Reviews (page 4 of 12)
Another good Kinks album. Listened to it yesterday and didn't write any notes, but I liked it :)
Why yes, I do remember my grandfather Walter. Really loving Last of the Steam-Powered Trains. This was a pretty fun album and stayed pretty consistent throughout.
.hh
very good not my usual type of music but i’ve favourited one or two songs
This was fun and enjoyable
Familiar with their hits, but this was something I never heard…very good!
good solid album !!! it is twee lol I like big sky and animal farm
Another album of its time. What sounded revolutionary in 1968 sounds rather twee now
Listened to on vinyl
Rock recorded in a british countryside. Upbeat music but with quite or soft singing/voice, which makes it enjoyable and dancable but peaceful. Would be a nice soundtrack for some british rural film.
A bit poppy, some of it, but not really too different than, say, the Beatles back then. It is evident where their stuff influenced music/bands/genres years after. I don't know if it is the 2018 remaster stereo mix specifically, or if there was a stereo mix before, but I am not a fan of how this one -- what i listened to on spotify -- was mixed. I am not necessarily a hater of interesting stereo mixes where certain things are in one headphone but not the other, but there's something about the way this one (at least in the beginning of the album) is done that sets me on edge. Too much treble in one ear and muffled/distorted vocals in the other. I don't even mind distorted vocals either, but when it's that on top of it being in only one ear, it kinda annoys me. Favorite song on the album: Last of the Steam Powered Trains This is a solid 3.5, maybe higher. So rounded up to 4.
I really enjoyed listening to this album and could see myself listening to it again in a multitude of settings. Fun lighthearted English rock album.
Great time, a lot of fun. I liked Village Green most but it was consistent throughout. And can't not like there being a song about a kitty :3
Pretty good and groovy
Top notch Brit-pop. This album is full of great songs, maybe 2 clunkers towards the end. Picture Book, Last of the Steam Powered Trains, and Big Sky are some of the greatest of all time English pop rock songs. I would put this album up there with the greats of its time.
British folk horror is usually said to crystallise in the early 1970s, in a loose trilogy of films: Witchfinder General, The Blood on Satan’s Claw, and The Wicker Man. These works are less concerned with the supernatural than with communities - closed, ritualised, and capable of extraordinary cruelty when they decide someone does not belong. The timeline is already unstable, however. Witchfinder General was released in 1968, the same year as The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society. That coincidence is more than trivia. It suggests that Village Green emerges from the same cultural pressure point as folk horror, even if it expresses those anxieties in as a platter of exquisite pop tunes rather than period brutality. Wicked Annabella is central to this connection, though not quite in the way a straightforward witchfinder allegory would imply. The song does not depict punishment, trial, or execution. Instead, it shows how such violence becomes possible in the first place. Annabella exists entirely through rumour, fear, and repetition. She lives “where no Christian man has been”; relatives pass her by; children are warned into obedience with her name. By the time demons and midnight skies appear, the song has already demonstrated its real subject: the manufacture of the outsider. Like Witchfinder General, it is not interested in proving guilt, only in showing how accusation coheres into certainty. This makes Wicked Annabella less a tale of persecution than an origin myth for persecution - a portrait of the social conditions that precede the bonfire. I think we - or the sixties individualists who loved the Kinks’ Not Like Everybody Else - are meant to recognise this unfair construction of the outsider. Musically, it is also the closest the Kinks ever came to psychedelia. The droning vocal, the incantatory rhythm, the cartoonish menace edging into hallucination all place the song in the same psychic territory as late-60s psychedelia’s fascination with altered states and dissolving boundaries. British folk horror, in this sense, can be understood as psychedelia turned outward rather than inward: the bad trip externalised, projected onto landscape, history, and communal ritual. Where psychedelia dissolves the self, folk horror dissolves the social contract. Wicked Annabella sits precisely at that junction. Is Village Green Preservation Society itself a folk-horror album then? Not in tone, perhaps, but certainly in theme. It is preoccupied with many of the genre’s core anxieties: traditions hardening into dogma, cultures perceived as slipping away, and the tension between continuity and change. Ray Davies’s suspicion of Americanisation is often read as reactionary, and superficially it can look that way. Yet this is complicated by the band’s own history. The Kinks drew deeply from American rock ’n’ roll and R&B, and arguably invented the sound of classic American rock through the distorted riff of You Really Got Me. Davies knows this contradiction and does not attempt to resolve it neatly. Crucially, Village Green (the title shortening each time I type it) is not an album paralysed by nostalgia. It stands, like Witchfinder General, at the edge of a dying conception of England, but it does not insist that this death must be resisted through stasis. Davies accepts that change is inevitable. His fear, expressed in interviews, is not of influence or exchange but of homogenisation - of a flattening that erases texture rather than transforms it. This reflects a deeper understanding that the album never states outright but continually implies: all notions of nation, place, and tradition are contemporary constructions. They are shaped by memory, but they exist in the present. I Remember Walter articulates this gently - people change, relationships fade, yet memory remains. However, we cannot allow memory to dictate. Unease about social change often arises not because something is wrong, but because it is “not like it was.” Folk horror thrives on precisely this discomfort, projecting present anxieties onto imagined pasts. Village Green performs a similar operation, but with irony and affection rather than menace. What Davies chooses to preserve, in the title song, is revealing then. What are the important elements of Britain? Vaudeville, which originated in France; variety entertainment shaped in America as much as Britain; and not only heroes, but villains too - Fu Manchu, Moriarty, Dracula - figures who are all, in different ways, outsiders or imports. Immigrants central to Britain’s cultural output. Perhaps, like Wicked Annabella, these villains are misunderstood, mischaracterised outsiders or British eccentrics. Certainly, he would not be without them, and neither, he suggests, would Britain. His warning is not against change, influx, or cultural contamination, but against a global sameness that erases specificity. When Davies spoke at the time about wanting to write “English songs,” he was being descriptive, not prescriptive. Englishness here is not purity but production: jam, Desperate Dan, pop tunes, shared jokes. It is knowingly contradictory. A rock star demanding the preservation of virginity can hardly be issuing a genuine edict. That self-awareness is what saves Village Green from becoming a scolding screed and distinguishes it from the harsher moral certainties of folk horror cinema. Davies recognises Britishness as something made rather than inherited. Ultimately, though, what preserves The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society is not theory but craft. The songs are coherent, melodic, witty, melancholy, and faintly ridiculous - partly vaudeville and variety, but just as much rock’n’roll. Tradition survives here not by being frozen in place, but by being sung - again and again - until it changes shape. 4 This is a lovely album. There is energy, charm and variety throughout. It doesn’t have the highs of the albums either side of it…unless it’s all highs. It might be. I confess I don’t know this album as well as four or five other Kinks albums. Never bought this one. In my defence the cover is absolutely rubbish. Who wants that sitting about their living room? 4/5
A seminal album that brought the Kinks into the next phase of their greatness. This is arguably the first concept album - various takes on the thought of what it meant to be British. With multiple influences (American, European, Indian, etc) shaping new parts of the British life - the songs work as windows into that shapeshifting.
Sorte de Beatles light. Fort sympathique.
delightful
I've always liked the Kinks. I've also always thought that I should dig deeper into their discography and do some more serious listening. I'm convinced that would be rewarding given how innovative and interesting they are. My problem is that for all of their incredible merits--they can blues rock with the Stones, they were proto-punk rock, they can REALLY play--they occasionally feel like they veer into what I consider circus-y music. I'm down with psychedelica to a point, but once it gets to, like, "Doors deep tracks"-level, I'm out. There's some of that on here ("All of My Friends Were There"). My challenge is when you get close to but not over that edge ("Village Green" "Big Sky" "Wicked Annabella") it absolutely rules. Ultimately these things come down to taste I guess. To paraphrase "Animal Farm" (a song RIGHT on that line) Kinks Good, Doors Bad. But I'm just one two-legged man. "People Take Pictures of Each Other/just to prove that they existed" sounds cliche now, but it's still a very apt observation. "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains" was fun. I am also old.
