The Village Green Preservation Society

I adore traditional pop songwriting so it's really a no-brainer. It's like Rubber Soul x Sgt. Pepper's and all of the lyrics sound like In My Life.

This album is so imaginative and so wildly different than what the rest of the British Invasion survivors were putting out, and I love every minute of it. Ray Davies loves hyperbolic irony and took great pleasure in skewering British imperialism and culture, but all the while using English colloquialism and flipping things on their head. Other than "All of My Friends Were There", this is a desert island disc. Fav Tracks: Big Sky, Starstruck, Monica, Picture Book and The Last of the Steam-Powered Train

Considered a flop at time of release, this is basically a more upbeat Belle & Sebastian album. It's great.

This album made me want to listen to The Kinks more. The only thing I didn't like about this album is that some of the songs weren't particularly memorable but there aren't any songs that I would say are bad. This album also features a lot of interesting composition and chord progressions that are fairly unique and recognizable (like Johnny Thunder for example). The whole album describes a happy, ignorat upper-middle class lifestyle in a way that is at times satirical. Phenominal Cat is a song about a fat cat and honestly Andre Lloyd Webber wishes he could have written something as good as this. The only part of this album that I dislike is the verse of All of My Friends Were There because it feels a little too cheesy. Wicked Anabella reminds me of Maxwell's Silver Hammer in that it's a 60s song about an evil person and it SLAPS. Pictures of Each Other seems even more relevant today with lyrics such as "People take pictures of each other, just to prove that they really existed." I think The Kinks roasted Instagram 42 years before it existed. Favorite songs: Picture Book, Last of the Steam-Power Trains, Sitting By the Riverside, Animal Farm, Village Green, Phenomenal Cat, Wicked Annabella, People Take Pictures of Each Other Least Favorite Song: All of My Friends Were There Light 9/10

An early concept album, on the notion of an Englishness that even in 68 was already gone... If it ever existed. Packed with different genres from music hall to psychedelia but always sounds like The Kinks. Elements which would influence ELO, early Bowie, Pink Floyd...

I love this album, front-to-back. It's the Kinks at their most self-consciously uncool. The backwards-looking approach gives it a unique place in the 60s pantheon. The sidestep from psychadelia, prog, and heavier rock coming into vogue pre-sages decades of power pop to follow. While, in some senses, the Kinks music would become more vaudeville and theatrical in years to follow, this concept record hits a sweet spot of thematic consistency, playfulness, and exquisitely melodic songwriting. Favourite songs: Picture Book, Starstruck, Monica

Nothing to hate here. Very solid representation of a time and place. There's some ... we'll call it "experimental" engineering choices on this album that didn't exactly work out all that great but, overall, it's a chill, fun, 60s britrock album.

I just...can't. It just doesn't work in my brain.

The best way in which I can describe the Kinks is that they sound like the Beatles, but happier. The best way in which I can describe "The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society" is that it has perfect mixing (how can a 50+ year album sound this bloody good?) beautiful harmonies and a delightfully gleeful sense of nostalgia. Ray Davies refers to this record as as an affectionate acknowledgement of his culture, a statement on changes in life and memories that remain, and the search for new things to give meaning and enjoyment to living. In my case, I think the Kinks got it just right. 4/5.

I listened to the opening track like 7 times, I cannot believe how catchy it was. The whole album was a fun time, and it was among one of my favorite ones I have listened to so far. HELL YEAH VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY.

