Reviews (page 11 of 12)
I want to appreciate this for what it is but it really just sounds like Beatle but bad?
Album 182. The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society (https://open.spotify.com/album/0YgkR96bK9JSHcj236W9ZK?si=acxZFyhrQrGtke-fdD2m8Q) — The Kinks (1968) I don't believe there are no Breaking Bad edits with Do You Remember Walter song. Such a shame. Yeah, influential somehow and sometimes interesting album, but it doesn't work for me. 2/5 Liked: — Do You Remember Walter? — Animal Farm
I like the title track. And phenomenal cat Otherwise sounds kind of like the wiggles. Would not relisten
I think the kinks are over rated. Twee lyrics, poor vocals and cringey composition. Full of dated noises and infantile production.
Best Songs: Johnny Thunder
meh 2/5
A bit random for my liking
so funky
lowk ass
no me gustó me pareció aburrido y como que sin nada especial pero pues tampoco así maluco
Franchement pas dingue. Rien de mémorable, assez moyen
This one is really........weird.
Yeh it was ok. So many great albums from this era though and I don't think this is on par with a lot of those.
Pensé mucho en el gato sonriente de Alicia en el país de las maravillas. Not my thing
this is some shit that would play on the radio in the car and its just listenable enough to not bother switching the channel. Also I'm not listening to a 3 hour album.
Me parecio muy repetitivo
Ñe.
This was mid for the most part, 2.75. 3 if im feeling nice.
Never really got the Kinks, felt like they were there to make up the numbers when it came to British bands of the 60s.
I now know why I overlooked this album
It's very sweet. I'm not particularly fond of sweets.
Gentle, doesn't have the best the kinks have to offer if you ask me
2.2/5 It was ok I guess. Another album I don't see the hype for it.
Honestly I can understand the hype around the album but it really wasn't my type of music and reminded me of the really old beatles.
Although I listened to this a good month ago and failed to review, I do recall my growing annoyance with the album - a late ‘60s quirky concept album just not my jam these days. It got too wee and twee in parts, despite some good rock sounds in others, and I ultimately didn’t care to follow the story.
Started off decent and devolved as time went on. It's generic 60s.
I think the Kinks have better stuff
Maybe you had to be there? It wasn't bad but didn't capture me at all.
I'll show these guys a kink or two
I'm gonna be real, this is way too British for me. It's kind of like a more annoying knockoff of The Beatles' low points. Psychedelic without the "rock" just kind of sucks. Wicked Annabella is the closest thing to an actual rock song. The rest can be best described as musings set to music and I really don't connect with it.
None of their biggest hits. Not unpleasant just not scintillating for me.
Are these australian guys pretending to be pining for the old British homeland? Distracting 60s "stereo tricks" take away from might be decent tracks otherwise.
Boring
A few good riffs not enough to save this proto-prog
Det låter 60-tals pop. Några fina melodier här och där, putslustiga texter och något enstaka groove. Det finns inget här som gör ett bestående intryck på mig.
Okej album, ali ništa posebno zanimljiv. 2/5, 3/10
Overall, it wasn’t my favorite. Some tracks were good, but others felt repeated and dull. Also, I get that it was the same time, but it felt a lot like The Beatles but different. The production wasn’t as crisp as I’d like it to be, but it wasn’t too bad. Don’t get me wrong, it was pretty solid, and had a few good tracks, but was not a good well-rounded album. Could have been so much better! Best tracks: Animal Farm, Wicked Annabella, Sitting by the Riverside. Not the best.
It is day 30. The troops are exhausted. We have been stationed in the trenches of male dominated bands for far too long. The reconnaissance is grim. Out of the last thirty engagements, 29 have been identical bloodbaths with the same enemy: men, from across the centuries, whining in our ears. The psychological warfare is reaching a breaking point. We have endured endless feedback loops, lyrics about not being ok (WE GET IT OK???) and the relentless bombardment with nasal vocals. Morale is at an all-time low. The tactical repetition of men-calling-their-own-chaos-art has caused a sensory overload. Our ears are bleeding from the sheer monotony of hearing another man process his basic emotions over a distorted power chord. We are exhausted. We are outnumbered. The ratio of 29-to-1 is not a discography, it’s a siege. Send reinforcements. Send melody. SEND MORE WOMEN. God be with us! As for the Kinks…. I don’t find them all too kinky.
Nowadays, I find this stale music. Where is Lola?
Fairly dull album. Enjoyed some Kinks on previous days, but this album did nothing for me really.
This has not dated well and sounds so very 60s that is almost a pastiche like the Ruttles, but with out the charm Almost my first 1 star , it got worse as the album dragged on . Just enough redeeming features to scrape a 2
Nice and upbeat, but just not for me
This is so so British, but in a derogatory way. I’m not a fan.
It was OK.
I guess I just don't like the Kinks? idk, I feel like the whole "60's british band does a semi-concept album" isn't a very attractive picture to me, and the things I do like (basically "Tommy") are just better than this.
Der Beginn ist noch ok, aber im Verlauf verliert mich das Album immer mehr.
Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains is real toe-tapper. I am surprised this album wasn’t received better at the time but concept albums were a new thing then. For the rest of the album, I was not the biggest fan.
kinda dgaf
No. Still don't understand.
Sonido que me recuerda a The beatles y hasta un poco onda Charly García. Zona de confort quizás. Me gusta la estructuracion de las canciones y los sonidos. Muchas canciones cortitas. Likes: The Village Green... - Johnny Thunder - Monica - Starstruck - PHENOMENAL CAT
I wanted to like this one, I really did. Not as though I've never heard of the Kinks, this record is on a few lists of seminal rock records. Not to my taste sadly.
any time i see a band named “the” and then “noun” i know its going to sound the same and i haven’t been disproven yet
Disappointing since I really like another kinks album. This was pretty lame overall
A band that just never worked for me: too English?
4/10
I had to double check this wasnt a kids album
Too whimsical and kind of annoying. Sorry to those who love this record but I don’t get it and didn’t enjoy it.
snoozefest
Meh
Si tuviera que describirlo en pocas palabras serían: Cartoonish, childish even, in a charming way. Para nada algo que escucharía yo pero un poco divertido nonetheless. Mi favorita fue Last of the Steam-Powered trains.
Ok. All quite comfortable plinky plonk. Easy listening but nothing compelling.
Just a bit nothing for me
old sounding
That would be a meh ,good and not so much at the same time so.
I am surprised bc I do like the Kinks (particularly their Lola vs Powerman album), but I was kinda bored listening to this album. It wasn’t bad. I just wouldn’t recommend to someone as something worth focusing on.
Beatles-esque music doesn't do much for me personally. Harsh microphones make the vocals feel "loud" as though they're peaking.
Temu Beatles/Hendrix
Not necessarily my jam in its entirety but a few great songs. Back in the day I imagine this was sound was quite new / innovative for the time, and it has no doubt influenced many musicians in the decades since, so appreciate the music and style.
Like the other
Nudne ale nie aż takie złe
Not bad very chill not my type of music tho. Very very chill.
A couple of decent songs, but most were kust annoying. For a short album, it surprising how long I was waiting for it to be over
Rebellious, clearly a huge influence on The Libertines 2 - a good album but not my thing
Not a bad album but just didn’t really do it for me. A couple decent songs but nothing was exceptional.
Ne kažem da je ovo nekvalitetna muzika, ali samo meni nimalo nisu sjeli. Bilo mi je dosadno, sve su neki isti pjesmuljci, predugo traje, nijedna nije bila drugačija. Ne bi slušala ponovo, sori Kinks :/
ne nicht mein thema
This one was hard for me to get into. I can hear where bands later found influence in this particular album, but I couldn’t quite get there.
álbum muy característico de la época, creo que logra captar muy bien la esencia y sonidos de esos años. Considerando que tal vez tengan influencia de The Beatles (No lo sé). Premio la intención de experimentar también. Se me hace un tanto plano, pero cumple.
Good
They tried out a lot of different directions. None to great success imo
Favorite Songs: Big Sky, Starstruck Least Favorite Song: Phenomenal Cat This is weird in a good way. I don't think I fully understand the concept here, but all of the songs are catchy at least.
Meh
Ist cool and I Like it
A whatever album. I will not be coming back to it anytime soon. It’s weird in a good way sometimes and there are some interesting things in here. But it gets so boring so fast. For example, I could not wait for Phenomenal Cat to be over. Some of these songs could’ve been cut tbh. Not really my thing, but, even though I find it hard, I can appreciate some parts. I’m surprised this is the same band that wrote You Really Got Me. Standout songs: Village Green, Starstruck, and Wicked Annabella.
Cover 4 Not for me
Cool concept - nostalgic, small-town, strong sense of place in English countryside. Very folky, features honky-tonks, harpsichords etc. Doubt I'll come back to it.
Some innovative sounds, especially for a 60s rock record, but this didn’t resonate with me.
Durante uma rápida pesquisa, é possivel ver que o album sofreu durante seu lançamento. Ofuscado por titãs da epoca como The Beatles e pelo crescente inovativo do hard rock da época, o álbum foi um fracasso de vendas na sua época. E sinceramente, mereceu. Ouvi o álbum três vezes e parecia que as músicas eram vazias e sem graça. A sonoridade, apesar de agradável de se ouvir, unida a voz tão deliciosa quanto do Ray Davies, são a salvação do álbum. Talvez meu gosto seja tão ruim que não consiga apreciar uma possível obra de arte. E sinceramente, está tudo bem. Porque sinceramente, esse gosto eu prefiro não ter. Não é um álbum ruim. Muito pelo contrário. Mas parece uma sobra sem graça de um sucesso que passou o seu tempo, como aquele tio que quer ser legal para os jovens. Faixa favorita: Do You Remember Walter?
meh
The Kinks have always flown a bit under my radar, so I was glad this album came up — finally a chance to listen to a full one. Right from the opener, “The Village Green Preservation Society,” it’s clear this is a very ironic record. Lots of mockery of British lifestyle and nostalgia. As I listened, it struck me how much of an influence The Kinks must have been on Blur in the mid-’90s. Still, the songs themselves feel a bit insignificant. The Beatles and Stones simply had stronger material — but that’s kind of the deal with ironic albums. Everything here is midtempo, polite, and detached. I just don’t know what to do with these songs — none of them feel wild, sexy, angry, sad, or romantic. Everything stays in that slightly mocking register. By the time “Big Sky” came on, I was getting a bit annoyed. “Big sky too high to see people like you and me / one day we’ll be free” — wow, that’s deep. No, this one’s not for me.
