Finally! A Kinks tribute

The Kinks are the greatest band in the world -- at least that's what Sub Pop says in its press release for Give the People What We Want. But they're right. More pop than The Who, more sincere than the Stones and, in some circles, cooler than The Beatles -- Ray and Dave Davies penned some of the catchiest, most tuneful records of the 1960s and beyond. Who among us can say that they haven't at least once bobbed their head to "You Really Got Me," danced and chuckled to "Lola" or put "Come Dancing" on repeat. Well, maybe not that last one, but nevertheless The Kinks left an indelible mark on the rock and roll landscape.\nSo finally a proper tribute is available, showcasing bands and sounds as diverse as The Kinks' influence and is far-reaching and focuses mostly on obscurities of the band's better 1960s work. Two Seattle bands, Model Rockets and The Fallouts, submit the poppiest cover versions of the tribute, 1966's "Ring the Bells" and 1969's "This Man He Weeps Tonight." Grunge-progenitor Mudhoney provides a rendition of "Who Will Be the Next in Line" that practically belies its reputation as bile-spitting, heavy-handed rockers, and The Briefs punk-up "Come Dancing" till it's almost indistinguishable.\nBut the most interesting tunes here are the ones that most deconstruct; those that take the original, chew it up and spit it back out again in slightly different form. Mark Lanegan (formerly of Screaming Trees) steps up his version of "Nothin' in World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'bout That Girl" brilliantly with organ, bluesy acoustic guitar strumming and his ever-gravely voice sounding of too much cigarettes and cognac. Equally superb, The Murder City Devils resurrect "Alcohol," a tale of life devastation at the hands of libation, by practically yelling the words of despair as if on his knees begging forgiveness of his sins. And Baby Gramps, providing no doubt the most unique rendition on this disc, covers "Sunny Afternoon" as might a toothless, penniless wino with a broken guitar. \nIf Give the People What We Want proves only one thing, it proves it well. Even though the '60s were a long, long time ago, The Kinks were, and always will be, one of the best bands in the world.