and #1 in the UK Indie album chart. In an interview with BBC Radio 4 on September 29, 2008, Ray Davies said that the seminal English band could reform soon. He said he wouldn't do it as a nostalgia act, but only to work on new material with the band. Davies told the UK radio station: "There is a desire to do it. The thing that would make me decide 'yes' or 'no' would be whether or not we could do new songs". Davies also went on to explain that the main barrier to the band getting back together was the illness of his brother, guitarist Dave Davies, who suffered a stroke in 2004. In November 2008 Ray Davies told the BBC that the band was beginning to write new material for a possible reunion. The interview did not clarify who the band members were at this time. In an interview aired on the Biography Channel in December 2008, Pete Quaife flatly said he would never participate in any type of Kinks reunion. Dave Davies seconded this statement, claiming "it would be like a bad remake of Night of the Living Dead", and also added that, "Ray has been doing Karaoke Kinks shows since 1996". In April 2009 Ray Davies performed a short set with the Kast Off Kinks in Utrecht, Holland. The line-up consisted of Ray, Mick Avory, Jim Rodford, Ian Gibbons and Dave Clarke - in other words, the Kinks line-up that recorded "Come Dancing" except for Dave Davies, being replaced by Dave Clarke. The Kinks discography 1964 "Long Tall Sally - #129 1964 "You Really Got Me" - #7 1964 "All Day and All of the Night" - #7 1965 "Tired of Waiting for You" - #6 1965 "Set Me Free" - #23 1965 "See My Friends" - #111 1965 "Who'll Be the Next in Line" - #34 1965 "A Well Respected Man" - #13 1965 "Till the End of the Day" - #50 1966 "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" - #36 1966 "Sunny Afternoon" - #14 1966 "Dead End Street" - #73 1967 "Mister Pleasant" - #80 1969 "Victoria" - #62 1970 "Lola" - #9 1970 "Apeman" - #45 1971"20th Century Man" - #106 1972 "Supersonic Rocket Ship" - #111 1973 "One Of The Survivors" - #108 1977 "Sleepwalker" - #48 1978 "A Rock 'N Roll Fantasy" - #30 1979 "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" - #41 1980 "Lola (Live)" - #81 1981 "Better Things" - #92 1981 "Destroyer" - #85 1982 "Come Dancing" - #6 1983 "Don't Forget - #41 Factoid: Dave Davies was responsible for creating the signature distorted power chord riff on The Kinks' first hit, "You Really Got Me". He achieved the sound by slitting the speaker cone on his Elpico amplifier, which he then ran through a larger Vox as a "pre-amp". "Catch Me Now I'm Falling" http://media-convert.com/convert/?xid=7-yihshbhl

Buh... I don't remember that episode, shack.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Nov 22, 2009 -> 02:36 AM) so theres a UFC thread and a wrestling thread but no boxing thread...whats up with that??? Start one.

The alumni and administration are the culprits not Joe fan. If someone offered you cash for something even though you weren't as good as you used to be, would you take it?

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Nov 21, 2009 -> 11:45 PM) notre dmae is goin to a bcs game dude!! their skeduel is so e-z!!!!!!1 I said if they don't go to a BCS game that he's fired. The schedule was a 8-9 win schedule if they had played like they know that they can.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 22, 2009 -> 12:40 AM) I just avoid all concessions when i go to movies anymore. It really is absolutely ridiculous the amount they charge you for the quality of food you recieve(and I am talking hot food like hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels, nachos as well as the fountain drinks, which apparently all movie theatres agreed no longer need carbonation and require double the syrup....for every flavor and brand). Going to a movie seems just as expensive as going to a baseball game. We have a nice small theater in my town. First run films, $5-6 tickets, self serve popcorn and pop, free refills. $3.00 matinees. Only downside, they don't always get the blockbusters right away. http://wonderlandcinema.mooretheatres.com/

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Nov 22, 2009 -> 12:13 AM) His knees are toast, at this point in his career he's a full time DH. That really limits his teams, then.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Nov 21, 2009 -> 11:53 PM) He is a very good bunter. That will definitely help to Ozzie's liking. The only problem with that: if he's sent out to pinch hit, the other team knows to expect a bunt, because they know that he can't hit.

http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/93193?fp=1