Kink: An Autobiography

by Dave Davies

Book Overview

The co-founder of the long-lived English rock group The Kinks recounts his turbulent life in the whirlpool of pop stardom, his notorious feuds with his brother and band-mate, Ray, and his long affair with singer Chrissie Hynde.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786861495
• ISBN13: 9780786861491
• Release Date: February 1997
• Publisher: Da Capo
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.5"
• Age Range: 18 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Postsecondary to Grade 12

Customer Reviews

Honest View from Younger Brother

This book is written in the most honest account of what had happened to the younger Davies brother. Sure, he talks a lot about his sex life and "extraterrestrial" experiences, but at least it's honest. Being a huge Kinks fan and collector, I found this book absolutely fascinating. When X-Ray and Kink are placed next to each other, it's easy to see who's telling the truth and who's exaggerating. This book, Kink, gives the reader a different view on Ray, who turns out to be a cold, manipulative and cruel person. It makes you sympathize with Dave, who tells his story in actual events and experiences. Nobody's perfect, especially the Davies brothers. This is a must read for any Kinks fan!

Retro-perspective in great detail, A true Kink

Dave writes from his very heart and soul with strong emotion and great sincerity and insight about hiw legendary battles with brother Ray. He gives the reader great indepth detail about his touring days as a prime example of the legendary sex, drugs and rock & roll in high gear and to the limits of maximum excess. Dave is a brilliant composer, inovative lead guitarist and overall musician on his own and the merits of his own work stands up well to the test of time. The compositional problem that Dave faced was that he happened to be member of the legendary Kinks with his brother Ray who is without question one of the greatest pop poet storyteller's in the business and his work to this day still exhibits that very fact. Dave goes on to discuss his and Ray's early school days, his relationship with his family, his many loves, his children and many other interesting issues and topics near and dear to Dave's heart. He write's about his thoughts and involvement in areas such as religion, politics, the occult, UFO hunting and many other fascinating subjects. Dave does tell The Kinks story from his point of view in which one has to assume is very accurate, stunning, amazing and incredibly interesting to say the least. From a literary standpoint the reader has to respect and appreciate the beautiful piece of musical and artistic literary history that this book represents. A highly recommended read and very entertaining. I hope that Dave write's a book of lyrical poetry at some point.

GREAT BOOK ABOUT THE KINKS, BY KINKS FOUNDER DAVE DAVIES!

Now here is a great book about life in The Kinks. Dave Davies who founded The Kinks with his brother Ray in the early '60shas written his autobiography. The book is simply titled Kink/Hyperion Books and is a must read for every Kinks fan theworld over. The legendary Kinks guitartist/Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer tells his story from life as a child in the Daviesfamily, the formation of The Kinks, their success at the top , their lows at the bottom, the constant bickering between him & Ray, his spiritual quest and his own role as a family man. He gets right to the point on his and The Kinks past & future as ofthe mid '90s. This book came out in '96 so it makes you wonder if a follow up book may appear somewhere in the future. Hewrote this book in a very simple, easy to read fashion without drifting off into fantasyland, somewhat like brother Ray's bookX-Ray . His story is that of joy and pain, heaven and hell and shows his rise, decline and rise again over the years both as aband member and as a person. And he makes no bones about the constant feuding between him and Ray and his strugglefighting his own personal demons that have finally been put to rest. Sounds like The Kinks tune "State Of Confusion" to adegree. A complete Kinks/Dave discography is featured along with lots of unpublished pixs. I highly recommend this book toanyone whether they are a Kinks fan or not. It is a wonderfully written book by someone who has lived the music life as aperformer in one of the most loved Rock 'N' Roll bands of all time. He sets the tone with the view of 'outside looking in' & 'inside looking out'. No rose colored glasses here. Just direct and to the point with a lot of humor! Honestly, as Dave told mein an interview... 'I wrote this book for the fans, not the critics. Because after all these years the fans are still there. I wrote itfor them and I wanted to set the record straight on a lot of things.' Remember Dave's '84 Kinks tune "Living On A Thin Line"or his '93 tune "Close To The Wire"? Well, that title rings very true with this book. A Must!

Dave's a genius.

"Kink" may not be as literate or as cerebral as "X-Ray," but it offers a very personal insight into Dave Davies' life as the greatest guitarist in rock history. The most compelling aspect of this book is Dave's straight forward, almost conversational narrative. After reading it, I really felt like I got to know this great man.

A forthright, entertaining, and thought-provoking tale.

This story of Dave Davies and the perennial underdogs of rock music, The Kinks, starts off more or less as what you would expect. A tell-all, sometimes scary and often extremely funny, story of the wild excesses of the '60s rock scene. But as Dave evolved as a person, the story evolves into a tale of one man's spiritual quest. I recommend this book not just to fans of rock music and of The Kinks, but to those who are interested in alternative spirituality.