A bit average.
Bland and a bit boring
Too god damn long
Best Song: Picture Book. A relatively fun, carefree song. Worst Song: All of My Friends Were There. Not a fan of the oom-pa-pa. Overall: Parts of it are fine, but lots of it is just that kind of annoying "quirkiness" that was unfortunately so popular in the era. Maybe they were influential, but that doesn't make them fun to listen to.
Blur came to mind straight away. Definitely influential. This is the 2nd Kinks album and the previous was Arthur. I think this is even worse. 1.5/5. Raising to 2.
It was very pleasant to listen to, but honestly none of the songs stuck with me. I was a huge fan of the songs Well Respected Man and Lola, and nothing on this album hit that peak.
I found this really annoying.
quite kooky which is fun but later tracks kind of lost me
This is not at all what I thought a Kink’s record would sound like. At first I thought it was kind of goofy and fun, a little psychedelic pop from the 60’s. The lyrics were amusing and the music was a little trippy. But then it just devolved into nonsense as it went on…and on...and on…and on. Could have been a fun listen but was quickly ruined.
A little too “folksy” for me but this album is also very representative of the times it was recorded. I’m pretty sure one of the songs was written by Dr. Suess. And if I’m really being critical, how the hell was this album not broken into two albums??!! 28 songs! Seriously?? Overall the actual music was tolerable, but the lyrics were awful and left me with a unsupportive opinion.
Had a couple good ones in there, I liked Animal Farm
98/1089 All Of My Friends Were There exemplifies what i really dislike about the style of singing in male-led british pop music from the 60s and indeed this album as a whole, it just really grates on me. Otherwise I don’t feel like i need to go into depth with my thoughts on this album. I appreciate that it’s of it’s era and contributed to concept albums as a thing but i just don’t gel with this style of (brit)pop. It’s elevated to 2 stars almost completely because of Big Sky, i liked that one enough to add it to my playlist for this project 22/100
Conceptual. Retro.
Dated
I love the tracks it inspired (The Who, ELO?) . But somehow I don't love the album. Maybe it's a grower and I'll definitely listen to it again. But I'm going for a cautious 2* until it's proven its worth.
I didn't know any of the songs on this album
Did not really care for this, sounded so generic and did not hook me. Not abrasive but I kept waiting for it to get good and it never did.
-quite old fashioned -reminds me of the beatles -some songs are quite repetitive -white people music
Mangler de sidste par numre. Det gør vist ikke så meget. Energisk og behageligt, men ikke mindeværdigt.
The Kinks are the 1001 curators kink, I guess. Who knew they had so many albums? This is charming enough, but it feels like the clean-cut Oneders version of the band that would later belt out “Lola.”
This album is three fucking hours of the same song
Meh
I really couldn't get into this.
Never really "got" The Kinks. Very little on this one made me prick up my eyes. The song constructions never pull me in enough that I can be bothered to listen to the "oh so clever and literate lyrics" and the tunes themselves just wash over.
Not impressed. Seems they were one hit wonders after all.
Not the best The Kinks album...but love The Kinks!
Were The Kinks a good band? Absolutely. Am I sick and tired of their music? Absolutely.
A real mixed bag this one. There are tracks on here that I really quite liked, usually the more straightforward pop / rock tracks. But it's almost outweighed by a lot of stuff that's overly twee and quirky that just made this quite a jarring experience.
Sixties rock is not my jam, not even The Village Green Preservation Society variety. It’s not that it’s bad, it just doesn’t speak to me personally. I found this album overly jangly and just kind of goofy. The music wasn’t particularly pleasing to my ears and I kept waiting for it to be over. I also wasn’t a fan of the vocals or harmonies. Arthur was a much better Kinks listening experience for me. I tend to feel like you had to be there to understand much of the music from the 1960s. I wasn’t, so that’s why I’m clueless as to its appeal and staying power. It was a different time, man. Far out. So much so that I never need to hear it again.
Were they trying to do Sgt Peppers?
Sorry about this review, but this is a weak outing by the Kinks. It is nothing I should really have listened to, there is one good song on there (picture you) and it's not even that good. It sounds exactly like early Beatles, which is not the most interesting point, and to give context, this album is from 68 Abbey Road (kind of their last album) is from 69. There is very little excuse to make that kind of music at that time, it's not inspired, it's not interesting, it really as no business being listen to today. I am frustrated by its inclusion, cause I don't even get the legacy pick cause there are music from earlier that is much more interesting. Its not all bad, I can listen to this, but should I have heard it ? Is it necessary ? Absolutely not.