Old England. Rural retreats, vast swathes of farmland, friendly neighbourhoods, tea parties, Victorian music hall, the village green. Almost fifty years before this kind of nostalgia exposed itself as a complicated, damaging, Brexit-leaning force, Ray Davies was reading Dylan Thomas and reflecting on The Kinks having been banned from touring the US. What did his country mean to him? How was it changing with more and more technological advances? What was going to happen to it? Could the British Invasion go both ways, with the increasing Americanisation of his beloved home turf? The result is The Kinks’ maturation into one of the most versatile and singular bands of the 1960s, and Ray Davies’ blossoming into the next in a great line of romantic English poets pining for the pastoral. The title track of this album, “The Village Green Preservation Society”, is a perfect distillation of these ideals: a seemingly nonsensical lyric mostly comprises jumbled pop culture references from Davies’ childhood and beyond, expressed freely with little fuss or force. Desperate Dan, Sherlock Holmes, Mrs Mopps, Dracula, Donald Duck and many more sit side by side in a cozy, Utopian vision, as Davies searches for one group or another to feel part of. The music- gently strummed acoustic guitar, ramshackle piano intro, a hypnotic backbeat, short and simple riffs on electric guitar and whistling organ, breezy vocal harmonies- is absolutely spellbinding, perfectly capturing a naive innocence which grows more desperate with every key change. The album never quite surpasses its opener, but the themes of nostalgia, memories, change and aging are returned to again and again with a range of interesting perspectives and far more nuance than most of Davies’ contemporaries would have been able to muster. “Picture Book” and the ready-made-for-the-2020s “People Take Pictures of Each Other” consider our obsession with cataloguing memories, and the forlorn hope that a picture could somehow bring it all back. In “Do You Remember Walter”, a childhood friend may be fat, married and sedate, but “memories of people can remain”. Later, “Big Sky” and “Animal Farm” are pure joys of escapism in the face of an indifferent, unfeeling world. Then there’s the astonishing album-centrepiece, “Last of the Steam-Powered Trains”, in which Davies imagines himself as a train, all soot and scum, the voice of a missing-link generation. The album is at most threat of collapsing when the Kinks dial up the whimsy and branch into “When I’m 64”-style vaudeville. “Phenomenal Cat” is a sleepy Mellotron-led number which isn’t quite as clever or timeless as it wants to be. “Sitting by the Riverside” is pleasant but doesn’t quite land its cheap attempts at “Day in the Life” style crescendos. “Wicked Annabella” feels like an early-era Kinks track tacked on towards the end. But it’s easy to overlook these half-decent songs in favour of the brilliant ones. “The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society” is never unlistenable, and at its best it is transcendent. It also deserves points for having much more of a valid hold on the “early concept album” tag than Sgt. Pepper, or Pet Sounds. This is Davies making a full set of songs out of Brian Wilson’s “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times”. Peerless and unique songwriting, pitch-perfect performances… it’s superb.

Quintessentially English. Top notch!

underground beatles. a little goofy but also very standard. instrumentation standard. Opening track is great. more substance than majority of beatles songs. beatles for the hipster in your life. Adding this to a list of albums I would return to.

Great! Funny and interesting songs. Up there with some of the most legendary beatles albums from that time.

❤️❤️❤️. Part of why I moved to the town where I live is that they have a centuries-old Village Improvement Society and so I assumed they continuously broadcasted this album on loudspeakers everywhere. Turns out I was wrong. Missed opportunity! The Kinks are sort of The Beatles for life's losers. People like me and perhaps you. Their natural posture lyrically is to sing from the perspective of little people with very little agency over their lives and with a focus on how helplessly desperate they are. I think this is a big part of why they have for 6 decades now held a lot of appeal to punk rockers and cultural subversives generally, despite their super Britishness that you might think would limit their appeal to the UK. I assume NY Doll and punk rock pioneer Johnny Thunders got his name from the song on this album. Also, in the only song written by underground guitar god Peter Laughner that escaped into anything close to the mainstream, Pere Ubu's "Life Stinks," they sing: Life stinks I'm seeing pink I can't wink I can't blink I like the Kinks I need a drink I can't think I like the Kinks Life stinks. Van Halen made hits out of two Kinks songs (You really got me and Where have all the good times gone). Now, admittedly VH was the opposite of underground - in fact they kinda defined above ground rock n roll for a good while there - but they do have the other thing that links all of these artists: deep alcoholism. The Kinks are great drinking music, and they were legendary drinkers themselves. Perhaps still are... Anyway, this album is peak Kinks and if you don't love it then you should be pleased with what a well-adjusted person you are. Bravo! I am happy for you. But get the fuck outta here - your smile is bringing me down. And be a good chap and buy a round before you go, pls. Cheers!

I LOVE THE KINKS!!!!!!!!!!!

the greatest album EVER

Well, I just spent all morning discovering the Kinks and their long history through decades and genres. I hope there are more of their albums on this list. A 5.

