Dave Davies Criticizes Van Halen’s Cover of “You Really Got Me”—“It Misses the Point of the Song”
via Dave Davies - Topic / YouTube
Guitar Style and Influence
Dave Davies, guitarist for The Kinks, shaped rock music with his sharp power chords and gritty distortion. His sound stood out, and other guitar legends took notice. Pete Townshend from The Who once said that “You Really Got Me” inspired him to write “I Can’t Explain” with a similar energy and style.
Davies’ influence didn’t stop there. Guitarists like Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton were drawn to his raw tone, which was more aggressive than what most were playing at the time. Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath credited Davies as one of his early influences, especially for helping shape the heavy riffing that became part of Sabbath’s signature sound.
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Van Halen’s Cover and Davies’ Reaction
Eddie Van Halen was one of many who admired the Kinks. Van Halen covered two of the band’s songs—“You Really Got Me” in 1978 and “Where Have All the Good Times Gone” in 1982. While Davies appreciated the attention, he didn’t exactly praise Van Halen’s version of their breakthrough hit.
“It’s always very flattering for people to copy you, but it’s only music, isn’t it?” Davies said in a 1990 Guitar Player interview. “We’ve been copied more than a lot of people would care to admit. Ray’s music has impressed upon and influenced a lot of people in many different ways, but that’s good.”
Still, he felt something was missing in Van Halen’s version. “When I first heard Van Halen’s version of ‘You Really Got Me,’ I laughed,” he said. “It just seemed so exaggerated. It really misses the point of the whole meaning of the song: four working-class guys, struggling to do something different.”
Comparing Other Covers and Page’s Claims
Davies did enjoy another cover of their work. “Whereas when the Stranglers did ‘All Day and All of the Night,’ I thought it was much more respectful,” he said. “Even the solo was like the original solo, which I thought was really nice and sweet.”
He also responded to old claims that Jimmy Page played guitar on early Kinks records. Davies, who said he was 16 when he recorded the solos, dismissed the idea and suggested Page was trying to rewrite history. “We locked him out,” he said, referring to the sessions. “And I suppose when he became successful himself… he probably thought he invented the bloody instrument anyway.”
Anniversary Release News
The Kinks are preparing to release The Journey – Part 3 on July 11. It’s the final part of their 60th anniversary collection, covering the years 1977 to 1984. That period includes their U.S. breakthrough hits like “Come Dancing” and “Do It Again.”