It was fine, nothing mind-blowing but a decent enough listen. Probably won't go back to it.
This was boring
Discovered today that I don’t like the kinks
Not quite my jam. The lyrics are engaging, but the 1960s brit-pop aesthetic comes through strong while the acerbic cultural commentary that becomes apparent in their later, better known singles, hasn't quite matured.
Nah. Not my jam. Ironically.
Nothing remarkable. Doesn't sound bad, but it's pretty boring for the most part sometimes.
Feels like bad Beatles. Sorry.
Sgt. Pepper at home
Deeply inessential compared to everything else happening in 1968
Nah. Too poppy 70s.
I’m a mad scientist tasked with creating a new band. I take 1 part Beatles, 1 Part Rolling Stones, make the result 40% worse and 70% gayer. Voila, The Kinks. In all seriousness, it wasn’t unlistenable, but it was by no means enjoyable. If I believed in half-stars, this album would be a 2.5 for me. Maybe if I was listening to this while gardening outside of my cottage in Liverpool it’s a 3 star album. But alas, I’m in Seattle, and not in the mood for gay Beatles.
Det blev lynhurtigt baggrunds musik. Det gør ikke ret meget af sig.
Meh. I didn't hate this, but was glad when it was over.
This Kinks album just isn't doing it for me! I'm not sure in what direction I should focus my complaints. This is clearly where the Kinks get more obviously British, more village countryside tongue-in-cheek, which as a (American) villager I can appreciate. I'm just a little bored by the arrangements, which feel a little constant, unrelenting, kind of "stock" for the period. Something I don't remember feeling about with "Arthur," which felt kind of bold in arrangements, alive. I feel we're nearly out of that stagnant, stock-Beatles period with them, and all this album makes me want to do is put their later work on. I've gotta get a copy of "Arthur" for the record player. 2/5
2.3 Tough listening to be honest. 60s kinks just always feel like pale imitations of the Beatles. This was no different.
Still stinks but not as much as their other albums. Wasn't hard to finish
2 didn't like
Finally listening to this album. I have been meaning to dig into it for years - I came of age during the 90s British indie era, and this album has been on my radar ever since. And it turns out that I don't like it that much. I can hear a lot of Blur in this (especially the vocals) and Neil Hannon is obviously a devotee. It just doesn't scratch that itch in my brain. It's whimsical when I needed it to go deeper, and predictably when I wanted it to go weirder. This reaction is absolutely on me. Maybe if I had encountered it during the 90s I would have loved it.
No
Started out completely forgettable and got increasingly irritating
not my thing 2/5
Pretty boring
Finally, some folk rock that is not Bob Dylan or Beck that I like. These guys feel like an amalgamation of a lot of popular 60s music trends, Beatles-style pop rock, folk rock and a little psychedelic thrown in for good measure. Wes Anderson loves this band. These are all relatively short songs. The more folksy the songs, the worse they are. And the more psychedelic they are, even worse. It's an uneven effort.
Easy listen
I like the music like I do most of The Kinks output - it's unpretentious and highly competent and more often than not thoughtful and jaunty. Where I hit a wall here is in the concept: it presents as an examniation of old England - beautifully realized in the lyrics - but try as I might to find some deeper commentary on the fallacy of golden era nostalgia, I keep coming up empty. After a few listens I'm forced to accept that it's totally unironic, and the nostalgia here is meant solely for indulgence. And I think I'd rather rub sandpaper over my eyeballs than listen to geezers wheeze about how much better things were back then.
Uncompromisingly British - far more so than their Liverpudlian contemporaries. I like songs on this album well enough (the title track, Picture Book, Village Green), however, the concept is laid on just a bit too thick for my liking - Preservation of traditional British life is good, erosion of the village green is bad. Obviously this was a far more resonant issue at the time of release. Today, the battle for the village green has been fought and lost five times over, replaced by the 21st century’s favourite pastimes: going viral on social media and obsessing over the latest Marvel. But to the album: It’s really well conceived, and executed to great effect most of the time. There’s just far too much whimsy and nostalgia on offer for me to fully relate to and enjoy the music. It’s oversentimental; that’s the whole point - I know. But I still don’t like it. ⭐️⭐️ (P.S - As a rule, I don’t love songs about trains)
Potentially the most British sounding album I’ve ever heard. Pretty campy stuff. I do like a lot of their later stuff but this album is a little too goofy for my taste.
Not exactly sure why this album is on this list. Not particularly noteworthy and rather boring.
This one didn't land. Just not enough anything to keep me engaged.
A comedy of an album, that doesn’t touch their self titled album. Last of the steam powered trains, is the standout song, and Do you remember Walter? and Monica, have replay ability, but the rest of the album I could probably never hear again quite happily.
1. Picture Book 2. Wicked Annabella 3. Do You Remember Walter
forgettable early English rock
Beatles album but worse
It’s ok
It’s fine. I much prefer Arthur or the Decline. Some basic Brit 60’s rock.
Dit is hoe de Beatles klinken voor mensen die niet fan zijn van de Beatles
It's a meh for me. I feel it's like second-hand Beatles.
