Misfits is the seventeenth studio album by the English rock band the Kinks, released in 1978. Following the minor success of Sleepwalker in the United States, Misfits featured a more rock-oriented style than many other Kinks records of the 1970s. It was their last album to feature pianist John Gosling and the only one to feature bassist Andy Pyle as a member, both of whom quit the band following internal conflicts. Despite this, the album made the Top 40 in America. The album also contained the minor hit single "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy", as well as less successful releases "Live Life" and "Black Messiah".
Misfits was the second album by the Kinks recorded for Arista Records, the record company the band switched to from RCA Records in 1976, and continued the band's commercial comeback in the US.
For Misfits Andy Pyle replaced longtime bassist John Dalton who quit the band during the recording of Sleepwalker.
The album was recorded at Konk Studios in London following the band's tumultuous 1977 tour. Several of the album's songs, such as "Hay Fever", "In a Foreign Land", and "Black Messiah", were leftovers from the band's previous 1977 album, Sleepwalker. "In a Foreign Land" (which featured Dalton on bass), specifically, was in the planned running order until late in recording. Instead it was replaced with the late addition "Mr. Big Man".
Due to conflicts between Ray Davies and Andy Pyle, the latter began contemplating leaving the band. Gosling, also wanting to leave the band since Dalton's resignation, began to work with Pyle over plans to form another band. However, when Ray Davies caught wind of the project, he began to intervene. Gosling remembered, "We [me and Pyle] rehearsed and held auditions at the Bridge House pub in Canning Town. It was exhilarating, like starting over. But Ray somehow found out and started giving me a hard time during my last overdub sessions for Misfits." Per Dave Davies, the band had practically disbanded:
After recording was done both Pyle and Gosling departed for good. Zaine Griff and Ron Lawrence did bass overdubs for some songs. In addition, founding drummer Mick Avory also considered leaving, and became a less active participant, leaving Dave Davies's friend Nick Trevisick to drum on three songs and session drummer Clem Cattini to do overdubs. However, Avory stayed with the band until 1984.
Although it was unable to chart in Britain, Misfits reached No. 40 in America. The debut single from the album, "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy", was also a minor hit in the US, reaching No. 30. Follow-up singles "Live Life" and "Black Messiah" (the latter a British-only release), however, failed to make an impact.
Rolling Stone wrote: "Thanks to Ray Davies, Misfits is very nearly a masterpiece because it anatomizes rather than glorifies Davies' role as 'One of the Survivors', as the Kinks sang five years ago."
Note: Many non-UK pressings of the album swap the positions of "Live Life" and "Black Messiah", as well as using an edited version of "Live Life" running 3:12. However, the 1998 CD reissue, among other select pressings, uses the UK track listing.
The Kinks
Other musicians
Production