The musician Dave Davies, known for his influential guitar technique, has often been overlooked in discussions of the all-time guitar greats. His brother, Ray, is celebrated as one of the finest songwriters the UK has ever produced, with special praise for his unique lyrical style. However, Dave's lack of showboating and his focus on the integrity of the song have led to him being overshadowed. Despite his dextrous handling of both rhythm and lead, Davies remained tethered to the song's essence, providing colourful melody lines that never distracted from the moment's needs. His power chords and distortion, showcased in the 1964 hit 'You Really Got Me', left a lasting impression on future heavy metal and punk. The song's garage riffage demonstrated that rawness could coexist with pop appeal, launching the Kinks to the States during the British invasion. Many guitar maestros of the era, including Pete Townshend, were inspired by Davies' inventive use of sonic abrasion. Townshend took notes on the song's aggression, and the distortion provided a blueprint for future hits by Yardbirds and Cream, as well as influencing Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi to down-tune his strings. Another guitarist who paid close attention to Davies was Jimmy Page, who later found fame with Led Zeppelin. Before his success, Page was an in-demand session guitarist, and there are longstanding rumours that he cut the lead solos on many of the Kinks' early work while working with the producer behind many of their classics. Davies clarified that Page was a friend of the producer and a session player who hoped to get involved in sessions, and that the Kinks locked him out. However, Page did learn a lot from the Kinks, and his success led to an inflated ego, which may have made him believe he invented the guitar. Despite this, Page's session work on the Kinks' debut album, including an acoustic twelve-string on 'I'm a Lover Not a Fighter', 'I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain', and possibly the B-side 'I Gotta Move', is undeniable. Davies' novel and inspired moment of amplifier desecration to create the raucous swagger of 'You Really Got Me' remains a cornerstone of rock music, and his influence on the genre is undeniable.