1. The Village Green Preservation Society - 7 Very good opening track. Lyrics are a bit random and all over the place but the sound is good and the lyrics are what I've come to expect from The Kinks so they don't feel unnatural on this track. Really good sound from the time. 2. Do You Remember Walter? - 7 Lyrically a very fun track. Sounds great and flows very well too. 3. Picture Book - 7 Classic 60s British rock sound. The album is building itself to that era of sound we are so used to hearing through bands like The Beatles. It makes you wonder why The Beatles were so popular but The Kinks arguably were not from the time given the similarities between the sound. 4. Johnny Thunder - 6 Little bit more of a pass over track than the opening three. Still sounds great but the song feels more rigid in flow and the lyrics aren't anything phenomenal that gets you hooked on it. All around, just ok. 5. Last of the Steam-Powered Trains - 7 Instrumentally this is so enjoyable. Lyrics are solid as well. Just a great track. The drum on this is way more prominent. Bridge builds into sounding like a train and it almost immediately reminds me of the Aerosmith track that came about a decade later. 6. Big Sky - 4 The intro before the first verse is outstanding and overall instrumentally this is a fantastic track. Lyrically it's absolutely awful however. Half the verses are barely even signing, just a random monologue. Really wipes any enjoyment of the song out. 7. Sitting By the Riverside - 5 Very quick flash in the pan song. It uses sounds that give it a Parisian-type flair but it's really just a pass over track in the end. It's not bad but there's also nothing remarkable about it and not the sound we've come to enjoy from The Kinks previously in the album. 8. Animal Farm - 6 Second half of this track is much better than the first half but it just feels like another pass over track. More like the sound we're used to from The Kinks compared to the previous track however. 9. Village Green - 4 The tempo and pace feels like it changes twice over in the opening track both with the introduction of Daisy and the yearning for the village green. Because of this, it's hard to get a feel for where the track is heading or what even is going on within it. 10. Starstruck - 6 Better than the previous two tracks but not something you'd get star struck on. Overall it's a solid supplemental track to the album but it's not anything spectacular. I feel as if the solid tempo of the song makes it slightly more enjoyable than it would be otherwise or when compared to the rest of the album. 11. Phenomenal Cat - 1 Absolutely woeful track. It tries to be lighter in pace, sound, tempo, and vocals but it's a complete dud. The worst track on the album so far. 12. All of My Friends Were There - 3 A song that feels like you'd hear it at a Ren Faire but without anything in it that would actually make it a song you'd hear at a Ren Faire. The opening minute sounds great but the rest of the song just goes musically all over the place and back without a reason or a cause. 13. Wicked Annabella - 4 Another track that randomly changes and goes all over the place. Drumline on this is fantastic and you get a hint of that dirty guitar sound, which is quite nice but it cannot carry the song past the dreadful sounding vocals. 14. Monica - 4 Another pass over track. By the time you get used to the pace changes and vocal structure of this pretty chaotic track it fades out. That's not a disappointment in how short it is but just in how all over the place the track tends to be. 15. People Take Pictures of Each Other - 3 Fairly weak track to end the album on. This isn't overall a great song and the parts between the lyrics is horrendous sounding. Overall, not an enjoyable track. Average Rating: 4.9 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 2.45 Rounded Down: 2
Yeah it’s ok BUT it ain’t the Rolling Stones!
perfectly fine psych rock album (which truly isnt my genre anyways) but it's inoffensive
It wasn't as BAD as I thought it would be, but still. What is this beatles/beach boys-sounding genre called? Grandma pop? I hate it. wanna put "I hate [genre name]" on a t-shirt. hate it
It was alright, but nothing really stood out to me. Can’t remember it so well.
Yeah I just didn’t like this at all.
Too boring, too British.
Holy cow 2 hours and 45 minutes. Some of that is live versions and different mixes...but a ton of music here. That said....this is about as generic 60s music as it gets. No songs that really stick out and make me feel like this is a hit. If you like the stereotypical 60s music sound (Beatles, Monkeys, etc) this will be right up your alley. If it's not...this is a lot of music that you won't enjoy. It's fine. Not sure that this is an album that anyone NEEDS to hear before they die. But definitely sounds like a very specific decades music.
Some good songs ("Do You Remember Walter", "Johnny Thunder"), some not as good, and some WTF? ("Phenomenal Cat", "Wicked Annabella") Overall, just OK.
Complicado de escuchar
Didn't like it.
Mediocre 60s Brit rock
I didn't like this. Everything sorts of blends together, the songs are nothing special, and it's unremarkable. In general the "British invasion" period + Beatles are just not a sound I really enjoy.
It sounds like a quirky group of barbershop 💈 singers singing about inane daily activities. A few of the tracks are okay but overall besides the instrumentation on the best cuts there’s little that’s enticing.
The charms of the mock provincial schtick on the opening song is lost on me. If it was just this song I’d probs be able to get on board but to a lesser extent this jokey twee charm threads through the whole album and is an annoying vibe for me. I like The Kinks in other contexts but I’m not a fan of this one.
