BROTHERS IN ARMS: Oh, So Good and Oh, So Fine

Oasis get a lot of flak for wearing their influences on their sleeves, but you can't fault their taste: they've borrowed or stolen outright from the cream of British rock, from the Beatles to the Faces. But they also owe a great debt to another band comprised of stoned-looking (or just stoned) English brothers: the Kinks.

The Kinks formed in 1963. Led by Ray and Dave Davies, and augmented by the rhythm section of Mick Avory and Pete Quaife, they introduced a rough, sarcastic edge to the British Invasion. Their gritty sound on hits like "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night" planted the seeds for punk and heavy metal. Pete Townshend has admitted that the Who's earliest hits were basically Kinks ripoffs, and filmmaker Wes Anderson frequently uses the group's songs in his acclaimed films.

The band's greatest weapon was Ray Davies and his wicked pen. Ray's witty, biting songs were richly detailed short stories set to music. Cockney slang colors "Harry Rag," "Village Green Preservation Society" lampoons British conservatism, and "A Well Respected Man" exposes the hollowness of a class-conscious society. He could be sweet, though, with ballads like "Days" and the great "Waterloo Sunset." The latter tells of a young man observing the world from his window, and of two lovers, who don't need money, for as "long as they gaze on Waterloo sunset/They are in paradise."

Dave wasn't in the same league as his older brother, but he was no slouch, writing catchy rockers like "Love Me 'til the Sun Shines" and "Mindless Child of Motherhood." But the creative inequality between the Davies boys strained their relationship, as did the group's fluctuating fortunes. After a few years of theatrical meandering in the mid-to-late 1970s, the band enjoyed a revival as an arena rock act that lasted into the '80s. But soon the group fell out of favor again, and 1993's Phobia failed to reignite interest in the band. After another tour, the Kinks were no more.

The solo years have been a mixed bag for the Davies brothers. They've both released well-regarded projects of their own. In 2004, though, Dave had a stroke and Ray was shot by a mugger. Both have recovered. Now come on, guys, nothing like a near-death experience to make you realize how precious life is, right? Now give your brother a call and plan another tour. Please?

TODAY'S RECOMMENDATION: "Waterloo Sunset" by the Kinks
AVAILABLE ON: Something Else by the Kinks