On episode 8 of Past Prime, Matty & Steve head to Muswell Hill and share a pint as they gush over The Kinks' oft-maligned, 1984 album, "Word of Mouth." This album, a staple of used record bins and thrift stores, marked the end of a relative hot streak the Davies brothers had experienced at the end of the 70s and beginning of the 80s. Its cover was ghastly, desperately insisting this original British Invasion band was as modern as Duran Duran. It had Rauchenberg-esque pink lips on it and yellow swooshes — a pop art eyesore. “Word of Mouth” was described as chasing trends and as containing production that sounded "pinched" and "compressed," even by the 1980’s worst standards. Its songs were been called “forgettable.” Well, we dissent! The album did not have any musical problem, it had a marketing problem.

Matty & Steve spend nearly an hour wistfully discussing sibling rivalry, Dave Davies greatest song ("Living on a Thin Line"), and The Kinks unique position as the greatest supporting actors in Rock history. They draw a through line from this album to the music of Husker Du and The Replacements before concluding that, while "Word of Mouth" may not be an elite Kinks' album, it is, in fact, a stellar collection of songs. It also, sadly, marked the beginning of the end for the band's final, unexpected third (fourth?) peak.

To read more about The Kinks "Word of Mouth," check out the full essay at Past Prime.