2.5
mid
meh
Was there some obsession with the renaissance in the 60s-70s? Feel like we've had at least 3 albums with this weird baroque vibe (Jethro Tull, one other really shitty one, now this one). [Wikipedia seems to confirm: this album's inspiration was the Kinks' yearning for an "idealised past England." Britain's MAGA of the 1960s?] It's a bit too much for me. I like other stuff from the Kinks but this one has more flute and harpsichord than I care for. The songwriting was apparently influential, but it's lost on me
Very English. Some good tight songs, some drifting.
I enjoyed it as much as I can enjoy late 60's brit pop. I'm not a fan of this era so when I first sat down to listen I had to actually pull up lyrics. In my head this era all sounds the same, but this was better than I expected. Its better than the Beatles, the lyrics are sneaky although I'm not sure how well it holds up now. It won't make it into my rotation it I'm not bad I listened to it. I
I liked some of the tunes, i think they were more in the background - none stood out to me as particularly notable. But the vibes are there.
i mean yeah it's 60s british invasion but like meh
3/5
Some decent stuff but a lot of songs I don’t see myself coming back to
Probably won’t listen to ever again but I understand thenappeal
Ehh. It was fine. Took me some time to finish.
Not my shit, I understand why it could have been popular but it’s not for me
3rd Kinks album. Still no Lola. WTF??? 2.75
20% banger
Goofy af
Oh dear, this was dumb.
Very nice pop rock. I'm not very familiar with The Kinks but this album was great. Catchy tunes with sometimes funny lyrics. Nothing really blew me away and the nostalgia factor isn't there for me but I don't regret listening to it.
I bet people that like The Beatles really like this album. It is totally not my style. It starts out one with the first few track and the. It gets banal and hackneyed maybe some call it “unique” but I feel like the Beatles did it first.
= The Beatles I usually like the Kinks but this one is uninteresting
I'm confused. I'm trying really hard to understand what's so great about this and I'm not getting it. Sure there are some nice moments but it feels too much like a try hard case - where they were trying to go experimental for the sake of it. It's hardly Revolver or Pet Sounds.
Just another 60s - 70s British rock/pop band. They have a few classic hits and non of them are on this album!
This was ok, but I guess just a product of its time and sounds pretty samey to lots of music from the same period to me - production values are pretty poor. I think a Kinks album should be on the list, but maybe not this one?
I don't know. It's ok 2.5
One thing this experiment in listening to 1,001 (+) albums has taught me is, that as much as I like a couple songs by The Kinks, I am not a fan of The Kinks. So I listened with an open mind, but … still not a fan.
pretty weak early brit rock
Ok
Nothing special, just kinda typical 60s English rock
I don't think I've ever listened to a Kinks album. It's so British. I don't think I know enough about the Kinks, but I'm confused about the vibes here. garden concert? carnival? psychedelic? It's fine - but I'm not sure I would choose to listen to it again?
It feels like there have been a disproportionate amount of this folky style rock on this list.. maybe it just feels disproportionate because it is starting to bore the nipples off me. Some of this album was okay but the lilting, gentle style singing starts to just melt into monotonous noise and a lot of the songs just feel like one long continuation of the same thing, backed by a neverending masturbating tambourine. Wicked Annabella by contrast was more enjoyable, it felt less flaccid as a track and had some meatier drums and felt a little more imposing. If the album had have had a bit more of this, I'd have enjoyed it a lot more.. instead it was like listening to the Beatles, but Colonel Mustard's yellow submarine was stuck in the port for maintenance work. 2/5 an ironically tame, missionary style album from The Kinks.
Its fair to say their best work was behind them by this point. I still enjoyed the album but thought it had a few throwaway songs on it. I also would have liked Ray to lean into the concept a lot more, it was a bit confusing to come in and out of the theme. Village Green was my favourite. Not enough classic Ray songs on here.
Experimental, but not always in a good way
Medium+
даже по тем меркам немного старенькое дерьмецо
Hmmm idk, not a huge fan tbh. Felt like a beatle rip off with a little bit of authenticity sprinkled throughout...
Meh. I think this is another "thank you for your service" album. I'm sure it was much better at the time, but it doesn't do much for me today. 2.3
I didn't care much for this.
Old rock, kinda reminiscent of early Beatles. One or two good songs, everything else not really my thing.
The LSD laced sound of prelapsarian Reform Party wet dreams. Very Bri’ish, contemporary of the Beatles but no weird peaks or experimental fun
Like The Beatles but not as good.
I don't like it very much
Musicalmente, es un buen álbum, típico rock psicodélico de los 60, tirando más a pop barroco, aunque tampoco me ha llamado especialmente la atención. Prefiero otros álbumes de los Kinks. En cuanto a las letras, son súper extrañas; el toque "edgy" me chirría un poco (por ejemplo, en "People Take Pictures of Each Other"). En fin, no está mal, pero creo que podría haber vivido perfectamente sin haberlo escuchado. Hay mejores ejemplos de la época. 2.5 bajo
Semmottia vanhantyylistä musiikkia, ei jätä oikein mitään mielikuvia itsestään.
