# The British invasion band Ray Davies thinks were out of The Kinks’ league: “Playing a totally different game”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-british-invasion-band-ray-davies-thinks-were-out-of-the-kinks-league-playing-a-totally-different-game/
- Published: 2026-10-26T09:03:01+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-26T09:54:26+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/british-invasion-band-ray-davies-thinks-were-out-of-the-kinks-league/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music, UK, World

## Key points

- Davies saw The Kinks and The Who as playing different games.
- He felt The Who pursued greater international success.
- The Kinks took risks despite limited US reach.

## Summary

Ray Davies believes The Kinks and The Who shared roots and some musical ambitions, but were pursuing different paths rather than competing in the same league. His view matters because it frames their contrasting careers: The Who sought broad international success, while The Kinks took risks and remained more closely associated with Britain.

Davies said The Who’s early incarnation, The High Numbers, opened for The Kinks, and he expected them to become outstanding. He described The Kinks as less successful in America and more willing to fail, while The Who and Led Zeppelin were, in his view, built to succeed; he also said he and Pete Townshend respect each other’s privacy.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.