Favorite Tracks: Village Green Preservation Society / Picture Book / Animal Farm / Starstruck / Rating: 4.1 I listened to the 2018 Stereo Remaster version. I've never listened to this album -- or much of The Kinks, in general -- and really enjoyed this. Except for "All of My Friends" which I ended up skipping. Deserves a closer second listen, and makes me want to listen to more of the Kinks.
The Kinks give us short character studies of what it means to be British, in a folk rock, almost psychedelic manner. The songs are almost all very short, but each gives a depth into their story and characters and each is also very well written. Solid 8/10
That was very good. Sounds like the Beatles combined with Led Zeppelin. No song particularly caught my ear but the whole album was a pleasure.
Big sky, village green preservation
This is one of those albums I already knew I had to listen to so I’ve enjoyed getting to know this. It’s jangly, imaginative and just generally interesting, if a little twee at times. Maybe it tails off a bit at the end but there is plenty here to return for.
Killer album, captures that quintessential Britishness that maybe never actually existed. Great production quality (for the era) and strong songs all the way through, not really anything to complain about, you can hear the influence to and from peers like the Beatles and Hendrix whilst still being very much it's own thing incorporating bits of folk and psychedelia without sounding like a pastiche
Solid album, very good song in picture book. Can see why the kinks were one of the groups in the British Invasion.
Proto britpop
I liked this album. Well-crafted songs with great harmonies. Favourite tracks: Title track, Do You Remember Walter, Last of the Steam-Powered Trains, Animal Farm, Wicked Annabella, People Take Pictures of Each Other.
I last had a Kinks album with Arthur just 8 albums into the project. I originally gave it a 5, which was later changed to a 3 in the face of my unwillingness to revisit it. I realize while listening to this, at album 156, that I may have made a mistake. This album is loaded with strong pop songwriting infused with the Kinks' distinct Englishness. Strong hooks and good lyrics make this an excellent example of post-British Invasion pop songwriting, albeit with a rock flair as was common. Some think they could have been 1960s icons had they been able to tour in the US, and based on this(and, to a limited extent, successor album Arthur), I don't disagree with that statement. Certainly, they have the chops to have been a largely respected band.
3.8
One of my favorite and most nostalgic bands. Being raised on 60-70s Brittish Invasion bands, the Kinks hold a very special place in my heart. This album has some of their best songs. It manages to be very indicative of this period of pop music, while simultaneously being timeless. Not my favorite album by them, but definitely an essential. My favorite song is "Picture Book" and "Animal Farm."
Ver catchy and consistent, no song that I don’t like
Objectively good musically. Their sound reminds me of the Beatles and a lot of their songs sound similar. Though that makes it a cohesive album. Reviewing it halfway through oops
Попали… Началось
Really good! I'm a bigger Kinks fan than I realized.
Pretty sick record here. In another universe its the kinks who change music instead of the beatles. Same ish time and generally the same type of mission. Its not as good but its pretty close. Every song is darn good and the first 3rd is perfect. Its just a good fun classic early rock record.
Whimsical album
I like it
I have this on vinyl and I do really like it, but you need to be in the mood - some of the old English twee songs are a bit corny these days. But even on those there’s moments of loveliness or emotion. Big Sky, Johnny Thunder and title track all peaches. Overall I do really like this album and the Kinks in general.
Top stuff. Simpsons: Yes
En ole tutustunut The Kinksin tuotantoon niin paljoa kuin monien aikalaistensa. Tämän albumin olin kuitenkin kuullut äskettäin. Kyseessä on kovin brittiläisiä aiheita käsittelevä levy jolla on mukavaa melodista poppia sekä ripaus psykedeliaa.
idk i really enjoyed this album, the energy it brought. peaceful, easy pleasurable listening.
This was great
Hørt i stua med eva og Jon 2. juledag
Instant gott skap, mjög góð
Hehehelvíti góð. Áhugaverð lög, ekki einsleit eins og mörg lög frá þessum tíma vilja verða, og bara skemmtileg líka.
Nunca había escuchado este disco, poquito había escuchado de the kinks. Es una banda contemporánea a the Beatles y se nota un poco. Este es un disco que tiene algo “beatlesco”, en cuanto a la construcción de las canciones más que nada y en esos coros y segundas voces que a mí me encantan en las canciones pero bien distinto en el sonido. Mezcla rock, blues, psicodelia, country incluso. No me pasa mucho que a la primera escucha me guste un disco, y este me llamó la atención altiro y con la segunda y tercera escucha me fue gustando más sobre todo la primera parte, quizás dejaron morir un poquito el disco al final pero mantiene la coherencia musical y lírica, es un álbum conceptual que leí que inspiró y fue la cuna del britpop y de bandas como blur aunque no tuvo una buena crítica inicialmente. Bien interesante en la producción, hacen muy buen trabajo con el paneo de los instrumentos, y va cambiando de canción a cancion, incluso en una misma canción (ej paneo de la voz en algunas). La producción de la batería me gustó mucho, suena muy bien, le pega fuerte el batero y tiene buenos recursos. Yo ni había escuchado el nombre este disco, ni visto su portada, da la impresión que no es muy famoso, yo creo que puede deberse a que sale en una época llena de discos increíbles que sentaron las bases de todo lo de hoy, es difícil descartar en ese ecosistema. No es un disco excepcional, pero es un muy buen disco que debería tener un poquito más de reconocimiento. Canción favorita: Picture Book por lejos (que temazo, me dieron ganas de hacerle cover Marcelo) Mención especial: sitting by the Riverside (por lo experimental y mezclar algo muy liviano con psicodelia) No sé si es un 4, quizás un 3,5 - 3,7 no puedo ponerle menos que Is this it.
Towards the end of the decade the Kinks were getting better as a band. Still no comparison to what the Beatles achieved at the same time.
Love the late 60s. Fun stuff.
Har generelt været meget positivt overrasket over Kinks på den her liste! Føles som om de burde nævnes i samme sætning som et par andre meget prominente britiske bands fra ca samme periode. Mit hotte take er at alle Kinks plader vi har hørt har været bedre end nogen-som-helst Rolling Stones plader. (Men Rolling Stones har bedre sange).
I still don't find them as exciting as some of the other British bands, but this album was pretty good.
The Village Green Preservation Society - The Kinks File - Spotify (2018 Stero Remaster) 1) The Village Green Preservation Society - 4 2) Do You Remeber Walter? -3.5 3) Picture Book - 4 4) Johnny Thunder - 3.5 5) Last of the Steam-Powered Trains - 4.5 6) Big Sky - 4 7) Sitting By the Riverside - 4 8) Animal Farm - 4.5 9) Village Green - 4 10) Starstruck - 4 11) Phenomel Cat - 3.5 12) All of My Friends Were There - 3.5 13) Wicked Annabella - 4 14) Monica - 4 15) People Take Pictures of Each Other - 3.5
This is the third Kinks album I’ve had, and whilst the other two were fine I wasn’t massively impressed. This one, though, this one is really good. Great tunes, with a great sense of proper Britishness and may make me revisit the others.
Not really any stand out tracks for me, but as a album it’s a great listen
Love love love. Such a nice wee listen, easy catchy songs.