Sarcastic & musically dynamic. I wasn’t expecting this record to be as annoying as it becomes though, but at least it’s whimsical about it. Standout track is: “Last of the Steam-Powered Trains”.
**An ok album, nothing exciting
I don't know who Walter is and I don't think I care much for him
i at least support saving donald duck
I can imagine this is the music played at a village green. Not for me though
It was ok. Some good songs some ok songs. Nothing great though. 2.5
The album overall is fine. This era isn't my favorite, and so if I want to listen to late 60s pop rock, I'd much rather listen to the Beatles. I felt like they were trying to make their own Sgt. Pepper's and at least for me, it fell flat.
Madonnaaaaaaa che voglia di spararsi che schifo gli anni 60 cancellateli tutti sta cantilena filastroccheggiante mi ha dato un fastidio inimmaginabile. È molto vicina all’1 ma non così tanto
I didn't like this as much as I was expecting to: a few amusing songs, but nothing very memorable for me.
Listened to this last week and I have a hard time remembering it. I'm sure it's more of a 3, but seeing as I can't remember it gets bumped down. Standard latest 60s vibes.
A bit of a classic 60s happy sappy that I can’t really get behind 4/10
Only known non-chemical cure for insomnia.
- Es stach für mich kein Lied heraus - Es war für mich eine Mischung aus entspannt, aber mit einem Hang zur Langeweile, so dass ich mich mehrmals dabei ertappt habe, wie ich fast etwas anderes angemacht hätte
Likeable enough, but it has nothing that bursts through the wholeness of the album and grabs you by the throat. I simply find myself longing for something more. Best song: Village Green Worst song: Starstruck
I love the kinks, but this album is not it
Nope
Whimsical nonsense
The beginning of the album started off really strong, but started to lose me in the middle, and really lost me at the end. It honestly feels like having a night out where it starts really nice and really fun and then it spirals down to a terrible night because you drank too much. 2/5
That one didn't age well...
I know you’re not supposed to judge kinks, but I’m judging The Kinks. I felt like I was listening to a Beatles’ clone with more simplified lyrics. It almost sounded like an album made for a children’s book soundtrack at times, and I struggled to push that thought from my mind. Older rock just mostly continues to not be my jam, and this is just another example of it just not hitting for me.
The Beatles called, they want their sound back!
Aburrido, me cansó. Todo el tiempo creí que estaba escuchando una copia creada por ia de los Beatles
Bit meh, no stand out tracks for me
Not for me
All two stars are for the cat song
Why are there so many albums from The Kinks. Somehow these haven’t lasted time well.
First listen Saved 5/15 Top track: Picture Book
We are the draft beer preservation society, and even after consuming mass quantities this album is not that good. Granted, there is a lot of variety and different song styles, most are light hearted. The songs are better stand alones than as an album. People Take Pictures Of Each Other was ahead of its time (and a bit silly) like much of Davies work. The Kinks will make The 1001 list a couple more times, this one comes in at (2.4*s)
The allure of this album is that you can tell they're just vibing and having fun, but that's also it's downfall. Why is it so damn goofy? Although I do like The Kinks, it's hard to take this one seriously as a whole. There's some good tracks buried among all 65 of 'em but the album is really incohesive. There's a lot of different styles being explored but it doesn't serve the project well. "Phenomenal Cat" made me laugh but I really couldn't stand the cheese-ball "All My Friends Were There" with it's circus tones. Then "Wicked Annabella" brings you back in right before it completely loses you again talking about Monica's nose. This album is the happy, playful version of The Beatles with more clapping and "la, la, la." I do like the title track (it hits), but the rest doesn't work on my brain.
Not really getting why such lofty praise for this one. Seems a bit juvenile and unpolished. The Kinks are a simple band I know but this felt oversimplified...like they were just laying down whatever nostalgic thing came to mind about their town. The band was influential for sure so I'm prepared for other albums to make the list. This one did not do well upon release so maybe need to listen to it more...2.0.
Not sure why The Kinks don't get more attention. They have a handful of recognizable hits and then a swath of fun original deeper cuts. The Village Green Preservation Society is another batch of jaunty tunes from The Kinks that deserve a listen. I'm not sure the overall album is anything great, but each of the songs is pretty quick and digestible. The Kinks should be recognized for managing to succeed at something different. There is something about their music that has an edge of humor and feels like they aren't taking anything seriously while still managing to assemble competent albums with occasional hits that stand out. I don't go out of my way to listen to The Kinks, but whenever they come up in my random shuffle I'm always pleased. They bring something else to the table and have some deep cut sleepers that need some more exposure. 2.28 stars
Not much stood out to me on this one, found it pretty difficult to discern as a concept album. Listened to: picking up Caribbean food.
I didn't like this but there's nothing that bad about it
this is boring, maybe it used to make ladies quiver in the 60s but NOT ANYMORE
é um beatles sem variação no estilo, sem a magia, sem a criatividade. OU seja, é um beatles sem graça. Passa batido, sem incomodar... Mas também sem marcar. Sem graça. E já é a segunda vez que vem essa banda aí. Pelo menos não veio Rap.
