Reviews (page 12 of 13)
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.
Not great
The production quality of this album is not good-very tinny sound. It sounds like an early Beatles knockoff with the beginnings of some punk added. Too poppy for me
I prefer other works by the Kinks
Not on Spotify
Het moet niet langer duren of ik kap met deze app hoor
Wat moet ik hier nou weer van vinden
Very 1968! And very British. The Kinks have so many hits, but I do not remember any of these songs. The album was a nice listen, but not sure I will revisit it anytime soon. There are many more Kinks albums to check out!
Meh
na ja, den Namen "Kinks" kennt man zwar, aber die Songs sind nicht meins. Olle Kamellen
All sounds the same
There are some great riffs and harmonies on here, and a good number of excellent songs. But there are also some that are just bad, and they not only leave a foul stain on the album but they are mostly near the end. Truly an album only a Brit could love
Reminded me of the Beatles
Hmm, last track was kinda interesting
Felt like background music
Kinda mid. Nothing really stands out. Very generic 60's album. 2.5/5.
I like The Kinks, but this album was a little boring if I’m being honest.
Alright album, didnt seem to drag but not my favourite.
Some interesting instruments take care of providing an air of decorum. That said, not an album I will be coming back to an awful lot.
Have heard one of these on the Raising Sand album. Was ok.
standouts - do you remember walter just super simple ok music, nothing memorable
I really enjoyed the other Kinks album I received. This one is completely different. Some of the songs were very hard to listen to and I can see why it was an overall commercial flop. I do not like this album.
This sounds more like a Beatles cover band than the Kinks.
Eh. It's fine, I guess.
It’s not really my style
Taas retroaktiivista protoparodiaa, joka sisältää hyviä hetkiä, mutta on silti sitä, mitä parodioi. Biisit, joiden nimessä ovat sanat "Village Green", ovat musiikillisesti mieleenpainuvimpia, mutta lyyrisesti koettelevat huumorintajua.
Musically, not my favorite, but will need a few more listens where I really pay attention to the lyrics.
Yellow submarine extended.
Reading about The Kinks trajectory of being blackmailed from touring in the US in the early part of the British Invasion and subsequently leaning into being more specifically English because they had lost their international audience was kind of an interesting story. But this album is the outcome of that and I did not like it.
gun to my head i would have told you picture book was a beatles song. i think i was mixing it up with paperback writer
Ordinary pop rock. 2 stars.
Hippy Rock. Not my thing anymore. But not bad I guess?
Un autre album de The Kinks qui est venu et qui est parti comme si rien ne s'était passé. Beaucoup de misère à différencier de la majorité des autres albums j'ai eu d'eux. 5/10
Not my sound at all - like The a Beatles but with sarcastic lyrics?
Quirky. Couple of classics in there Days, VGPS but the rest started to feel after a while that they were trying too hard to be weird. Got to being hard work to listen to.
This was ok. It wasn't what I was expecting from the Kinks.
“Picture book of people with each other, to prove they loved each other, a long time ago” This album is idiotic bullshit. Sorry. Listens: 1 1/2 Fave Track: I thought they were all stupid. Rating: 2
Folksy Beatles esq sounding
Apparently there are two versions of The Kinks. This is the version that I was unfamiliar with, and feel more like a kid's band.
Har prøvd å hørra litt på da tidligare uten så alt for stort hell
Easy listening, would probably have to listen again to give accurate rating.
The Beatles all over again
Sitting by the riverside almost gave me a headache with its accordion Aggressively 60’s pop
I certainly understand the influence this album had on bands, like The Who, and the Beatles, and the Beach boys, and all of the other solid bands of this era. But for me, this isnt an album that I wouldn’t listen to again in almost any circumstance. Very few stand out songs in my opinion. All that said, I do respect the artistry of the Kinks especially compared to their Brit Rock counterparts… Highlights: Last of the steam powered trains, Wicked Annabella
Same shit band as before only know this album because of hot fuzz.
Just ok
Happy go lucky album. Seems like it would be hard to be upset while listening to this one. Doesn’t mean I want to relisten to it though necessarily.
The Village Green Preservation society - 2/5 Do you remember walter - 2/5 Picture book - 2/5 Johnny thunder - 1/5 Last of the steam powered trains - 3/5 big sky -2/5 sitting by the riverside - 2/5 Animal farm - 3/5 Village green - 1/5 Starstruck - 3.5/5 Phenomenal cat - 1/5 All of my friends were there - 0/5 Wicked annabella - 3/5 Monica - 1/5 People take pictures of each other - 2/5 Overall - Not a fan, way too 50s type pop for me
It was ok.
Okay
Maybe worth 3 stars but I don’t want to accidentally listen to it again.
Eh; there are more interesting work this time period for me. I’d I could do 2.5 I would so a 2 cause I can’t coming back to this lol
This was moderately enjoyable.
viihdytyksen mukaan narriarvo näkyy arviossa päällimmäisenä.. eli 3 star.. Harmi että kinks.. eli -1 star..
60's Brit pop is one of the few genres I absolutely hate. Album had some nice moments but overall, still 60's Brit pop.
Pleasant enough but it wears out its welcome as the album goes on. No single track really stood out. Most of them would be welcome on a playlist, but strung together the album started to feel tedious.
not really for me
Its good but its like a ripoff Beatles. In fact when I listened they recommended me George Harrison songs…
really nothing special tbh
Not Kinky enough
It started of a bit boring, but still okay. "Phenomenal cat" and everything after that is just bad.
