I have said, often and loudly, that the Kinks were the best band of the British Invasion’s first footfalls. Compared to their contemporaries at the time, their songs were more electrifying than the Who, more charming than The Beatles, and had more swagger than the Rolling Stones.

But the ferocity of their brand of rock and roll had some drawbacks—namely, a few violent tempers that led to violent fights both within the band and with roadies that got them banned by the American Federation of Musicians. Essentially blacklisted in the biggest music market in the world, the Kinks soldiered on through the rest of the globe. During a brief trip back to Britain after a tour in Asia, they recorded their second full length in just two weeks. The tight turnaround made it so they were unable to address any of the unhappiness they had with the sessions, and Ray Davies in particular has expressed his displeasure with the finished product many times over the years.

Regardless of how the band feels about the record though, it is hardly a poor example of the group’s prowess.

The playing is as exciting as anything coming out in the mid ’60s, buoyed by Ray Davies’ masterful songwriting. While nothing on here matches the interminable ferocity of “You Really Got Me,” the bittersweet “Tired of Waiting For You” is at least as good.

This is also the first Kinks record to include a majority of original compositions. And not just a majority either—there’s only one cover, in Marvin Gaye’s “Dancing In the Street.” Even the Beatles still had a few covers on each record up until this point.

As good as this record is though, it’s hard not to see it as a transitional record. Here, the Kinks are caught between their dashed hopes for American success and the more ambitious concept records they would go on to focus on. Still, even the worst Kinks record is better than most albums—and this is nowhere near their worst.