I know the Kinks for the hits, but I don't know this album, and it doesn't have any of the big hits. But it's still solid musically, hard to fault. Pretty standard '60s rock, but nothing special really. Favorite tracks: Village Green Preservation Society, Big Sky, Picture Book. Album art: Cool band photo, love the swirly neon colors. Title is a mouthful though. 3.5/5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 50 We are the village green….one of the greatest albums there’s ever been! 🥰 Quite a treat to have this land as my 50th on the listening list, man do I ever love The Kinks. Ever overshadowed by the exhaustingly overrated Beatles, Ray Davies pop rock sensibilities really do rival that of Lennon & McCartney, and for my money this album ranks among the very best of the era. The album is a nostalgic reflection of English life, captured through the contemplative lens of Davies. Every song on Village Green feels like a scene from a faded photo album. Wistfully reflecting on childhood memories with the theme of what becomes unrecognizable after the passing of time. Jaunty and melodic, yet underneath catchy choruses lie a quiet ache — tracks with emotional range, tackling isolation and disillusionment with both irony and empathy. 🎧 Classic Track: Starstruck 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Sitting By The Riverside 🎧 Memorable Standout: Johnny Thunder 🎧 Personal Favorite: Animal Farm Musically, the album leans on baroque pop, British folk, and music hall, forgoing the heavy amplification of their early hits. The arrangements are intricate but never overbearing, often relying on acoustic textures, harpsichords, and rich vocal harmonies. There’s a clear sense of craft in each track, as if every chord and lyric has been carefully placed to serve the album’s overarching mood. The album’s quiet, poetic songwriting is what likely led to middling sales upon its release, however in the years since its release, Village Green has properly received its due as It’s now widely considered not just one of The Kinks’ finest works, but one of the great albums of the 1960s. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Hypnotic lure Its influence can be heard in the modern work of artists like Blur, Belle and Sebastian, and even modern Americana bands who find similar beauty in place and tradition. Have a listen to Green Day’s ‘Warning’ and tell me that song isn’t directly reimagined from ‘Picture Book’ 📖 .

All I know is ELO stole the opening riff of Mr. Blue Sky from Do You Remember Walter? and that's my initial reaction. This one did remind me of Sgt. Pepper quite a bit. Not sure why but this felt like an especially Beatle-esque album. I really enjoyed this album and I only knew two of the songs, which were Picture Book and Starstruck, but there were a lot of other really catchy and well-written songs on here. When I reviewed the last Kinks album I said I was looking forward to hearing more the Kinks albums. That still applies, as I would like to see if there is an album that I find to be not as great. The songs on here that are good are too numerous to list, so I would suggest all of the tracks are worthy of a listen.

