The 1984 Listening Post - The Kinks - Word of Mouth

The Kinks - Word of Mouth
#308
November 19 1984
The Kinks
Word of Mouth
3.75 out of 5

Highlights:
Do It Again
Good Day
Living on a Thin Line

The Kinks seem to have spent the late 70s, early 80s cruising on a smattering of hits and their legendary status. Surely, "Lola" was an evergreen hit for them.
Every album since I started has a couple great tracks and a lot of forgettable ones. I think you could take Misfits, Low Budget, Give the People, State of Confusion and Word of Mouth and make a killer playlist. But as long players they fall off and often come across as Rolling Stones leftovers ("Word of Mouth").
Was anyone else haunted by the "Diana is dead" line that was written 7 years before Di's tragic ending on "Good Day"? I am...It's the sort of thing McCartney should be able to write but can't.
I wish Ray wasn't ripping himself off on "Too Hot", it was not necessary but, hey, 29 albums worth of songs...people gonna repeat themselves.
I've been trying to write the same song for months...okay, days...but it feels like months. (It also feels like REO Speedwagon...)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/word-of-mouth/913759067