Found it pretty boring. Nothing really sounded interesting, that caught my attention.
Dit is The Beatles, af en toe net zo kinderlijk (Johnny Thunder 'ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba'), maar iets minder zeurend. Zou het voor de vergelijking meer willen waarderen dan de Beatles. Maar ik krijg hier echt geen derde ster uitgeperst.
Didn't find it very interesting
OK.
2/5 Best: Last of the Steam-Powered Trains Worst: Monica
Is there a name for this style of music? 60s British rock? Anyways, I don’t think I like it. All sound like knock offs of the Beatles.
Very samey
мой мозг залипал на паре моментов, но в основном весело и позитивно летело мимо
Very much of the 60s, sounds like something the monkeys would release, not a particularly enjoyable listen
Ray Davies completely loses it on the silly-train toward the end of this otherwise critically acclaimed cult album.
its just okay
The Kinks at their most generic imo. The riffs are nice and their signature baroque charm emerges here and there, but it's pretty dull overall, especially when compared to their other efforts.
What if the Beatles were boring
Maybe I'm not in the right mood for this but it really irritated me. It all feels very forced, and they're trying to take the piss out of something, but I think it's what they're basically saying. Nah. Just got on my tits.
Given the reputation these hairy ding-dongs have, I expected more. Instead we got the Diet Beatles but it's the generic kind and 8 months expired.
I prefer the poppy Kinks. It’s great that they wanted to create a concept album, but I don’t like concept albums and based on the critical reception this album received, neither does anyone else.
C+ The Village Green Preservation Society - 2 Do You Remember Walter? - 3 Picture Book - 3 Johnny Thunder - 2 Last of the Steam-Powered Trains - 2 Big Sky - 4 Sitting by the Riverside - 3 Animal Farm - 3 Village Green - 3 Starstruck - 2 Phenomenal Cat - 2 All of My Friends Were There - 3 Wicked Annabella - 2 Monica - 2 People Take Pictures of Each Other - 2 This is a very strong 2, but it isn't deep enough to earn a 3. I will definitely return to a couple 3's, but it wasn't the most memorable album I've heard. The first time I heard this album was in high school. I was hanging out with this girl who I always had a thing for: tall, attractive, great personality. On top of all that, she was Jewish. For a non-secular Jewish person, such as myself, finding out that a girl is Jewish is like finding out the car you might buy has heated seats. It's a fantastic added bonus, but not the make or break requirement. Whereas for a secular Jew, it'd probably feel more like the engine. Anyways, I was hanging with her one night and she was playing music. Did I mention she had great music taste too? Ya, she was wifey material. She played "Big Sky", which I immediately liked and have listened to since then. So, when this album popped up, I recognized the cover, but had never listened to any other tracks, so I was excited. Honestly, it's quite good. However, 3's are a tough threshold, and this couldn't quite cut it. Just barely though. If it had received a single more grade point, it would have made it a 3. As for the mystery girl, she's a 5 out 5, and I never became more than a friend. Maybe we'll run into each other one day at Whole Foods and catch up on old times. My beard will be fully filled in and I'll dress like a professional writer, cardigan and all. She'll tell me she's gone corporate and shatter all my hopes, dreams, and memories all at once. I'll slo-mo drop my quinoa onto the ground in shock, collapsing and losing all sense of what's going on. As I lay in a pile of quinoa on the cold, hard floor of Whole Foods losing consciousness, Big Sky will eerily play on the store's speakers: my Rosebud.
eh
Not their best, bit long winded
"Fly or die" . Ok let's get urban and possibly deeply ironic, yeah :-) . It ticks a genre box I suppose. I'm curious as to why it's on the list... I drop my bias for a moment... I looked for their most popular track.. "she wants to move".. and reluctantly, I can say , on the 2nd listen, does have a certain catchy and original style, on the 2nd listen. Sometimes you have to give new music some time... As the album cover advertises so well what it is, it's easy to see this as juvenile american boy music with attitude. Mostly not for me, and at first it really defies me to see what it defines, achieves or says. ... I actively disliked much if it. As the review mentions they worked hard to make something that others see... Party Rap rock. I started to hear influences of Nirvana harmonies and heavy 90s rock updated ....with modern bit band overtones - moments of Timberlake without the vocal gifts. So that's how I got to 3 stars instead of 1. Bruv slates, andLive long and prosper, fellas. (But I am not sure you broke the metaphorical shell of our understanding of brash American culture).
Yet another white boy rock critic cult classic... an overlooked gem of 1960s chamber pop, just like soooo many others we have reviewed as part of 1001 albums. I mean, it's pleasant enough (by design). This marks the point at which Ray Davies had successfully torpedoed his career by fighting with seemingly everyone who might be able to help him, and the Kinks transition from pop-hitmakers to cult favourites (i.e., commercial irrelevancy). I have long liked the title track (never released as a single in the UK!) and The Last of the Steam-Powered Trains is a rollicking English take on Smokestack Lightning. But I have no great nostalgia for the Britain of years past, so it's a bit of a non-committal shrug from me. The 1968 NME considered the album "too twee" even then, and I tend to agree. 2.5 stars, rounding down.
I liked the start, got a little weird at the end.
I'm glad I listened to this but I didn't really like it. The sort of pseudo-medieval lute-playing bard gimmick never really landed with me and I don't really understand that vibe though it seemed pretty prevalent for a while in the 60's Picture Book wasn't bad but I think I'd skip the rest of this record.