Nostalgic. Overlooked. British Invasion.
I like the Kinks, but am more familiar with their later work. this one, i enjoyed, but it felt very very similar to mid-career Beatles, just not quite as good.
Really enjoyed some tracks. Loved the concept/nostalgia/stories.
Uh, kinda like it actually. I could see myself revisiting this. I could stand to listen to more about the village green.
I liked it. I like the kinks a lot and it was generally a good vibe but it wasn't like omg I LOVE THIS ALBUM
Mostly highly enjoyable. Particularly like the riff on Picture Book and prefer the more brief, less wordy songs. Not quite a 5 because a couple of songs feel slightly like novelty songs
On revisiting feels a little slight..only one song Hits the 3 minute Mark here, and as a stand alone song the title track is the only one I ever revisits. However, they clearly grasp the concept of a concept album, and much like they would do on Arthur, they get the feel of it just right.
Never been my go to kinks album. Lays down a marker for where Arthur perfected the genre. The story telling can sound a bit twee almost 60 years after it was written . Still a unique piece of work for its time and one I was glad to revisit
Kinks had quite a run at the end of the 60s. This is a great album, plenty of great songs with memorable moments. Oddly, might have done with something a bit longer. 4.5 rounded down Heard before? Yes Owned: No: 34/132 (25%) Will I get? Already have
kinda reminded me of the beatles style liked it
This had some fun lyrics, would maybe listen again?
This kinda feels like the more soulless adaptation of music I love. Which yk I don’t mind some pandering. I’m probably too hard on this. It has some wonderful ass music on it (Village Green, Wicked Annabelle, Do you remember Walter , the title track of course…) and I’m just being mean for no reason. Well the reason I’m being mean is Monica , a song that annoyed me so much it seriously made me reconsider if I liked anything on this album in the first place. But no… I’m sorry the Kinks, please never try to be Reggaeton again. You’re bad at it
This is a first time listen for me. I've been aware of this album and the high esteem it's held by fans of The Kinks. I also read a bunch of the glowing reviews before listening, so I was prepared to really enjoy this record today. The great news is that I did thoroughly enjoy it. It was all over the place musically, in all of the best ways. And the writing was cynical and funny and not overly dated. This is the kind of record that might take a few listens before I can truly call it a masterpiece, but I understand why others do. Songs that stood out for me were Do You Remember Walter?, Picture Book, Last of the Steam Powered Trains, and Starstruck. I'm teetering between a four and five and I'll decide that tomorrow. Maybe another listen today will help make the choice easier.
i liked that, far more than i liked "arthur"…of course it’s difficult FOR ME to listen to them without hearing how much influence they evidently had on damon albarn’s musical sensibilities, lol. this extends to their tendency toward good lyrics that are unfortunately undercut by obnoxiously precious baroque instrumentation (’do you remember walter?’ is a great example of this). theirs is a terminally british lapse in good taste i fear…i do really like their voices though. and when they’re good they’re pretty great. fav tracks: the village green preservation society; last of the steam-powered trains
I like these guys. Fav tracks: The Village Green Preservation Society; Last of the Steam-Powered Trains; Village Green
Late 60s Kinks. What a band with a crazy good discography. This one is great like most of their stuff. Pucture Book is a personal favorite
This is a fun album. Bouncy, fast paced, and satirical in all the best ways.
Incredible album. Super ahead of its time. One of the best by the Kinks.
I think this would've been a 5/5, if I were reviewing when it came out. I'm pushing it to a 4 becaus it's very dated, unfortunately. There are songs here that are timeless classics, but the rest, though good, is very much a product of its age. All in all, a great album.
This album is actually pretty good. It's wild how in some songs there are so many different and interesting layers, how they converge that well and create an effervescent atmosphere. Other songs are not that interesting but, even though, this album is very solid and enjoyable.
веселенькие
I like this vibe! Always up for some 1960s Brit pop
A wonderful album from the kinks, it makes me feel like life is a lot more simpel that it seems sometimes. It's mainly a rock album, but takes its creative privileges to expand its borders and make something wonderful and special. I love how this album makes me relax.
eigentlich gut gefallen.
4.0 Innit? / 5 Jokes aside, this isn't actually bad at all. The songs are pretty much what I'd expect of a British Invasion album, but they're creative and I appreciate that. Another cool thing is that The Kinks put 15 songs into 40 minutes which is pretty impressive, especially when I compare it to so many other albums that lack their quality. Ngl, there's not man bad things I could say about TVGPS (interesting abbreviation btw) apart from not completely hitting my personal taste - but it's good music.
Nice quirky, sunny, 60s psych rock kind of vibe - I enjoyed it.
Light hearted and whimsical, it was a fun listen! The songs in this album work together to make an enjoyable track, though I wouldn’t add most of these songs independently to a playlist since it’s such a different style.
Such a fun album by a very fun band. Picture Book is one my favourite songs on the album but there are a lot of upbeat happy songs that I liked on the album.
A very good late 60s rock record, I love the folky sound of it. It’s truly one of the best of the latter of the decade AKA one of the best stretches of years in music history
Great band, great album
Kind of surprised me that I enjoyed it. I think I tend to think of the cakes as sort of a prototype for the most annoying breed of hipsterism. Turns out the kinks are good and it's the worst of the hipster that are actually annoying.
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety!
So this is the version, the sound of the Kinks that people adore so much. Ok, I get it now. This was such a fun listen. Such a light sound, such low stakes. But still driven and creative, different and off beat (not literally). Something about this album still sounds so fresh after nearly 60 years. "Picture Book" feels like an indie band could have recorded it today and it wouldn't be out of place. There's so much positivity and good feelings on this album. It's relaxed. It's got a youthful energy about it that is infectious and keeps you coming back for more. I honestly would listen to this for a week and probably still find new things to like about it. I do think it tapers a little near the end, personally. It peaks in the middle and starts to meander a little in tone and interest, at least for me. But that doesn't detract too much. Four stars. Close to five, but not quite there. Standout Tracks: The Village Green Preservation Society, Do You Remember Walter?, Picture Book, Last of the Steam-Powered Trains, Village Green
Album is easy to listen to. Good melodies and 60s vocals (Beatles like) I would say it reminds me of The Beatles a lot. I am going to listen to it again.
Chirpy but felt overly long
I liked!!
Cheeky
TVGPS - love love love DYRW? - great feel. not much else to say - 2nd listen --> feels kinda star girl-y weirdly - much better on the second run through Picture Book - just proper 60's vibe which feels obvious considering it's a 60s album but like... the stereotypical kind of 60s vibe. defos not in a bad way tho. Johnny Thunder - best song so far LOTSPT - YES Big Sky - fun but also like not. SBTRS - Still quite good. not the same mark as the others so far tho? Animal Farm - big fan Village Green - just mmmmmm.. Starstruck - Decent song. thats it. thats the review Phenomenal Cat - brill. AMFWT - ugh. Wicked Annabella - pretty good. Monica - possibly new fave off the album - just love PTPOEO - yeah ig. not huge on it. not a bad song either tho. Album overall - like 7.5/10 Great opener, keeps going well but the middle is very up and down Back half fell off a bit personally but still with a few great highs
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society — шестой студийный альбом английской рок-группы The Kinks, выпущенный 22 ноября 1968 года на лейбле Pye Records в Великобритании и на лейбле Reprise Records в США. Этот альбом стал для группы последним, выпущенным ей в первоначальном составе — бас-гитарист Пит Куайф покинул группу в начале 1969 года. Коллекция виньеток из английской жизни, альбом The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society был составлен из песен, написанных за два года. Этот альбом считается одной из наиболее влиятельных работ The Kinks, однако сразу он успеха в чартах не получил. В 2003 году альбом занял 258-е место в списке «500 величайших альбомов всех времён» по версии журнала Rolling Stone и был описан Uncut в 2014 году как «блестящий концептуальный альбом». Как же мне нравятся концептуальные альбомы! Когда на протяжении всего прослушивания сохраняются общие тема и настроение, в это всегда интересно погружаться. При этом треки не звучат монотонно, как у тех же Ramones, нет, здесь общая тема, но с разных сторон, я могу отличить одну песню от другой, здесь есть интересные продюсерские, инструментальные и вокальные решения Когда зазвучал первый трек, я отнеслась к альбому довольно скептически, но с каждой песней погружалась в его настроение всё больше и больше. Достойное сохранение атмосферы. Не все песни зашли, но это хороший альбом, больше ничего сказать не могу. Метаюсь между пятёркой и четвёркой, но наверное это всё же не полностью моё.
