In the luminous realm of rock 'n' roll, few stars have shone as brightly and uniquely as Ray Davies. On this, his 80th birthday, we at Grateful Web raise our glasses and our hearts to the man who has not only weathered the shifting tides of musical eras but has shaped them with a poetic touch and a keenly observant eye.

To mark its 50th anniversary, The Kinks today announce a special release of Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire - out October 25th on BMG, which includes previously unreleased track "The Future" - 

Since the The Kinks last played together in 1996, their music has been used in movie soundtracks (i.e., Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited) and commercials, and has been cited as influential by rising pop bands like Oasis (who have since imploded.)  This exposure has turned a whole new generation of fans on to The Kinks’ extensive catalogue of pop hits and guitar driven mash-ups.