i loved this one, great vibes very funky

The Kinks previously were just a very popular and influential 60's Rock band being at the forefront of both Garage Rock and Psychedelic Pop Rock and they did have some well known and big songs like Waterloo Sunset or You Really Got Me but they were missing a full on project that would cement them just barely behind the Beatles in the 60's Pop Rock hall of fame. Luckily, that album was near as this 1968 release did exactly that. Not only was it somewhat of conceptual album (which they later adapted much stronger) but it was as consistent as they ever been at this point. The entire album is full of fun, well produced and well delivered Pop Rock songs that include different genres from Baroque Pop to Folk neatlessly. It is without a doubt, their biggest and arguably best achievement in their entire career. The album starts with the mellow and calm but fun and happy 'The Village Green Preservation Society' which is a beautiful Folk Pop song that not only starts the album off beautifully but also brings on one of the most memorable songs and hooks that the album can offer. It's quirky with silly but well incorporated references to for example Donald Duck. A pretty much perfect song to start the album with. The quirkiness stays with 'Do You Remember Walter?' which gets much more Rock while still being definitely Pop music but most interestingly, this sounds pretty similar to some of their older Mod stuff. The song is really great but a couple moments in the bridge do feel a little left alone which is kind of bumping the song down a little bit. But still, this is an incredible track. Luckily, 'Picture Book' makes up for that. The songwriting here is absolutely phenomenal. It builds enough tension to be interesting while still being easily enjoyable as a Pop Rock song. The happy energy it releases with the nostalgic instrumental and lyrical delivery is just amazing. The song is silly, very silly, but in the best way possible. It's fun and when it ends I even wished that it'd be longer. What can I say, this is simply perfection and easily one of the best songs in their entire catalogue. 'Johnny Thunder' sounds very much like a mix of the Beatles and the Beach Boys but still with own originality within. The song has a very strong hook and the background vocals add a ton of enjoyment to the already great song. The entirety is simply another maginificant track and again, this should've been longer. A big genre swith happens on 'Last of the Steam Powered Trains' which is not only the albums longest song at over 4 minutes but it adds a lot of Blues Rock as well as Country, Freakbeat and even a little bit of British Rythmn & Blues to the Pop Rock sound. It's an energetic and diverse song that doesn't linger too long on on part or another as it moves from guitar riff to vocals into the bridge and so on. It also speeds up at one point, adding even more energy to the song. And while I am not the biggest fan of Blues Rock, this song is very much how all of Blues Rock should aspire to sound like. It's not perfect but it's very close. The sitar inspired guitar as well as the Spoken Word vocals on 'Big Sky' are resulting in on of the albums weirdest but also most psychedelic moments. It's weird and even if it works and has great songwriting, it still leaves you with mixed feelings. Mixed feelings of if you heard the track the right way or not. It is weird but the mastered that perfectly and this song is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. Some moments though, feel a little bit overlooked and pale which is why the song as a whole is "just" incredible. The accordion on 'Sitting by the Riverside' adds a very French touch to the song. The song is also very theatrical in the delivery of the vocals. It's very psychedelic and lush and closes the albums first half with another incredible track that is just absolutely amazing. The B side of the album opens with 'Animal Farm', a beautiful Folk Rock song with wonderful lyrics and even better songwriting. The song feels like it achieves a lot of what some Country tries to do with its sounds and styles. It's genuinely a masterpiece in every sense of the word: not only the songwriting but the vocal delivery, all performances, the mellow strings and other arrangements added. It all results in a song that's simply beautiful and even a little bit nostalgic. 'Village Green' is pretty much a result of a perfect combination of the Beach Boys and the Kinks in both of the best things they bring to the table. The beautiful arrangements that feel like they were made up when both Davies and Brian Wilson worked together while on LSD and then added incredible songwriting and lyrics on top. Incredible!, perfect even! 'Starstruck' is much rawer and simpler in terms of ideas and execution. The songwriting is still incredible and the performances are wonderful but the song feels pretty simple compared to the rest. It's definitely another incredible song but it feels a little "outdated" when held side by side against the other songs. The experimental sides of 'Phenomenal Cat' with the pitched vocals, the interesting flutes added as well as the vocal delivery result in another pretty weird and slightly haunting song while still being very much a Kinks Pop Rock song, just a little bit less of a happy sunshine Pop song. It's great but one of the "weaker" songs on the album. The few moments of theatrical deliveries are pushed to their biggest extend on 'All of My Friends Were There' and while it was a nice touch on the other songs, here it actually harms the song a little bit. I do like the additional instruments and the music itself but some of the verses do feel a little over the top in terms of delivery. It's still a great track but again, weaker. 'Wicked Annabella' gets very heavy with loud bass and down-tuned guitars that result in something that if it was pushed even further might be enough to be called Proto-Metal but in the way it is finalised here, it's just some well performed Heavy Psych with energetic and haunting deliveries from all members. Sonically this very much stands out but not so much with quality. They were definitely trying something but as what they tried wasn't really a thing and also not what they usually do, the result is great and interesting but not much more. The exotic inspirations that very much feel like something you'd hear in South/Middle America together with the typical Pop Rock is certainly interesting but not really all that well made. The song has it's moments but falls a little bit flat. It's still pretty good. The Ska approach on 'People Take Pictures of Each Other' definitely ends the album in a very funny and enjoyable way when it comes to what they did musically and in terms of songwriting. The vocal delivery absolutely ruins this song. Well it doesn't "ruin" it but it harms it a lot. The song is groovy and it is fun but I cannot enjoy it to the extend that I'd want to when listening to these vocals. The song could've been incredible but it ends up being just a pretty good closing track. favourites: Picture Book, The Village Green Preservation Society, Animal Farm, Village Green, Johnny Thunder least favourites: Monica, People Take Pictures of Each Other Rating: decent 9 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