7.86 - Interesting album. I’m sure the Beatles were influenced by The Kinks. Lots of interesting/unique songs. Best songs were All of my Friends Were There (8.4) and Do You Remember Walter (8.3). Least favorite were Big Sky, Sitting by the Riverside, and Wicked Annabella (7.6)
If there’s one album that makes me want to live in England during the 50’s, it’s this one
Probably my favorite from The Kinks and most certainly their most lysergic.
A blend of sunshine/baroque/pop/psychedelic/folk rock that leaves no one indifferent. The Kinks are awesome and this is one of their best!
Not the most accessible of their records, but such great writing.
The Kinks continued to enhance their newfound pop sensibilities on The Village Green Preservation Society, although this time, the songs are more focused and polished, and they've brought the harder rock elements from their early records back, whilst still maintaining the eclecticism of previous record 'Something Else'. Ray Davies' songwriting is in absolutely fine form here, whether it be pleasant countryside feel of the title track and 'Village Green' [both well immortalised in the film 'Hot Fuzz'], the iconic guitar riff of 'Picture Book' that Green Day would later borrow for their 2000 hit 'Warning' or the jangly whimsy of 'Animal Farm', Davies' tight and concise selection of songs on 'The Village Green Preservation Society' rank among the finest of British pop. Many consider this record to be The Kinks' best, and I'm inclined to agree, because there's so much hints on this album of where British popular music would go in the 70s [The Jam, Buzzcocks, The Stranglers], 80s [Madness, The Smiths] and 90s [Blur, Oasis, Pulp]. There's something so inherently British about the music, yet also catchy, layered and easily marketable. Then 'Lola' came out two years after this record and it all but cemented The Kinks' status as a giant of British music. 15 tracks of 60s British pop perfection. This album is to the 60s what Oasis' Definitely Maybe was to the 90s! Best songs: The Village Green Preservation Society, Picture Book, Johnny Thunder, Animal Farm, Village Green
Easy listen!
I'm a sucker for early concept albums
Side one was great but fell away a bit for me on the second side. Ray Davies is a great songwriter but this album felt a little dated to me.
It's a shame that The Kinks are often overshadowed by their contemporaries from this time, because they put out some amazing records that deserve to be heard. Perhaps, none greater than this one. Favorite track: Johnny Thunder
A welcome relief after a string of less engaging albums in the 1001 challenge. This one felt like a breath of fresh air—charming, witty, and musically satisfying. Having mostly known The Kinks through their singles, this album was a pleasant surprise, offering more depth and character than expected. Compared to Arthur, which didn’t quite click, Village Green stands out as a more cohesive and enjoyable listen. It’s playful yet poignant, and overall, a fun record that’s easy to appreciate.
I also naively miss a version of England which I didn't experience - Just William, Lord Snooty, paper bags full of bull's-eyes, Imperial Airways, roast goose and the occasional sighting of a Gresley Pacific. I think that both The Kinks and I realise how ridiculous that sounds, as there's a definite cynicism underlining the obvious nostalgia. Massive bass, jangly guitars, characterful vocals and some wonderful tunes set the template for generations of unconventional rock to come! Favourite tracks: Village Green Preservation Society, Days, Wicked Annabella, Starstruck
This was great! It's been years, like over 50, since I heard it. Thanks for that.
Makes me happy!
Okay, a little tipsy and in good spirits as I listen to this but it’s a class grove. Great songs and feel. There is something really playful and original about the kinks that I hadn’t realised before. Only ever known their big tracks, but there is so much depth and skill in so many of these songs. As well as really original and memorable hooks. All served up with great songwriting and layers. And I re-listened in the morning after 4 hours sleep, just to make sure. And it still bangs! Very pleasant surprise and introduction into a new band I’m going to enjoy exploring ❤️
I seem to recall listening to this within the last year or so and it not landing with me. Maybe it's because I've listened to and enjoyed other Kinks albums in this challenge but my listening enjoyment was much enhanced this time. The first half of the album in particular is very strong with tracks like _The Village Green Preservation Society_, _Picture Book_ and the bluesy _Last of the Steam-Powered Trains_. It tailed of a little towards the end but I could see myself coming back to this and getting more from it each time.
fun - I loved listening to this one again - it has been a while
8/10
4 de 5
Gud
Cool for its time
Best Song: The Village Green Preservation Society. This is pretty good, more mellow than I was expecting if I'm being honest. I think that there are better albums out there by The Kinks so looking forward to that. 4/5.
I love the 60s and 70s vibe a lot. I listened to this with ease. Not the best album of that era but very good.
Great album
I still prefer ARTHUR from this era, but anything from SOMETHING ELSE –> MUSWELL is a good listen.
This feels like one that needs multiple listens to digest. While I've always liked the Kinks, I haven't dug deep into their catalogue. Everything on this album was new to me, which I appreciated, and I need to spend more time in their discography in general.
4 estrelas, muito interessante
Vraiment bon, et surprenant. Ça me démontre à quel point je ne connais pas assez la musique des années 60. Ce n’est pas que les Beach Boys et les Beatles, apparemment...
enjoyed, a bit of it's time but would listen again and stick on a few playlists
I'm so tired of only hearing the hits by this band, I wasn't very excited to listen to this one. But this is way outside of what I expected. It's got some catchy tunes and is kind of goofy at times. It's nice to discover a different side to a very familiar band. Picture Book, Big Sky and Wicked Annabella are my favorites.
This is a fun album! None of their hits (that I was familiar with), but I love the "character sketches" (?) very reminiscent of some Abbey Road / White Album stuff. I dug it
I was surprised to find I liked this quite a bit. Good grooves, kind of silly lyrics.
Best Song: Starstruck
I really like this. Very whimsical and reminded me of syd Barrett's pink Floyd. 4/5
Very fun
Jangle all the way, but I like jangle
Good but not great. I think the way the album ended left a really bad taste in my mouth - a thud rather than a bang, you know? Bumping to 4 stars from 3.5
Esencia rock n roll
Haven't enjoyed this record in probably 15 years. Very musically fun! I don't think I used to notice all the British whimsy in the lyrics and themes so much - it's not my favourite
Really Good Album
I liked it but definitely not my favorite from the kinks
The kinks melodies are always enjoyable, don’t have a. Better word than that. Last of the Steam-POWERED trains is the the required Dylan type song that every band in 1968 had to do. Is this a Sgt. Pepper’s parody? Maybe just a pop music parody in general. Or not? The last half of this album is nothing short of genius. Really influential, great songwriting. Possibly the first concept album. Phenomenal Cat is incredible.
Some great lyrics in here.
