The Kinks - Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains

[MarkBlemish]

Love it, one of my fave albums have a stereo DJ version I got at a garage sale.

[MusicJew158]

Jesus christ I love the part where they all speed up

[IrisInTwilight]

I can't believe all the comments alluding to this song being about trains.

[currypot1965]

Fantastic song!!!!

Who else could write and sing about trains,yet make it into a great tune?

Love the pick up at 2-30 onwards.

Blimey they wrote some brilliant songs

[bfmv4evr88]

wery cool song

my favoryte classic rock song

[maclennan73]

Blues music is always associated with trains, only a genius would turn it into a political pop song with such a concise and candid point highlighting the frightening speed at which the modern world is moving and changing , that genius was Raymond Douglas Davies

[bwc3821]

The opening almost sounds like CCR. Anyone else agree?

[wweecwcollin]

@bwc3821 sounds like howlin wolf

[sbarr10]

Ahhh, a song dedicated to the end of the steam locamotive era. So wonderfully Kinks, celebrating the old traditions.

[fuckettibrucia]

ooooooooooohhhhhh smokestack lightnin'

[missionrd100]

Love it. Howlin' Davies.

Pete Townshend used to say that in the early days his first songs were deliberate Kinks knock-offs. I wish Ray and Dave would sit in with the Who.

[kentcrawf]

THIS SONG IS THE BEST!!

[tauseptcommando]

CHOOOOO CHOOOOOOOO!!!

[Biniou7]

Before about 1979 or so, just about every rock 'n' roller, no matter where he was from, was trying his best to sound like a Mississippi bluesman.

The Kinks succeeded admirably at that task here.

[bbqplatypus318]

I agree. They totally nailed the "Smokestack Lightning" vibe on this song.

[TheTrooper80]

i like it!! rock adio

[almostswedish]

they need to have a complete the kinks on itunes

[TheGregWoodBand]

So diggin this one, thanks!

[nbarrett100]

great song

[londonthistle]

one of my favourite kinks songs. amazing :)

[whitestripebuzz]

the kinks getting bluesey?! oh hell yes.

[jenzeppelin]

wow it's great finding this on here - thanks so much for posting!

[LaMarurin]

To me it sounds a LOT like green river. Love both songs tho... XD

[mocktheflock]

Aha. So that's how Creedence was born

[WolfieVilans]

It speeds up like the Easybeats song Station on third avenue, which is about trains as well.

[martykate]

It's so hard to believe this album only sold 25,000 copies world wide when the quality of the material was so excellent. There is NO one like Ray Davies! God save the Kinks and Preserve Ray Davies!

[sbarr10]

Pye Records was not happy with album sales from the prior two albums and screwed up the release of VGPS.

Ray probably did not make it easy as he yanked the album back to tweak it after Pye had announced an initial release date.

Still, releasing this, without any publicity, at the same time the Beatles White Album came out was stupid.

Perhaps VGPS might have sold better if the release had been delayed a little longer so they could have a release window more to themselves.

[EmpZappa66]

@martykate It's somewhat excusable back then because people had such a wide selection of great albums, unlike nowadays where good albums are purposely suppressed to make it easier to market schlock.

[CoryStuteville]

Could have turned into a Smokestack Lightning jam...

[Dave66xx]

A total metaphor for Ray and his Kinks. At this point most of Ray's peers, including the Beatles, where off on their ego, lsd induced trips, jumping on the hippie band wagon. But good old Ray was still writing absolute gems with a clear, precise, geniune mind. An island on to himself, the man's a genius!!!

[1960unclemort]

@Dave66xx i think ray davies was the odd one out of all the 60s songwriters .he actually criticised the beatles saying they were a good rock band until the record company got hold of them a lot of others would`nt dare say that

[colophos]

Thank for posting one of my favourite songs from the VGPS.

Good to see the boys having fun....-)

[sbarr10]

What a great train-rhythm song. Thanks for posting!

[minutegongcoughs]

Profound. Always liked this track. Nothing got pass Ray Davies.

[bond23975]

rate me 1-10 V

[Livesteam45]

00 then?

[taxmonkey123]

Awesome song, one of the strongest tracks on Village Green.

[jayfey77]

i disagree this is the only song i dont like on this album.well this and the title track i dont like.but all the other songs on this album are great.

[MEJ3783]

Great Song! The Kinks marking a nearly forgotten important social/historical event- Summer 1968, the final withdrawl of the last mainline steam trains in Britain.

[bankan01]

This is NOT a video. Why do you put this crap up on youtube. I love this band and their songs but I hate people tryin to find something out of them. PEOPLE be WARNED!

[bankan01]

This is NOT a video. Why do you put this crap up on youtube. I love this band and their songs but I hate people tryin to find something out of them. PEOPLE be WARNED!

[jwattie]

Genius from start to finish!

[imgooley]

Gotta love that Smokestack Lightning riff.

[wolfmother27]

Attention CoolPomegranate: thank you soo much dude! every time i search for a kinks song that i dont think will be on youtube, you got me covered. lol. such great music.

[IceCork90]

why does it sound exactly like susie q, good song.

[everybodysgreen]

it does sound like Suzie Q

[CoolPomegranate]

Anytime. :)

[Groundhogmusic]

Thanks for posting this song. My band is always looking for rare material to cover and this is a gem. Cheers.

[Groundhogmusic]

Thanks for posting this song. My band is always looking for rare material to cover and this is a gem. Cheers.