magic here is that such a sound was supposed to be impossible to reproduce on modern recording equipment. Everyone claimed that the old two- and four-track systems, when coupled with the archaic miking and amplification of their time, generated noises foreign to sophisticated contemporary studios. The Romantics allegedly considered using ex-Kinks-producer Shel Talmy for the project before they realized that he couldn't–or wouldn't want to–make a record like that again. So they went out and did it themselves.

The three-song sequence that starts side two of The Romantics demonstrates the band's strength. "What I Like about You" opens with a syncopated chord pattern straight from the Kinks, then hot-wires that same figure with the simplest of drum progressions and slick, energetic backup vocals punctuated by handclaps. The shout before the guitar solo and harmonica break is pure Kinks raunch – a great moment. Ray Davies' "She's Got Everything" follows, probably the best cover version of a Kinks tune ever. With hardly a pause, "Till I See You Again" kicks in. It's a classic Davies-style ballad with the kind of Eastern-music minor theme that was once a Kinks trademark (and one to which the Who paid tribute with "The Good's Gone" on their first album).

Though The Romantics duplicates the old sound faithfully, it's not really a carbon copy. If you listen to vintage Kinks and the Romantics back to back, there's a difference, but the Romantics capture the spirit of the original so effectively that you tend to make up that difference in your imagination. The ability to trigger such a reaction is the true test of inspiration, something that's unfortunately lacking in too many groups that are currently emulating past masters. (RS 317)

JOHN SWENSON