I like music that is not right in the middle of the time, is bit out of step with the main sound of the time but is not to said alternative. Maybe it’s because I’m an awkward cuss. This time, I’d like to introduce some music that is not one of the big three, but is still “the best” in my opinion.

Big 3 UK rock bands (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who) 　

I meet a lot of Beatles manias, Stones lovers and Who devotees, but I rarely meet Kinks freaks. But I can’t stop loving The Kinks. I love everything about them, from the early hard mod Kinks, to the twisted and slightly off kilter Kinks, to the days when they started making concept albums that I didn’t understand the story, to the last time they went back to rock and roll. I love the simple but rich melodies and the songs that go on 30 degrees diagonally . And for me, Ray Davis is the Englishman. Let’s start with this song, which was their first step in a different direction from main stream.

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But I don’t know how can I write lyrics like “Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze I gotta big fat mama trying to break me”?

Big 3 London punks (Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned)　

Pistols started out rejecting the UK rock that came before them, but The Jam is straight out of the Mods. Not certainly, I remember that Paul Weller was called a nostalgist. The clothes were totally different. It was like Otis Redding at Monterey who sang in a green suit to the flower children who decorated the flower on the head. At least their clothes were not torn. But it’s Paul who I think is the coolest, in his suit, playing a very edgy guitar and struggling to sing. Rough but rich melodies and cool guitars, that’s all is needed to make rock and roll. This time I’d like to introduce this song that they have grown away from punk itself, but mod and Motown influences are starting to show through.

The Kinks were inspired by Punks to return to simple rock from concept album and put out ‘One for the road’, a live album like gunpowder with a lit fuse that could hold its own against any Punk band. This is another must-listen. This song was covered by The Jam, but this The Kinks’ desperate live performances are far more punk than The Jam.

Big 3 female jazz vocalists (Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan)

　If you look at my shelves of CDs, you will find that the majority of them are sung by men. It’s not that I’m conscious of it. But when it comes to jazz songs, it’s the women who dominate. I love all three of them called Big 3, and it’s interesting because I’m in a different state of mind when I want to listen to each of them. To be honest, I don’t listen to Sarah very often. I listen to Carmen McRae much more than Sarah. Her low, threatening tone voice has more blues feeling in it than the other three. I can almost hear the cigarette smoke coming out of her voices. The voice and singing style of the 70’s is more haunting than her early days. Here’s a song I’ll love to hear again and again, starting with just vocal and bass. The moment Joe Pass’ guitar comes in is jazz itself !

I’m sure I’ll be able to write more in this series, so I’ll try to write more from time to time. 5 big Progressive rock bands, the 3 big guitarists, the 3 big KINGs and so on. You’ll have to wait and see who comes out.

Finally, my song. This is completely unrelated to the 3 big blah-blah-blah. I select this song because this song words contain the title of the most famous Kinks song. So, which song is it ?

Love is edge of
Lyrics: KANEKO Chalin

Full moon tonight
None of stars in sky
My heat has gone
I’m purely alone
I’m drinking craft beer
All I wait is you my dear
With me Nothing comes along
I’m purely alone

Right now
You stay in only photo slide
Tell me how
To make it through tonight

Oh baby, Love is the edge of gladness
Oh baby, Love is the edge of darkness
Oh baby, Love is every being
Dear my baby, you are everything

In the dark I wear shades
I got no chance to raise
My heat has gone
I’m purely alone

Now left few
In my head sunset of Waterloo
Vibration of my phone
Now I was reborn

I’m on fire
My heart starts to melt
I’m not here
I am back to a man you held

Oh baby, Love is the edge of gladness
Oh baby, Love is the edge of darkness
Oh baby, Love is every being
Dear my baby, you are everything