I’ve been pecking at this album every few years for the last twenty, aware of its importance while struggling to obtain purchase, reminded of successors that slapped on their nostalgia for Davies’s real nostalgia, creating a simulacrum of nostalgia, a double-fake of a world that preceded these faux-nostalgists - have you ever been to a carnival? have you heard music hall in a music hall? do you think that rations are something that Solid Snake picks up to recoup HP? - which proved the avant garde of Brexit and the pints of Spitfires and blue passports in their train. And after writing that, I stopped, wondered what I’d say besides “Blur” if someone asked me to name one of these bands. And I quite like some Blur. I blame the power of this album’s nostalgia, which is portable and can be passed around. Pick it up and you feel it, regardless of the century you were born in. On return, every hook reveals to have been embedded deep: this is almighty, and also pleasingly sinister, often seedy, which it should be. What finally persuaded me over this listen is the tiny repetitive interstitial guitar riff that pedals “…Walter” along its last few seconds. They’re a accoutrement that makes the song, driving, sleazy and anxious at the same time. They’re so memorable that I was sure they played throughout the entire song, shocking me just now when I went back and found they only come in at the death, two up-down repetitions and then done. “Monica”’s throwaway calypso is my favourite, at least this evening.

Love it, listen to it frequently, not a bad song on it and many top tunes including two or three of their best. Wonderful album [EDIT - and the lyrics throughout! So ahead of its time, could be repurposed by a cynical Gen Z'er to illustrate our contemporary shitshow with minimal edits]

The best album by a brilliant band.

This is, hands down, on of the best albums ever.

Hugely biased mega-Kinks fan here. But if anyone knows a better written, better performed album of quintessentially English popular music, let me know. And I'll tell you why you're wrong. ;)

It's a rare quality for a band to be almost universally mood-improving, but the Kinks really are, at least for me. Even their more introspective songs, like "Do You Remember Walter" are jaunty - so jaunty, in fact, that it's the basis for one of the all-time upbeat songs, ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky". And of course Green Day took the riff from "Picture Book" for "Warning", one of their most upbeat, Major Key songs. But what makes VGPS special is that its sonic and thematic cohesiveness is not really replicated anywhere else in The Kinks' discography. It's also the final album they made during a yearslong ban from the United States, which gives the album such a deeply English sensibility that it became a sort of ur-text for Britpop.

I would not hesitate to put this on a list of my 10 favourite albums ever.

Since it’s a Sunday during a three day holiday weekend and I’ve got zero pressing responsibilities today, I’m listening to Village Green on vinyl, rather than streaming from my platform of choice. I’ve got a nice, clean 1975 Reprise US pressing that I found at Double Decker Records in Allentown, PA back in 2016 or so. Shout out to Double Decker, the best record store on the East Coast. The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society is a concept album of sorts, reflecting Ray Davies’ desire to preserve the culture and traditions of England’s past…or, at least, his recollection of traditions and culture past. I think most of us can relate to that sentiment: we might look back fondly on the decade(s) and culture in which we came of age and hope for a return, but for others, those times might have been miserable and worth leaving behind. In that regard, “Picture Book”, the third track on Village Green, might act as a mission statement for the record: “Picture book of people with each other…To prove they love each other, a long time ago”. Almost as though Ray Davies is saying, “Those were the days, weren’t they? Luckily we were able to preserve them, as reminder that things used to be better”. It may be a pessimistic take on my part, I know, but after the last few years on this planet, it’s hard not to look back fondly on the days where everything was simpler and more worry-free. Despite the nostalgic concept of the record, musically, Village Green is quite forward-thinking. The songs here feel like a blueprint, written and waiting to be uncovered and referenced by a thousand punk and indie rock bands 10, 20 or 30 years in the future. Not to harp on “Picture Book”, but I recall its use in a commercial in the early aughts and thinking it could be a Shins (or similar) song. Not that it’s surprising, even the Kinks earliest songs had an edge to their sound that the Beatles and Stones lacked, it’s unsurprising that their influence would be just as long lasting. I’m not going sit here and try and convince you that the Kinks were a better band than the Beatles or the Stones. I think they are, at least for their late 60’s/early 70’s output, but that’s a realization and personal preference that you’ll have to come to on your own…or not. I’m just saying that for some fans of punk and indie rock, the Kinks’ records might resonate stronger than the Beatles or the Stones do…and I am one of those people.