Considered a 5. Not as good as Arthur but still really enjoyed it
a lot of mac demarco influence on here. Picture Book walked so Salad Days could run
I’ve heard about Village Green for years but never gave it much of a go. This is excellent. The songs are catchy and varied and short and occasionally truly insightful. There were a couple of moments in the first side that really got me (sorry I had to). The stereo mix sounds better to me. The Kinks always sound like they’re playing inside a tin lunchbox but I also know that’s part of the charm. Lovely album. “People often change but the memories of people can remain” FOUR STARS
So far thoughts, listening for 2nd time, some nice songs. To be honest, not a huge fan of 60s pop rock sound. In places, it kind of seems derivative of the Beatles. Production is OK and songwriting is solid, some solid tracks, still can't decide if this is worth 4/5 or less, but I don't see this as an underrated masterpiece some people claim this to be. 2nd update evening: growing on me on each listen, indeed seems like very personal work, lyrically very interesting, kind of reminds me of Selling England by the Pound by Genesis. Getting hang of this, interesting song structures as well, especially 1st half of the album. This is the one to REVISIT.
I didn't quite expect this. Who was I thinking of? The Kooks maybe? Either way this makes me think of Edgar Wright films. Is this what rock and roll was like in the 60s? Who was that band that I listened to in the 00s that had a sound like this? I liked them well enough but they gave me a headache after a while.
Sgt. Pepper, but peppier!
Great tunes
Mornig boost - Uplifting - Roadtrip - Weird gem. Es un estilo muy parecido a los Beatles y tiene algunas canciones raras, pero la mayoría con ritmo y pegadizas.
I liked this more than the last Kinks album for sure, but I’m just too Beatles pilled to listen to other 60s British groups and not compare them
Well, this was a fun ride! I knew a few Kinks songs but can't say I've heard anything from this specific album and I really enjoyed it! It's so obvious to hear the Beatles influence on many of these tracks, but yet The Kinks' individuality also shines through.
Dingy Brit’s
Sound quality was questionable. Double time would make it indie???
Good
Highlights: Picture Book, The Village Green Preservation Society
The most Beatles-esque non Beatles band out there. In another world, they are the biggest band in the world. Lets GO! Title track to start. Fantastic song. This album is bloated, a pet peeve of mine. Could have tighter. I can't get over how much they sound like Beatles at times. The lyrics don't really hold up to the Fab Four in my opinion. Could just be Im not as familiar though. 3.8/5
This is not my favourite Kinks by any stretch, but fun.
This album was not really my style but at least I tried something new, and I definitely enjoyed some songs on this album, notably “last of the steam powered trains” and “sitting by the riverside”. Some songs had really well developed lyrics and I liked that. Still don’t understand if there’s connections between the songs tho.
This was a solid rock album. Everything flowed nicely into each other. This sounds very classic to me. Not offensive but also not ground breaking or anything really pushing the boundary. A solid listen nonetheless!
Not one I'd usually go for but I rather enjoyed Definitely worthy of top 1001
A classic. Some excellent songs, although gets a bit samey after a while.
Got some real classics, many songs I knew but hadn’t heard in an album context. Also some filler that is more generic 60s. Overall really solid.
Wicked Annabelle, village green, picture book. Very British, 60s acid trip feel. Decent album. Good for a re-listen during a summer bbq.
Enjoyed this album.
8/10… 60s rock-pop / baroque pop
Кручусь вокруг и около The Kinks, надо чаще слушать и разбираться. Шёл, слушал с удовольствием.
Baroque Rock about the British Village Square! Heck yeah!
Note: first album on this list experienced in full
This was such an odd, and very British, album. I am not most familiar with the UK at the time but it reminds me much of the Beatles. There songs are playful and offer light jabs at the societal want to evolve and forget the past. I do agree that past values are important. The songs were all well written and memorable. The light breezy tune was easy to immerse myself in and the lyrics were playful. Overall, this album was wonderful although maybe not my usual taste.
Så mysigt och trevligt album. Verkligen uppskattat
Really good! Charming, well-crafted songs, even if I do like Arthur more overall.
Fun Britpop album. "Picture Book" is definitely the genesis of Green Day's "Warning."
I think I like this one better than I thought I would. 4 Stars
Enjoyed, kinda Beatles like
Nada que ver con la imagen que tenía de los Kinks. Disco muy Beatlelesco muy agradable. La pega es que no se me ha parecido ninguna canción memorable.
Better than Coldplay
Super fun album. I got strong Beatles, Bob Dylan and Radiohead vibes. There were a few tracks I didn't care for - they weren't bad, just didn't stand out. Overall loved it and really enjoyed listening to it.
Classic album. Some great songs and some filler
Me gusto eh, bastante interesante una mezclita copada de rock indie con algo de pop? Tiene un sonido similar a Creedence y eso me agrada
It’s good! The type of 60s music I love. Silly and catchy and fun. Reminds me a lot of Stgt pepper from the Beatles. I like the kinks, they have the whimsy that I crave. A fun album that goes by quickly. I wanted to keep listening by the time it was through.
I want to move to rural England after listening to this. 8/10
So British!
Expectation: Yet another 60s brit album. Result: This is a good album.
I've heard lots of good things about this album and people hail it as a blueprint for what Britpop would become. I can certainly see its influence on the likes of Blur, Ocean Colour Scene and Supergrass. I thought it was a lot of fun and broadly in a Beatles wheelhouse but it's always a bit harsh trying to compare other 60s beat pop with their titanic influence. The Kinks were clearly very very good at being what they were themselves. There were plenty of songs that wormed their way into my head and are still stuck there, days later. Ray Davies' delivery works perfectly with the sort of dry wit and mildly absurdist commentary on British life, and there are plenty of fine melodies crammed into what felt like both an eclectic mixture of songs and a flowing, well-constructed, complete LP.
The Kinks are one of the great chroniclers of mid 20th century British society. Wonderful!
Geiles Album, Titelsong und All of my Friends were there sind die geilsten Songs
Off the cuff remark: The Kinks have some outstanding pop tunes. Yet at times on this album they sound like Monty Python as a serious pop band. That's a compliment. Standout track: Do You Remember Walter - equal parts funny and poignant. Revisit?: Yes.
Prima album, weer eens iets ouders.
I like it. It’s kinda folky, different. Easy to listen to. Nostalgic. Like the reviewer said, it nostalgic for a world that maybe never existed, excepted in Rays mind.
This was a really fun one.
Quirky and entertaining without being too twee. Great mix of drolly amusing songs, nice melody, and all-out rockers. Only All My Friends Were There tips things into sounding like a novelty record. I probably prefer this to Sgt Pepper.
Awesome
The Beatles meet Jack Stauber. Delightful :) (I had previously rated this 5* but had to knock it down out of gut instinct, it's still incredibly charming but in a very kitsch box-of-sweets way)
Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band ripoff
not my favorite, but ii had fun listening to it! my favorite was do you remember walter?
Great vibes similar to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones with a touch of Grease!
This gave Oasis vibes before their time, it was fun!
I usually listen to every album twice before reviewing and rating. I've had this on rotation for a good week as I try to wrap my head around the many standout tracks and gems. The production is a little shaky - the album starts with vocals in only the right ear, and there's a few 'creepy' songs (for some reason typical of 60s rock albums), but this is otherwise a very solid pop record with one banger after another.
I'd never heard this before, but started to appreciate it after 2 listens. It's clearly influenced by Sergeant Pepper though this is just as loose a theme for a concept album is that is. Would I rather listen to Sergeant Pepper? Not necessarily. But I do think this needs more time to grow on me!
