The 1967 masterpiece Ray Davies and Keith Richards believe is nonsense: “They got carried away”
Far Out Magazine revisits long-standing criticism of a landmark 1967 album, highlighting that two of rock's most respected songwriters, The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards and The Kinks' Ray Davies, have separately dismissed it as overrated. Despite its status as one of the most celebrated records of the era, both musicians have argued that the studio experimentation and psychedelic ambition it is famous for came at the expense of solid songwriting, with the suggestion being that the band "got carried away" chasing novelty over substance.
The piece frames this as a rare point of agreement between two songwriters who represented different, sometimes rival, strands of British rock in the 1960s. It suggests their shared scepticism carries particular weight because both were prolific hitmakers of the period themselves, making their dissent from the era's critical consensus notable rather than dismissible. The article positions their comments as a counterpoint to the album's usual reputation as a groundbreaking masterpiece.
- Keith Richards and Ray Davies both call a 1967 album overrated.
- They argue studio experimentation overshadowed strong songwriting.
- Their shared criticism is notable given their own 1960s hit-making success.