God shit

Love the kinks.

Felt like a walk through the park on a sunny day with a good buddy

A lot of songs I had not heard. All in all I liked it.

A breezy lil charmer.

The Kinks were pioneers. In 1964 they gave us early rock/punk classics “You Really Got Me” and “All Day and All of the Night.” Banned from touring the US, they didn’t get to enjoy all the advantages of their fellow British Invaders but have a solid discography. This is a good album that would be more impressive if it had been released 2 years earlier. By 1968, the Beatles were offering the white album and the Stones, Beggar’s Banquet. This may be intentionally a throwback but it’s a throwback nevertheless. The Kinks and this album deserve more attention. Wish I could give it 5/5 but I think this is a strong 3 or a 4.

This is the first album I've listened to before getting the prompt for it! It's hilarious how two days ago we got "Arthur", and I thought that "Village Green" was the better of the two Kinks albums I've listened to. Anyway, having listened to "Village Green" multiple times in the past couple of days - to compare it to "Arthur" and now for this prompt - I still stand by that. This is an excellent album - all the tracks are strong from start to finish. It also reminded me a lot of Vampire Weekend's work (especially the first half of their discography, which I absolutely love) - it's clear that they were influenced by this album.

a nostalgic album about what England once was. no hits on here really except for a couple of songs later used in Hot Fuzz. not commercially successful at the time. (also released the same day as The Beatles White Album).

The Kinks are really underrated in my opinion. Sure, they have a couple of mega-hits but if you delve deeper into their catalog they have a bunch of super catchy, iconic songs that no one seems to have noticed. Picture Book is a great example - I only became aware of it because it was used in a commercial awhile back. What an awesome song! Great album all around. 4 stars.

Alright. I do love defending the village green. But can we do it in a more exiting way?

Good album!

Ok. It's the kinks. Always good. Rarely outstanding on this album.

I would benefit from a deeper dive or song explainer documentary to better appreciate the lyrics and meaning. As it was, I passively listened to the album (both in real-time in Norway and a month later playing catchup) and came away thinking it was a decent enough baroque pop Beatles knockoff. I can't help but feel I'm missing something that fans are seeing, so I'll be generous and give it a 3.

Good enough for the time. This album could be the background music for any vignette of the time without taking away from the scene. It is almost a characature of 60's pop. Three stars because there's no 3.5 option

Je ne me souviens plus de l'album alors je vais vous raconter ma journée. Vers 9h, je sors de mon lit et vais prendre mon café. Une fois mes mails du jour attentivement lus, je décide d'annoncer à la personne qui m'avait fait passer un entretien vendredi dernier que j'ai finalement accepté une autre offre que la sienne, tout en lui souhaitant de trouver le candidat qu'elle recherche. S'ensuit un black out de 25 heures et un état de conscience repris à l'instant. Affaire à suivre.

I was running errands the first time I listened to this & thought it stunk - unfocused quasi psychedelic folk with sophomoric lyrics. But then I heard the third-last song, Wicked Annabella, & I thought that Spotify had moved me to a 90s playlist, so I decided to give it another try. I like the Village Green track - I'm sure I can hear a harpischord in there somewhere and the other tracks now fall into place, though at times they sound a bit like a jug band. It's hard to believe this came out 4 years after You Really Got Me! I appreciate the fact that Davies didn't sucumb to pressure to produce another hit and stuck to the obscure.

lite intetsägande men lite kul att lyssna på ändå. tvåa eller trea.

As with some of the other Kinks songs I have heard before - admittedly, they are "mainstream", unlike most of this entire album -, they give off a lot of innovation, and appear as something which I can entirely see as world changing relative to their contemporary artists. Something like Wicked Annabella, for example - a chugging riff, with dissonance and harmonics? That's an entire genre of music nowadays, and they made this in '68, unreal! That being said, we are not in '68 any more, and overarching their fun aspects is a very obvious aging to everything they do, especially the vocals, both in lyrics and mixing. For me personally, this is not appealing, but I absolutely don't mind listening to this passively, or as an exploration of music history.