A very high 4 star
Buen album rock británico. Es medio q una colección de canciones medio random pero onda whimsical, me recuerdan un poquitín a revolver. Por lo general los banco y están divertidos, especialmente PICTURE BOOK pero hay montón de temas lindos. Worth revisitar definitivamente. Otros temas que banco: Last of the Steam-Powered Trains: por ser medio bluesy y tener un riff bien pegadizo (y solo de harmónica), All of My Friends Were There: la melodía de la voz en el chorus, Village Green, Sitting by the Riverside, Wicked Annabella: el mix es re interesante y como distorsionado y la voz tiene algún tipo de modulación que añade a la atmósfera. Phenomenal Cat: weird ahh song pero funny y linda. DO YOU REMEMBER WALTER? temón. Y me gusta la onda de recordar el pasado nostálgicamente y tipo el what could be.
Released, tragically, the same year as The White Album. This is a jangly, plaintive record that would sound more like modern folk than the brash rock of You Really Got Me, the utter cheek of Lola or the (later) danceable Come Dancing. It's still a solid record. Some folks I respect greatly consider this their favourite album. I doesn't get close for me. There's a concept album here, if you want to listen closely to Ray Davies' music. I could take or leave it. Ultimately, a profoundly pleasant listen and likely the sound of a band reconnecting with their roots (parallel to the theme of the album), but not all of us are compelled through a record by its literary content. Some days, this album is a 3/5 and sometimes it's a 4/5 for me. I'm settling on 4, if only because I'd rather people discover this than the fucking Arctic Monkeys.
Fun late 60s addition by The Kinks, with the Standouts being Village Green, Picture Book, Last Of The Steam Powered Trains, and Wicked Annabella.
Good listen, enjoyable and found the theme throughout quite interesting. Love the steam train mention gotta shout out public transit fr
The best kind of weird! Classic Kinks
Ray Davies is such a damn fantastic writer he made me care about a bygone England
The Village Green Preservation Society - 5/5 Do You Remember Walter? - 5/5 Picture Book - 5/5 Johnny Thunder - 5/5 Last of the Steam-Powered Trains - 5/5 Big Sky - 5/5 Sitting by the Riverside - 4/5 Animal Farm - 5/5 Village Green - 4/5 Starstruck - 4/5 Phenomenal Cat - 3/5 All of My Friends Were There - 4/5 Wicked Annabella - 4/5 Monica - 3/5 People Take Pictures of Each Other - 4/5 Average score: 4.3/5 (rounding down) this was pretty good. started very strong and ended just a little weak favs: TVGPS, Picture Book, Big Sky, Animal Farm least favs: Phenomenal Cat, Monica
So pleasant and enjoyable. Definitely will listen to more from them
I’d really only heard The Kinks in Wes Anderson movies prior to this 😂 It was good, and a lot of fun!
Imaginative and fun. Really enjoyed this album.
I’m ready to have the conversation that the Kinks made the best pop/rock music of the 1960s. Dead serious. This beats any Beatles pre-drugs/musical experimentation. Everyone else like the Byrds, the Hollies, CCR doesn’t stand a chance against the Kinks. I’m surprised that the Kinks aren’t super popular today since I think their music holds up well
Honestly I was into this an a lot more than I thought it’d be. Saved 4 songs and did an extra half listen. Very upbeat and enjoyable. I might have to make a gardening playlist now.
I quite like The Kinks, even though I think this is their first al in I’ve listened to in full; I know them mostly from their hits. Very catchy album overall, but it still sounds very much of the time.
Loved it, just like every The Kings recorde
Catchy and fun album, did enjoy 😁 Fav tracks: Johnny Thunder, Big Sky, The Last of the Steam-Powered Train
Fun, whimsical, and light album. This feels like 60s/70s without being too weird.
Liked the last few songs best.
Vrolijke rock'n'roll uit de jaren '60. Ondanks dat het voor mij geen bekende nummers zijn, vind ik het wel leuk om te luisteren. ****
Maybe not my favorite Kinks album but it does contain the stellar Picture Book. Interesting mix of pop/baroque/rock. You don't hear a lot of bands inserting that element of baroque these days. Of its time but some of the songs, especially Picture Book are timeless.
4.5/5
A pretty good album, I liked Picture Book, Village Green and Starstruck the most.
It's pretty good, but they're not the Beatles.
No big hits, but short and sweet songs.
71/100.
Loved the lyrics of the first track.
Þessu bjóst ég ekki við. Ég fílaði þessa plötu alveg ágætlega mikið og hefði mjög gaman af því að hlusta á hana oftar. Mun líklegast gleyma henni en Kinks þurfa greinilega meiri spilun
Quality
I am just a huge Kinks fan, love their music. This album is not very long, and is full of good songs. Very catchy and pop like with that classic Kinks sarcasm behind it. Can't Miss Songs: Do You Remember Walter? Johnny Thunder Big Sky 3.57/5 stars = 4.
Good but goes on a bit too long.
Hadn’t listened to much of the Kinks, was expecting a worse Beatles. Actually very interesting experimental music for the time I think. A 40 minute album in 15 songs makes most of the songs fairly short. But it’s not the worst thing they change their sound up a lot over the course of the record. I particularly liked Last of the Steam Powered Trains. 8/10
This struck me as having influenced Jon Croce and John Prine, with its character driven story songs. I commented to Henry that the title song reminded me of “Hot Fuzz”, after which he reminded me that it was essentially rhe movies theme song.
This is the closest The Kinks come to sounding like The Beatles. I love the concept of the album - and it succeeds in painting a view of English Village life. The lyrics are not entirely serious, but thankfully it never veers towards novelty music (or being twee). Great songs and album - even if it occasionally sound like the idealised memories of a brexit enthusiast (as an unnecessary aside Ray Davies was against Brexit) 4/5
Generally not a fan of The Kinks past their early blues band days. However, I am a big fan of this slice of quintessential Englishness. Ray Davis’ ability to capture aspects of his culture and turn them into charming and ironic pieces of song is far beyond that of anyone before or since. I own the deluxe edition of this album which includes the mono version of the album, which gives in a cold and more distant quality which works quite well. The Kinks, and particularly TVGPS, is so influential on 1990s acts. I can hear a lot of the influence on Blur (who try the same thing less well), Pulp who do with more waspish wit, and on Belle and Sebastian who also use that vignette style storytelling with more pathos. More accessible than the Beatles and less cool than the Stones, The Kinks are the quintessential English band.
I am the village green preservation society.
Really like this one and own it.
Crazy about the Kinks! Definitely a Kinks album with some great songs and some meh songs but it is still a fantastic fun album. I recently read Ray Davies book and re listened to all of the kinks albums in order and it made me appreciate the music more. The book wasn’t very good unless you forgive the author for the experimental sci-fi stuff. Much like this album there’s some experimental arrangements but I’m here for it!
Immaculate 60s Brit pop
Well this was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the classic pop songwriting on this and it had some fun songs.
This is fun. I don't want to say that The Kinks are underrated, because they're widely accepted as one of the greatest English rock bands of all time. But they feel underrated when compared to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, The Who, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. And that's probably because they're so unique in their sound. They don't have that big blues sounds of their contemporaries or the loudness of the latter English bands. Honestly, they're very similar to The Beatles, so maybe that's where the market correction is? This record is whimsical and weird. It very much fits in with a lot of what The Beatles became known for. I love the high energy tracks at the beginning and then the weird skiffle inspired songs near the end. Its easy to groove too. Some of the lyrics land, others don't. I really enjoyed this!