God, this just kind of sucks. Some harmonizing, Beattles wannabe stuff. I listened through some of their top tracks in spotify (which aren't from this album) and they're all way better. This cleaves way too close to "folk-rock" for my liking.
Yawn. It felt like a watered down version of The Beatles, to the point where I thought they must be a predecessor. But I was wrong--they were contemporaries.
2 or 3 for me. It's kind of a baseline corny English \"Herman's Hermits\" feel for most of the album and then some psychedelia thrown in some spots and some fun and weird tracks. favorites so far: opener - title track last of the steam powered engines sitting by the riverside all of my friends were there wicked Annabella people take pictures of each other
Strong opening few tracks, but starts to lose steam quickly. Seems like a spiritual predecessor of Thick As A Brick, but from a group that was not ready or able to take that kind of leap. In the end, they seem to be attempting psychedelia, but can't quite pull it off.
Not my vibe
I have never listened to The Kinks before, but I get the slightest Beatles impression, so I'm out. I'm sorry.
Fuckin Hippies man.
Nice effort but fell flat to me. I love a concept album but this one did not capture me. I did enjoy "People Take Picture of Each Other". Maybe this song explains our social media culture we live in currently. Very prophetic. Otherwise, yawn.
nah not really
2 Stars (5/15)
Nah.
Really struggled to get into this one
Really just not enjoyable. I like The Kinks' edgier stuff. This ain't it.
Sort of Beatles like but not as good.
Meh.
The next time an older person decries the state of music, I will be able to reflect on the multiple baby boomer-centric albums served to me on this list - the Paul Simon records, the Village Green Preservation Society, anything from Paul McCartney and Wings - and conclude that, no, it was not better back then, and that having skipped this genre in favor of others did nothing to degrade my quality of life.
While I know the big hits by The Kinks in later years, I knew none of these songs. At first listen, it honestly sounds like many of the British bands of this time period. Jaunty guitars, trippy at times, It’s an ok listen to me. After listening I read about this album’s legacy and what it meant to many more contemporary artists - I still do not hear anything revolutionary.
Pretty good. A great song Photo Book with many pretty good songs and few if any low points. Not exactly my style, but not exactly not.
2.5 60's Ren faire folk doesn't age well for a full album. There were a couple tracks that stood out
I was never a Kinks fan. I think the vocals put me off. They did have some good songs though. The songs are cool, but I can't really get interested. Too bland in the production. I started getting annoyed - second day in a row. Wow, I'm surprised at myself. 2 stars because they're the Kinks.
Pretty forgettable overall - doubt I'll ever listen to this again.
Eh. Don’t love it
"Easy old-school charm" personified. Nothing that I would probably seek out again, but it was pleasant while it was on. Makes you want to go sit in a field on a warm summer day.
Pas pour moi
Didn't really capture my attention. Not my style of rock.
This screams 60s music style
Clearly someone is a big fan of The Kinks. This is definitely not their best work.
I'd put this similar to rolling stones. A lot of meh with the few very good songs total classics.
Breezy british pop rockers with a surprisingly long album that never outstayed its welcome. 15 songs crammed into a pacy 40 minutes means most are sub 3 minutes, perfect song length. Otherwise it's a wholly unremarkable album, it just is, it feels super cozy and warm but I'd not consider it a *must listen to* album.
This is so incredibly not my kind of music that I just cannot see it. You Really Got Me is a song where you can at least see the Rock & Roll bones, but then they pivoted and went to this...mess. I don't even know how to categorize it other than to tell you there are lyrics about kissing a girl under the old oak tree. That's not much of a descriptor, I know, which should really underscore the deep antipathy I feel for this album.
Some great tracks - not my go to era tbh
Gear: Fostex TH610 Artwork: unerwartet wenig grün, dafür recht psychedelisch, macht aber so gar nix her im Plattenregal Mix (2018 Stereo Remaster): in der Tat ausgesprochen Stereo, insgesamt für das Alter beeindruckend ansprechend abgemischt 👌 Musik: hinterlässt keinen bleibenden Eindruck - höchstens den langen Schatten der Beatles Wertung: 💚💚/5
Best: Walter Bester Songtitel: Monica Interesting: Wicked Annabelle Worst: All my friends were there
Eh.
beat, 1968 -> 2
british people…don’t even think this is probably the most essential kinks album. probably slapped at the time but it’s a 2 to me.
Meh.
happy hippie yuppie duppie, not my style.
😐
Not my kinda thing, its not bad tho. 5/10
I don't know what I thought the kinks were, but it wasn't this.
Byrds, Beatles, Dylan - it's all in there. Songs get a bit redundant towards the end.
Kind of disappointed in this one. I normally love The Kinks! But this early album doesn’t feature much of what would make them great. Too cutesy and generic pop for me. 2.5/5
Not my kind of sound.
So many other better albums from them makes it hard to give this a high rating.
Cult nigga music.
I only know the one song from Hot Fuzz. The rest is a chill album, just not my thing.
Idk another 60s rock album to me
Not really my thing but pleasant.