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Kink: An Autobiography
by
Dave Davies
In a raw and riveting, completely candid autobiography, Dave Davies, co-founder of the legendary, ever-popular English rock band The Kinks, delves into the turbulence of his own amazing life: sex, drugs, and rock and roll; his famous feuds with brother Ray; and an insider's life in the steamy center of the music scene. of photos.
Paperback
,
288 pages
Published
February 16th 1998
by Hyperion
(first published 1996)
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Community Reviews
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Dear Dave Davies: I don't know. You are a brilliant guitar player, you wrote some great songs, and you seem like a pretty decent guy. I loved hearing the stories behind songs like "See My Friends" and "David Watts" and "Arthur" and your evident love for your family, friends & country is charming. But when you started talking about your psychic powers and telepathic communication with invisible beings from outer space, you kind of lost me. So you get only 2 1/2 stars, sorry. Next time, maybe
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Not half way through yet. TMI - interesting but there is a great deal here that I don't want to know about. yuck.
OK I finished. This is an interesting read if you are a fan, but I can't say it is a good book overall. As an educator I am familiar with Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligences, but Dave Davies Theory of Multiple Intelligences was just too much for me. Had to skim that chapter as well as most of the last chapter. Ironically after that Dave took offence when people dismissed him as ...more
OK I finished. This is an interesting read if you are a fan, but I can't say it is a good book overall. As an educator I am familiar with Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligences, but Dave Davies Theory of Multiple Intelligences was just too much for me. Had to skim that chapter as well as most of the last chapter. Ironically after that Dave took offence when people dismissed him as ...more
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 consciousnesses, can’t maintain a caring relationship with anyone (least of all brother Ray), and is generally spoiled and self-centered. What a jerk!
Perhaps u ...more
Perhaps u ...more
Great straight ahead autobiography about the Kinks. Amazing stories that involve everyone from Keith Moon, to Brian Jones, John Lennon, and so on. Paints a vivid picture of the period and that particular scene. And of course, Dave is way far out there! So much so, that he later describes his encounters with aliens! Good Read.
Dave Davies is a "rock star's rock star." He's guilty of all the excesses of the profession, probably slightly, mad, and a wonderful guy for all that. Most of the criticism of him comes from people who, I suspect, don't know either the business or the lifestyle except as outsiders. Judge him as one will, everything in this book rings true....
See my full review at http://newsoutherngentleman.wordpress... - link at my Goodreads page. Thanks for stopping by....
See my full review at http://newsoutherngentleman.wordpress... - link at my Goodreads page. Thanks for stopping by....
I've liked the kinks for a long time, and always gave all the credit to frontman Ray Davies. Dave was just the guy who did "Death of a Clown", right? Wrong. He wrote some of the Kinks' best music and went uncredited by his unappreciative brother. (This is Dave's story, I have yet to read Ray's book.)
The book opens with a bang -- Dave is rocking out, and destroying hotel rooms, getting out of his mind drunk, and fucking everyone, and co-creating songs that Paul McCartney wishes he wrote. And whe ...more
The book opens with a bang -- Dave is rocking out, and destroying hotel rooms, getting out of his mind drunk, and fucking everyone, and co-creating songs that Paul McCartney wishes he wrote. And whe ...more
I loved the Kinks in my teenage years and was really pleased to find this out of print book in a bookshop on a National Trust Property for the amazing price of 50p.
Unlike some biographies I've read where some things are glossed over, this really seems to be a very honest, warts and all life story. The many clashes between Dave and his brother Ray are legendary but I think that Dave being the youngest child in the family got spoilt by his mother, had women and hangers on telling him how great he ...more
Unlike some biographies I've read where some things are glossed over, this really seems to be a very honest, warts and all life story. The many clashes between Dave and his brother Ray are legendary but I think that Dave being the youngest child in the family got spoilt by his mother, had women and hangers on telling him how great he ...more
I found this to be an easy read full of interesting information on the Kinks, unlike his brother's book, which was a novelization of his life. But I was lost somewhere near the end with all the hippie crap. I skimmed most of it. But it was interesting to read Dave's perspective on his brother Ray. The jealousy from childhood to mental breakdowns to his reaction to his mother's death. If you are a Kinks fan and love the songs, you should definitely give this book a try.
Poor Dave . . . . still harbouring resentment toward his brother, Ray, for "stealing" his thunder with The kinks. That, and a chapter that seriously points to strong evidence of Dave's schizophrenia, make this more of a tragic tale than the joyful celebration of one of rock's most gifted and influential groups it was surely intended to be.
My full and detailed review is on my website at
http://rnrchemist.blogspot.com/2014/0...
Essential reading, along with Ray's two books, for any Kinks fan. Dave's book is more straightforward, but no less informative, enjoyable, and interesting.
Essential reading, along with Ray's two books, for any Kinks fan. Dave's book is more straightforward, but no less informative, enjoyable, and interesting.
From memory I enjoyed this more than Ray's book ,yes Dave definitely lived the rock n roll lifestyle while Ray sat at home and wrote the songs.Many tales of band infighting, illegitimate children etc but Dave Davies comes across as quite a nice down to earth person if just a tad mad!
I love the Kinks and Dave is my favorite Kink. An utter madman, its amazing he remembers enough to write a book. Not as well written as Ray's book, its also less pretentious and more straight forward. Drifts off toward the end when Dave starts seeing UFOs and what not.
Interesting, and fun to learn about the most underrated of The Big 4 British Invasion bands, but a little too martyr-ish for this reader...
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