Great album from the Kinks, My favourites are Last of the Steam-Powered Trains and Picture book
Fav tracks: Picture book , last of the steam powered trains , big sky , wicked Annabelle Super fun enjoyable songs to listen to My kink is the way I'm preserving my green 💵
More Kinks! Hell, yeah.
Very funny very silly. Very 60s. Very Beatles. Almost as good as Sgt. Pepper's
Loved it.
Creative psychedelic pop/rock. Very comparable to the Beatles. Great production, writing, and arrangements. At 0:49 on the remastered version of Phenomenal cat the background vocals are weirdly cut off, sounds like an error more than something intentional, so it’s interesting they kept that in the remaster.
Good listen. Not perfect, but close
Seems like a great example of the genre; late-sixties Brit-Pop. Overall an enjoyable listen.
was a really good album. It sounded like a circus, in a good way. Ben fold has clearly listened to “do you remember Walter”. And “picture book” was in an Apple commercial! It was really great.
Loved this. First time hearing it.
A great time throughout. Hooks for days.
Ah, The Kinks! Another band I'm way overdue on a deep dive, and can't say I recall ever listening to any of their albums front to back. Seems like a good place to start, I definitely enjoyed this. A nice, varied, and very british album. It felt like it kind of ended quickly, so I will definitely have to go back and take my time for this album to be absorbed. I did also listen to the two preceding albums after finishing this one, and overall I really think I'm going to enjoy digging deeper into The Kinks' catalog, and I'm especially curious now about how their sound evolved on the albums after this one. I know they have a shitload of albums to check out!
I’d consider myself a pretty casual Kinks fan. A few songs have really stuck with me but no full albums, haven’t done deep dives etc. Excited to see more Kinks albums. This is very good but where I’ve landed on this is it falls just short of a GREAT album. The song writing is definitely the strongest feature, but the overall songs, production, vocals, instrumentation etc. I think the roughness is a feature more than a detriment for the Kinks heads. The crooning I could do without. Overall I like the originality, thoughtfulness and a few songs stood out.
This album has really grown on me after a few plays. Picture Book, Sitting By The Riverside and Johnny Thunder were my favorites, but genuinely, not many duds on this. The wiki mentioned that this is considered an early concept album in the rock world, but thats strange considering it came out post Sargent Pepper. Overall, I liked reading how proudly british the kinks were. Amazing to read about late blooming albums like this. Somewhere between 3 and 4 for me.
Have been looking forward to getting some Kinks albums - a band I’ve always been meaning to go deeper on. This album is great enough, and the Kinks have a big enough catalogue, for me to wonder why they never got as big as the Beatles or the Stones. Turns out they were banned from the US from 65 to 69 because Davies punched a union dude backstage. Beatles take cake in songwriting but I like that these guys rock a little more. Reading they also put on a good live show, and we know the Beatles never really were that kind of band.
An album from the 60's I didn't hate! It's pleasant. Nothing major to write home about, but no major hits here. They can't all be bangers.
So nice of The Kinks to employ the Munchkins to sing on "Phenomenal Cat."
This is entirely new to me a few songs in, and I'm liking it. This isn't at all what I would think of were I to think of the Kinks. It feels like a bridge from the doo-wop, bouncy "oldies" to the fuller, more complex rock music of the seventies.
Ach, für das das so legendär sind giz 4 P
Funky People take pictures of each other: Seiner Zeit voraus, passt perfekt zur Social Media Zeit
This was really good. I’m very tempted to give it 5 stars.
Pastoral album, you can really taste the English folklore in an exciting and interesting way.
I knew the single - lots of the album sounds similar, very pleasant - whimsical
Pensavo dalla descrizione di pietra miliare che fosse noioso ma è proprio il contrario! Bel sound vivace e fantastica impronta inglese.
4.5
Pretty solid, feels like a blues-ier Beatles album.
I listened to this a few months ago for the first time out of curiosity about the Kinks. I really only knew a few of the hits, but heard they were good so listened to a couple of their more highly esteemed albums. I kind of forgot about this after listening. On my second listen today, this really came off a pretty solid album. Five tracks in and they are all bangers, then it keeps on strong. Animal Farm is a great track. Too bad some of this stuff doesn’t get much radio play anymore, they kind of stayed underground I guess. Anyway, I’m glad this came up, and that I listened to it again, because I’ll probably come back to this one.
The darkest hippie music, half heavy distorted Rock'n'Roll, half soft harmonies. Songs for outsiders.
50% British, 50% Invasion. 100% underrated
Really liked this. Hadn’t given the kinks much time previously. But this was great.
This album goes way harder than one would expect from the sound. Especially “Picture Book” has so much energy in a way you would expect from the lack of distortion. All through this album has many catchy pop songs. It feels a lot like a Beatles album if they took a slightly different sound. The album is very front loaded with “Do you remember Walter”, “Picture Book” and “Big Sky”, the whole album is worth a listen though. The Kinks really have a knack for writing interesting songs. 4 star.
Good overall. It feels transformative like their later stuff just developed more. Some good tracks in isolation
One of my faves. Such an underrated entry in the Kinks canon. So many songs which are never included in ‘best of’s but absolutely should be.
This album ends up being timeless. All the poignant lyrics of a time lost and the cheapening of culture continues today. That fact alone makes this listen so much more accessible and incredible. The Village Green Presevation Society Last of the Steam Powered Trains Johnny Thunder Starstruck Wicked Annabella Village Green Sitting by the Riverside Animal Farm Monica Big Sky Phenomenal Cat People Take Pictures of Each Other Do You Remember Walter? All of My Friends Were There Picture Book
Strong sense of cohesion throughout the album, similar to contemporary early concept albums like Pet Sounds and Sgt Pepper. Feelings of nostalgia, preservation of the past, and tradition are evoked throughout listening along with portraits of people of the village green.
Creative. I liked a lot of this album which was new to me. Need to listen again.
Classic Brothers Davies.
Some of this album sounds a little bit dated now, but it was revolutionary in its day, and English Rock at its finest. My favourite tracks are the title track "The Village Green Preservation Society", and "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains".
Wasn’t familiar with most of this but it worked for me. Prefer over lots of Beatles stuff….
Really enjoyed this one. Better than Beatles.
This is great. Ray Davies is such a good songwriter. And clearly this was a massive influence on certain Britpop bands. Gets just a wee bit too whimsical for my liking towards the end though. A solid 4
This was a good album I will look forward to their other entries on this list!
A fun, highly British, pop rock album that borrows sounds from several genres (folk, blues, garage, psych/baroque pop). It’s just a good time with memorable melodies floating all over the place. A couple of songs don’t maintain the consistent quality, but overall this is a pleasure to listen to.