Number 100!!!!!!! The kinks , while fun in bits and catchy at times , suffer from a lack of substance and instrumental creativity over the span of an album . Enjoyed a couple of tracks but overall uninspired

After you, no after you. I'm sorry are we facilitating a conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image? Tea anyone

First song of the album all I think of is "Hot Fuzz" lol. Not really my jam but some of the songs weren't bad. Wouldn't actively listen to it but wouldn't mind if it was on. 2.5/5

If you happen to be in desperate need for some music for your retro style kids’ show, you might get some ideas from this album. Everyone else need not apply.

shockingly, this kind of bounced right off me! it's difficult to even put a finger on Why. it's almost tempting for me to pretend that i have some objection to the lyrical content (it's fairly easy to read this kind of romanticization of an idealized past as conservative or even fascist (when people talk about Preserving merry old engerland nowadays, they mean something very specific and quite ugly)), but firstly, it's not like problematic lyrical content has ever Stopped me before (see my glowing write-up on lust for life two days ago), and secondly, i don't think it's even a particularly fair reading. i'm very much inclined to give the benefit of the doubt here. sure, it's something the record is clearly Evocative of, or at least, it's something the record kept evoking to My ear, but it's certainly not what the damn thing is actually About. so if it's not the lyrics, then what's wrong with it? the answer's probably "nothing." it literally Just bounced off of me. maybe it'll click later. maybe it won't. who knows. who Cares. it don't gotta be complicated. it don't gotta say something. it's just music. it's ONLY music.

The most important British band of this era with their most textured and deep album. Miles and mile more interesting than their better known peers. Hugely influential.

Love it

A little bit repetitive but the vibe is just too good

What was in the water in 1968? White Album, Big Pink, Nashville Skyline, Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. Everyone started trading their acid for low-potency weed and fashioning themselves as earthy and traditional. With the exception of the White Album, this album is better than all of those IMO. What a treat to be given a reason to revisit this one. Village Green is a stone cold classic. It takes a lot of balls to veer into this direction and take such an anachronistic point of view. It shouldn’t work, it shouldn’t have aged well, but oh man. Even on the title track, for how arcane the references are, the feeling and the desire to save the obscure ephemera of one’s youth from disappearing is real and timeless. I can live without a song or two but nearly every track just puts a smile on my face. Like, how funny is it to be in a rock band in the late 60s and write a song called “Animal Farm”, and it turns out to be a sincere song how sick it would be to live a simple life on an animal farm. Britpop wouldn’t have existed without this one IMO.

It's easy to overthink these things. In the grand scheme of things, TKATVGPS does nothing particularly innovative, when their peers - perhaps - were redefining what an album could be, and how it could be made. There is a concept here, which boils down to little more than a prevailing sense of nostalgia throughout, but the simple fact is that this album has endured without the whistles and bells of it's contemporaries on the strength of it's songs. And that is perhaps, all that is needed. Fabulous stuff.

Love how much I have listened to The Kinks, keeps getting better!

An undeniable, stone cold classic

This is what the latter half of Beatles thought they were. Solid album. Super good

Great collection of songs.

nettes banales Feelgood-Album

I don't have to even listen... 5/5. My favorite Kinks album, and one of my favorite albums at one point in my life.

Yeah, this one's the best Kinks album. Listen to it when you're in a nostalgic mood (college graduation, first big move, significant birthday, etc.), and it'll blow you away. One of the fun things about it is that it's both genuine and ironic at the same time, much like how we make jokes about our own anxieties regarding the passing of time.

Sounds like my favourite aspects of the Beatles. The vocals, instruments and mood are lovely and this album is very cute and full of whimsy. I love “do you remember Walter?”. Impressed so far. The tracks are short and sweet and each have a distinct sound. This makes me want to listen to more of The Kinks.

This album grabbed me right from the start. I’d never listened to this before but had always heard it was great. Man, 68 was a crazy year for music. As I listened, I could hear notes of Dylan. I could also hear its influence in belle and Sebastian and Spinal Tap. Such a diverse group of songs. I will be including this in regular rotation.

Loved every song. Felt familiar from first listen.

Despite getting really into The Kinks lately, I haven't got round to listening to any of their albums. However, as expected, I very much enjoyed this. Just pleasant, init?

Definitely my favourite Kinks album, it has a mood and a theme and just goes for it in a way that The Beatles never could.

