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Kink: An Autobiography

Kink: An Autobiography

List Price: $13.95
Your Price: $11.16
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dave's a genius.
Review: "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.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Was a very personal account of a real person.
Review: Although I bought this book to find out the stories behind the Kink's music, such as Lola and other hits, Dave Davies spent most of the book telling of his days of debauchery. But I came away feeling almost like I knew him, because he told his story, however pathetic at times, in a very pesonable, unaffected way. The driving force behind the Kinks is really the screwed-up relationship between Dave and his genius brother, Ray. I would recommend it to any Kinks fan.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: funny ha-ha, or just ... funny
Review: Although presented as an "outrageous" true story of a rock-and-roll party-animal, this book is best viewed as a cautionary tale of how unfettered drugs, sex and money can turn a poor boy into an irresponsible, paranoid, delusional madman. Toward the end of the book, Davies finds "redemption" in the occult, believes he's inhabited by alien conciousnesses, can't maintain a caring relationship with anyone (least of all brother Ray), and is generally spoiled and self-centered. What a jerk!

Perhaps unsurprisingly, he seems blissfully unaware that his "bad behavior" over the years could have affected anyone other than himself. This proves to be the books fatal flaw, for at least if Davies displayed some genuine self-examination this book would be more than just a self-serving batch of excuses. But Davies offers no genuine insight into the rock-and-roll mindset, and seems quite incapable of it. Still, there's some moderately interesting gossip here, even if Davies lacks the courage to name the worst offenders. And some of the more over-the-top bits are quite funny, if unintentionally so.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Space Aliens Kidnapped My Hero
Review: Dave Davies is as important a figure in 60s rock as anyone, but unfortunately you never get a sense of his genius from this autobiography. Except for an entertaining recounting of the genesis of "You Really Got Me," there are very few stories behind all the great music, which leads me to believe Dave really can't remember making "Muswell Hillbillies" or "Arthur." Even the tales of sex and drugs aren't as interesting as you'd like. And when he gets into his spiritual rebirth/alien encounters, I found myself heading straight for the discography in the back of the book.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good music doesn't necessarily beget good writing...
Review: Dave Davies' book is good simply because it talks about all those things that Ray didn't in his autobiography. And I only recommend this book as a companion piece to 'X-Ray' because to be perfectly frank, it's kind of a stinker.

As a writer, Dave is serviceable...telling us what we want to know with a minimum of flowery language and a barrage of exclamation points and embarassing asides. But if you want to know what the Kinks were thinking when they nose-dived in the 80's...this will help.

Much has been made of Dave's claims of visitation by an unnameable intelligence. And yeah, it's strange and I don't really believe it...i believe he believes it....but it's not really the point of reading this book...unless you like to laugh at your rock stars (i do! i do!)

A nice glance into the hedonistic excesses of rock star life, but one that paints a fairly unflattering portrait of Dave. An interesting view into the brother dynamic but without any real insight or information.

All in all, it made time pass.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: kink fans will not be disapointed
Review: daves account of what happened in the kinks as well as his views and opinions on his brother, the music buisness, and his own spirituality. the book is told in a manner in which it makes you feel at times you were there and his visualization of pivotal times in his and the band's life will explain alot (albeit daves side)of the volitle relationshp between him and his brother ray. highly reccomended!!!!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: 'Kink' is an understatement
Review: Having listened to and lusted after Dave Davies for over 20 years, I was extremely curious to read the auto-bio of the "Jan Brady" of the fabulous Kinks. I was surprised and amused at his early escapades, but what overwhelmed me was his shameless attitude towards his hedonism, infidelity, and general confusion of why his genius brother Ray treats him as he does. And still, he ends his book sounding like a man happy with his life and at peace with himself. When I was first done reading it, I wasn't sure if I was happy or upset that I now knew so much about him, but that's pretty much how Dave seems to make people feel. But I went right back to playing his solo stuff, so he is still a welcome entity in my psyche. All in all, entertaining. God save the Kinks!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: It's the "Quiet One" You Have to Be Careful Of
Review: Having listened to and lusted after Dave Davies for over 20 years, I was extremely curious to read the auto-bio of the "Jan Brady" of the fabulous Kinks. I was surprised and amused at his early escapades, but what overwhelmed me was his shameless attitude towards his hedonism, infidelity, and general confusion of why his genius brother Ray treats him as he does. And still, he ends his book sounding like a man happy with his life and at peace with himself. When I was first done reading it, I wasn't sure if I was happy or upset that I now knew so much about him, but that's pretty much how Dave seems to make people feel. But I went right back to playing his solo stuff, so he is still a welcome entity in my psyche. All in all, entertaining. God save the Kinks!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: 'Kink' is an understatement
Review: I actually didn't quite finish this book. All the occult bs was getting on my nerves. Why does he believe so strongly that he was "visited" by an alien inteligence when he was, by his own admission, out of his mind on drugs at the time. Ya ever hear of drug induced hallucinations Dave? This book just about put me off reading about the lives of my favorite musicians. Alot of it was interesting but alot was unsettling too. Dave, your a great guitar player and we all love you for that but some things you should've kept to yourself.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Add 2 stars if you're a Kinks fan
Review: I'm a huge Kinks fan so this was a Must-Read for me. Dave's book demonstrates that he is/was weird, bitter, and sexually depraved. The book fan will capture Kinks fans like myself, but I suspect that other readers may be disgusted with Dave and sympathize with brother/lead-singer Ray. Even I found Dave's chapter about his communication with space aliens over the top.


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