Not really what I expected, but I guess all I'd heard before now is their biggest hit. Really chilled songs, with quite a lot of wit and some lyricism. I can honestly see that this influenced all sorts of different types of stuff later down the line, as it doesn't sound nearly as dated as some other 60s stuff. As it’s not really too bluesy and more simple instrumentally. Favourite songs: the village green preservation society, do you remember Walter?, picture book, Johnny thunder, last of the steam-powered trains, animal farm, village green, phenomenal cat, Monica Overall around 8/10
#ВидатнийАльбомЩодня The Kinks - The Village Green Preservation Society (1968) Якщо ви згадаєте про таку течію як «Британське вторгнення», то першими гуртами, які прийдуть вам на думку, швидше за все, будуть The Beatles, The Rolling Stones та The Who, і лише небагато хто згадає про The Kinks. І це не дивно, адже у свій час гурт також дуже сильно недооцінювали, а The Village Green Preservation Society, коли він тільки вийшов, багато хто не зрозумів. В той час, світом правив психоделічний рок, та політичні, гостро-соціальні, філософські питання, які він часто підіймав. На цьому фоні, пасторальний та «фолковий» поп рок альбом, із текстами про «чудові часи минулого», дійсно, здавався дивним, занадто наївним та простим. Але саме в цій простоті та приземленості і полягає його феномен. Створюючи цей альбом, ідеєю фронтмена гурту Ray Davies , було передати свої спостереження за тодішнім сучасним часом, і показати, як «раніше було краще» і чому. Тобто, це не просто «ностальгія заради ностальгії», а осмислений меседж про те, як все, насправді, змінилось, та часто не в найкращу сторону. І мова іде, не про якісь «глобальні» питання, а про щось значно більш приземлене та зрозуміле. Про те як гарно було бути молодим та «вільним», про те як побут та сучасне «стрімке» життя перетворюють старого друга на нудну, нецікаву «звичайну істоту», та про те що «тих емоцій що були тоді» вже ніколи не повернути. Все це подається з легкістю, невимушеністю, певною долею іронії, та ніби в театральній, «мюзикловій» манері. Через це, альбом нагадує гарну пʼєсу, та слухається на одному диханні. Пізніше, альбом все ж отримав належне визнання, і тепер вважається класикою світової рок та поп музики, яку має послухати кожен.
Classic, melodic 60s
Одна из лучших обложек, которая мне попадалась. Со второго альбома я полюбил The Kinks, для меня они стоят в одном ряду с The Beatles. Сравнивая релизы этих двух групп в 1968 году, видна явная разница в подходе к звучанию альбома. Если битлы делали упор на психоделию и прочие эксперименты, то Кинкс развивали звучание ранних битлов, что у них интересно получилось. Многие песни можно действительно спутать с творениями The Beatles, поэтому я считаю, что Кинкс были на одном уровне с ними. Резкие отличия действительно заметны: вокал не так цепляет, как шедевры Джона и Пола, мотивы песен запоминаются на уровне средних песен ливерпульской четверки, а качество звука (даже на ремастерах поздних лет) оставляет желать лучшего. Из песен можно выделить забавную Sitting by the Riverside, за основу которой взята мелодия, похожая на ту, что звучала во время показа немых фильмов или в барах в эпоху дикого запада. Альбом определенно хорошо слушается, а обложка определенно приятно смотрится :). Приятные 4,5/5 (4/5)
Totally a product of its time, it still sounds great today.
Really liked nearly every song on here. 4 stars
I have rarely encountered a pop album as consistent as The Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks. When I first heard this album, I wasn’t particularly impressed. It didn't sound exceptional to my ears at all. However, with each listen, my appreciation for the album has grown, and it might now be one of my favorites on this list. This shift is largely due to its nostalgic and dreamy atmosphere, full of childhood memories while also containing social commentary. This gives the seemingly cheerful and simple songs an extra layer of depth. Together with countless catchy melodies, 'The Village Green Preservation Society' is an album that improves with every listen. The songs are all quite short but wonderfully constructed, featuring catchy melodies, strong vocals, and recognizable, nostalgic lyrics. Tracks like "Do You Remember Walter" and "Picture Book" have become my favorites. The combination of cheerful, playful pop melodies with nostalgic and socially critical lyrics makes for an album that brings me joy while also evoking some deeper emotions. This is an incredibly addictive record, and I will definitely listen to it again!
Liked the first half a decent amount
Although I prefer later Kinks, I really liked this. It's so weird how "Picture Book" recaptured the scene in those Apple commercials, but you can't deny how catchy it is. In fact, pretty much all the songs were pretty catchy. One of their better early albums. Recommended. Top tracks: "Picture Book," "Do You Remember Walter?," "Phenomenal Cat," "All of My Friends Were There," "Peiole Taking Pictures Of Each Other"
The Kinks always have a bit too much goofiness, but I like their music. I enjoyed the first side more than the second, but there were good moments on side two as well. I like the theme of memories of days and people gone by and, overall, the album is filled with catchy tracks. Would definitely revisit. Favorite tracks: The Village Green Preservation Society (fun catchy opener), Picture Book (which I knew from The Umbrella Academy), Last of the Steam-Powered Trains (great bop), Wicked Annabella (kinda spooky-cool. Sounds like it would make a good metal song). Finally, good line in the album's last track: "People take pictures of the summer / Just in case someone thought they had missed it / And to prove that it really existed." Pretty timely when everyone has to take pictures with their phones at every event and every dinner (don't get me started on all the assholes with their phone cameras raised in your line of sight at every concert these days...). "People take pictures of each other / Just to prove that they really existed." Yup. Good stuff.
If there’s an album that perfectly captures the charm of old England wrapped in wry wit and nostalgia, it’s The Village Green Preservation Society. Ray Davies crafts a world of lost traditions, eccentric characters, and simpler times, all set to The Kinks’ signature mix of jangly guitars, baroque pop flourishes, and perfectly understated melodies. Songs like the title track and Do You Remember Walter? brim with satirical longing, celebrating and gently mocking the past in equal measure, while Johnny Thunder and Picture Book inject a playful energy into the album’s wistful core. It’s less about rock ‘n’ roll rebellion and more about quietly preserving a world that’s already slipping away, giving the whole album a cozy yet melancholic feel. Musically, Village Green trades in the bombast of The Kinks’ earlier hits for something more refined and textured. Acoustic guitars, harpsichord, and brass weave through the arrangements, giving tracks like Big Sky and Animal Farm a richness that rewards repeat listens. However, it’s not an album that grabs you immediately—it’s more of a slow burn, one that reveals its brilliance in small, perfectly observed details rather than big, obvious hooks. That’s also why it never achieved commercial success at the time, but in retrospect, it’s one of The Kinks’ most enduring works. Nostalgic, funny, and beautifully crafted, The Village Green Preservation Society isn’t just a love letter to a disappearing past—it’s an album that gets better every time you revisit it.
een album van de Kinks zonder echte hits... maar je kan moeilijk zeggen dat het een mislukking is... goeie songs met goeie teksten... Kinks waardig
It was fun!! Very 60s 70s, i didnt know it at all. I enjoyed some songs more than others. Animal farm was nice. I liked the concept of the album, I feel there is more to learn and understand from it but it is cool and I want to know more.
I liked it! Big fan of the Kinks and their sound
I had heard a few songs here and there by The Kinks, but this album is going into my Saturday morning cleaning rotation.
I liked it. You can see how they were influential because some of the songs didn't sound like they were 55+ years old.
it's a classic isn't it but there are one or two kind of annoying songs on it
Pretty 60’s I believe. Nice feel. Product of the time. It’s nice.
Never heard this Kinks album before now. Man I was missing out. It gets a little out there, but in a good way. Still very approachable, so not sure how it didn't turn out to be full of hits like the albums that preceded it. Vastly different from the other British Invasion's happening at the time.
What a proper British album. Really enjoyed the album for the most part. Picture Book was the only song that I recognized but many good songs throughout.
Right. So after four Kinks albums some patterns are emerging. It seems that not only are their many classic singles spread wide and thin across their discography, but their best albums are actually the ones that don’t contain any of the really big hitters. Maybe there’s a causal link? Maybe leaving off a majestic standalone track like Days benefitted the more focused, ‘smaller’ feel of the rest of the album? Well, regardless, there are a lot of great tunes on here - the Kinks at their most decidedly idiosyncratic, English and, well, Kinksian (with a couple of curveballs thrown in too). Maybe it’s hindsight but it seems like the concept of this album was tailor-made for them.