A concept album from the 60s that doesn't suck! Probably my favorite kinks album too

It was a great album but I feel like I should listen to every May 1st

I've played this card too many times, but this is another nostalgia album for me. Got really into the Kinks right before leaving for college, and this album about feeling wistful for your childhood/hometown/ identity really resonated with me at the time. I think Ray Davies is one of the wittiest and original storytellers in rock history. Each song on this album is either a complete story or a fully realized thought - and the music itself is equally full of life. The tempo changes, harmonies and recurring melodies match the dynamism of the lyrics. There's a real artistry to every song. For my own taste, I love the Kinks particular mix of mid-range acoustic and jangling electric guitars - a sound they'd develop more later with Muswell Hillbillies and Lola vs Powerman (in my opinion Lola is one of the best rock songs ever written) and which I've often tried to emulate in various bands. The Kink's obsession with the particulars of English culture probably limited their global appeal and accounts for why they aren't considered on the level of the Beatles and the Stones in America. But each of their albums is like a whole world inside itself, and song for song, they are one of the best bands of all time.

Listen, I really like this kind of music, and I love The Kinks. Picture Book is such a good song oh my GOD. If this was a first-time listen, it might be a four, but I've spent some time with this album and know it puts me in a good mood, so... :)

One that’s been on my periphery for years. Took 3 listens to decide on a lower 5 rather than a high 4 - absolutely loved listening to this all day.

4.5

This album is fantastic!! I love The Kinks!! I always heard this album was great, but I never knew why until I listened to it today!! I was took back in the to another place when I listened to this album. I also heard influences from some of artists that came after them.

Classic

Very much in the same vein as the Beatles.

3/31/25. Might be my favorite Kinks album so far! Enjoyed the concept and realized a couple of riffs and sounds were used by more popular bands in the future. This one is a keeper.

I've always loved The Kinks! This album is great and it just had me adding some more songs to my list! The lyrics tell a story and its wonderful to follow along with it!

First heard this ten years ago. I loved it then and it’s only grown on me more.

Reminds me of Beatles a little bit :) Nice

out of all the 60s rock albums out there, this one is probably my favorite. absolutely stunning album

Rating this 5/5 strictly because this was such an influential album for the Kinks’ success. Each song is fun, light, full of melody, but still hold a note of “please take me seriously.” Ray’s experimentation on this album did not go unnoticed, and continues to be some of the best out of England in the late 60s.

Classic album which co-started the classsic-album-era. Obviously a milestone and given Ray Davies' quality as songwriter and him being in topform here, this is a 1960s gem that transcends the signature single hits otherwise associated with that time. Paved the way for many British (and some non-British) acts who were more into crafting a concise longform statement rather than churn out 3minute bursts of pop.

I’m very biased when it comes to the kinks but god they were good

Ein Kinks-Album ohne die allseits bekannten großen Hits. Gerade deshalb großartig zu hören. Die Spätsechziger hier noch ohne psychedelischen Firlefranz lassen grüßen.

I AM THE LIZARD QUEEEN preservation society

An absolutely incredible album. Somehow quintessentially British, each song is a treat. The overall album is cohesive, flowing smoothly together with no one song overstaying its welcome. Standouts include Village Green and Monica, but to be honest it's very hard to choose favourites.

Obviously. One of my all-time favorites. Don't need to be told twice to listen to this one.

it's kinda cute

You can always count on the Kinks for quality lighthearted satire of British life in the ‘60s. Seriously, though, the music holds up well.

More complex than their previous album in its simplicity: This is an album about memories and the good old days, so the song styles harken back, while tinged with 60’s rock. Not as catchy as others, but impressive.

Not catchy radio play songs for the most part. I have listened to this albums dozens of times but it was still like a first listen this time around, hearing things I hadn't noticed before. Interesting, creative and purposeful and I do enjoy a nice village green.

4.5/5

Whoa. This is amazing. I’ve never listened to a whole kinks album. This is super great. This caught my attention. Such cool tunes. Cool guitar ideas and sounds. I was so obsessed with the Beatles I neglected so many other bands of the era. Big Sky is such a cool song. Phenomenal Cat is so fucking weird but I think I am now obsessed with it.

I love this album. It's top three Kinks for me.

Did I buy a vinyl of this album purely because of the songs I recognized from the buddy cop comedy "Hot Fuzz"? Yes. Was that one of my best album purchases? Also yes.