Dave Davies - Rock Bottom: Live at the Bottom Line 
Koch Entertainment
Rating

The Kinks were one of the original hard rock bands. Sure their albums weren't too heavy, but their live shows were explosive. The man behind that explosive sound was guitarist and founding member Dave Davies. In 1998 he performed two shows at New York's legendary Bottom Line which were recorded for posterity. The result is the 27-track album that showcases Davies crowd-pleasing talents. His guitar playing is as fresh today as when the Kinks recorded classics like "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of The Night". In fact, Davies has matured as a guitarist as he continues as one of the most under-rated players of his generation. Davies also provided the lead vocals. Although a little a rough at points, his vocals complement the live, heavy feel of the music perfectly on the two Kinks mega-hits "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of The Night" as well as the sixties classic "Money". 

Davies pays tribute to the music that influenced him and an entire generation of English guitarist with the smoking blues of "Milk Cow Blues". Another high point of the album is "Living on a Thin Line" with it's beautifully melodic harmonies. Davies hit single from the British charts "Death of A Clown" also is a standout. 

Very few live albums live up to the experience of actually being at the show. Rock Bottom doesn't fall into that trap. Baby boomers who grew up with Davies will enjoy this live collection. The overall sound is powerful enough to capture the attention of younger listeners as well.  On the Live album scale this CD earns a 5 out of 5. 
 

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