The Kinks – Sunny Afternoon

Vancouver has had more than a few sunny afternoons lately, so I thought I’d share a favourite tune. The Kinks brilliant Sunny Afternooon hardly looks like it was shot in The Bahamas with all the snowy surroundings and winter dress. The song is featured on the great Face to Face LP, and began one of the greatest (under-celebrated) creative period of any band. Allmusic.com deservedly gives 5 out of 5 stars to nearly every record below.

• Face to Face (1966)
• Something Else by the Kinks (1967)
• The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968)
• Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (1969)
• Lola vs Powerman And The Moneygoround (1970)

The Kinks almost mysteriously disappeared from the North American pop scene during this pivotal period, only charting again in 1970 with Lola. These records have been available on import, but nearly impossible to find in mainstream record stores for a generation. I have many of the songs on vinyl, but would love a properly re-mastered digital collection of these great records.
The singles Victoria and Waterloo Sunset are about as perfect as rock music gets. Too bad they don’t get the play their contemporaries, such as the The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, do to this day.