While the Kinks are thought of as one of the major bands of the 1960s, die-hard fans know that Ray Davies continued writing intriguing, beautiful, and insightful tunes through the end of the millennium. This seven-CD collection houses all of the Arista albums, recorded between '77 and '84. Highlights include "Low Budget," "Superman," and the gorgeous "Better Things."

The 2006 box set The Arista Years collects Velvel's expanded and remastered versions of the Kinks' six albums for Arista (Sleepwalker, Misfits, Low Budget, One for the Road, Give the People What They Want, State of Confusion, and Word of Mouth), originally released between 1977 and 1984 and originally reissued in 1999. No new material has been added to this set, so fans who already own these versions will not need to pick this up, but any serious fan who has yet to acquire these excellent reissues should get this set, since it offers all of them in a convenient discounted package. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine