Reviews (page 7 of 14)
I really enjoy a lot of Kinks songs. I had never listened to this album in its entirety. This album is older than me but it still has a freshness and doesn't sound nearly as dated as it should. Nearly every song on the album is around 3 minutes or less which is how a good pop song should be. The title track was great, a welcomed addition to my Kinks collection. "Walter" was a rollickingly fun track. Everyone knows "Picture Book", it's still in ads and soundtracks. Is Ringo playing on "Wicked Annabella"!? While I enjoyed giving this a listen I'm not sold on the need to have it included in the Top 1001. One hit song, some good listen counts, but nothing I'd say was revolutionary or super influential. It's consistent and solid but not a huge standout in my estimation. 2.5-3 stars.
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!
A little bit repetitive but the vibe is just too good
Jangly guitar melody pop. Pleasant enough just not stunning.
It’s ok
The Village Green Preservation Society 3.4 Do You Remember Walter 3.3 Picture Book 3.5 Johnny Thunder 3.5 Last of the Steam-Powered Trains 3.7 Big Sky 3.6 Sitting by the Riverside 3.6 Animal Farm 3.4 Village Green 3.6 Starstruck 3.8 Phenomenal Cat 3 All of My Friends Were There 3.3 Wicked Annabella 3.5 Monica 3.3 People Take Pictures of Each Other 3.4 Score: 3.46
What was in the water in 1968? White Album, Big Pink, Nashville Skyline, Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. Everyone started trading their acid for low-potency weed and fashioning themselves as earthy and traditional. With the exception of the White Album, this album is better than all of those IMO. What a treat to be given a reason to revisit this one. Village Green is a stone cold classic. It takes a lot of balls to veer into this direction and take such an anachronistic point of view. It shouldn’t work, it shouldn’t have aged well, but oh man. Even on the title track, for how arcane the references are, the feeling and the desire to save the obscure ephemera of one’s youth from disappearing is real and timeless. I can live without a song or two but nearly every track just puts a smile on my face. Like, how funny is it to be in a rock band in the late 60s and write a song called “Animal Farm”, and it turns out to be a sincere song how sick it would be to live a simple life on an animal farm. Britpop wouldn’t have existed without this one IMO.
Pretty good. The Kinks are interesting songwriters. But when I want to listen to the snark that they always have, I'd rather put on Lola Vs Powerman.
It's easy to overthink these things. In the grand scheme of things, TKATVGPS does nothing particularly innovative, when their peers - perhaps - were redefining what an album could be, and how it could be made. There is a concept here, which boils down to little more than a prevailing sense of nostalgia throughout, but the simple fact is that this album has endured without the whistles and bells of it's contemporaries on the strength of it's songs. And that is perhaps, all that is needed. Fabulous stuff.
I have a soft spot for this album. Listening to it this time, I can’t say I remember why I have a soft spot for it. But I do.
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.
Love how much I have listened to The Kinks, keeps getting better!
Mixed feelings on it. It’s good but definetly dated to its era. Will have to give it a few more listens.
Few strong songs here at the beginning, particularly enjoyed The Village Green Preservation Society, Last of the Steam-Powered Trains and Picture Book. However, felt the rest of the album petered off toward the end.
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!
Aka Wes Anderson music. Iconic and seminal and appreciate what it means
An undeniable, stone cold classic
Really enjoyed listening to this!
All round good listen, I just don’t really get the Kinks, they just feel like a less interesting version of the Beatles.
Really enjoyed this for the most part. Got a bit tired of the concept by the end so didn’t quite hit 4
Bom álbum! Truthear Zero:Red.
It was fine, but I listened with it in the background and nothing really stood out to me. I could give another listen later, but there's little to draw me back in
Woof, I love a handful of The Kinks songs, but this album didn't contain any of them. Difficult to get through.
It’s fine. I much prefer Arthur or the Decline. Some basic Brit 60’s rock.
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.
Dit is hoe de Beatles klinken voor mensen die niet fan zijn van de Beatles
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.
It's a meh for me. I feel it's like second-hand Beatles.
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
My primary exposure to The Kinks is their “Kinks” album, so this was not what I expected. The album opens like a tribute to (copy of?) Sgt. Pepper, so listeners in 1968 may have been forgiven for quickly passing summary judgement on this one. If I didn’t know I was listening to a Kinks album (and have a reasonable grasp of the Beatles catalog), it would be easy to mistake “Picture Book” as a lesser known Beatles song. Fortunately, “Johnny Thunder” starts to turn a corner, and by “Last of the Steam-Powered Trains” they are finally in their own lane. Which is to say, at least here, somewhere between The Beatles and The Who. For my part, I guess I wish there were a little less harpsichord and a few more rock’n’roll tracks like “Wicked Annebella”, or blues-rock tracks like “Last of the Steam-Powered Trains”.
Ray Davies is such a damn fantastic writer he made me care about a bygone England
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!
Good old school rock.
Some really good rock songs on this album that I hadn't heard before. Not the kind of rock I usually listen to since it often feels kind of dated. This album has a part of that but it still holds up good enough for me to enjoy it.
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
perfectly fine psych rock album (which truly isnt my genre anyways) but it's inoffensive
This is what the latter half of Beatles thought they were. Solid album. Super good
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!
Great collection of songs.
Imaginative and fun. Really enjoyed this album.
The first three songs are hitters, but the carnival aesthetic got kind of old around Sitting By The Riverside. 60s bands were really not afraid to be whimsical from time to time. There is a noticeable lack of whimsy in the music of today. The carousel-core gap in pop and rock has not been filled effectively since January 1, 1970 (excepting Mr. Blue Sky).
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
nettes banales Feelgood-Album
Cheerful with depressing lyrics. Very "take me back to the old days" ironically. Pretty cool for its era though
Some catchy songs, particularly in the first half. Two listens was ideal but not sure I want to have it on repeat.
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
Went in with high expectations but still enjoyed
he can sing. Not the most recognisable voice but still a nice tone. He could do emotive delivery within his relatively narrower vocal range. The album itself is just ok. The 2/4 lilts in The Village Green Preservation Society remind me of some march-like patriotic rhythms. The phenomenal cat’s intro sounds like Tom and Jerry. I can’t tell if I like it or not, it’s just an observation. I have a very neutral feeling about this album, I define this as a perfect three.
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.
listened to this on Friday, by Monday morning I am already kinda forgetting this album. it wasn't bad to listen to, but it wasn't memorable in my opinion. i remember a lot of things about photographs... but thats really it
It was alright, but nothing really stood out to me. Can’t remember it so well.
Fun in some spots but didn’t stick with me too much.
There’s distinctions between The Kinks and The Beatles, but there were moments on this album that felt like it was a straight up copy of The Beatles sound. I can’t tell if that’s just the way British rock sounded in the 60s, or if they were looking to capitalize on Beatlemania. Decent album, couple songs I’ll go back to. Pretty sure we’ll eventually listen to each album that has a song Apple has featured in their commercials.
The Kinks are nice. These songs are nice. This album was nice.
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
Yeah I just didn’t like this at all.
Decent, pleasant album with a distinct late 60s sound. It sounded a lot like The Beatles at times, though.
A sound that didn’t change through the decades.
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.
Album carino, anche se non mi ha lanciato più di tanto.
Fun, whimsical, and light album. This feels like 60s/70s without being too weird.
This is classic 60s bubble gum pop. I imagine for its time, it might have been the beginning of this type of music. It was an enjoyable listen but very dated. Better Kinks albums were to come.
Some good songs ("Do You Remember Walter", "Johnny Thunder"), some not as good, and some WTF? ("Phenomenal Cat", "Wicked Annabella") Overall, just OK.
Were the Kinks that significant that they needed multiple albums on this list? Most of this sounds like your typical late 60s record, good, but nothing groundbreaking. I picked my favorites that did not sound like just another Beatles copy. Last of the Steam Powered Trains, even though it has that CCR feel, Animal Farm, and Wicked Annabella.
Hear the influence
Liked the last few songs best.
It was good and fun but mostly felt like a Beatles album that was more flat. 6/10
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. ****
Complicado de escuchar
I don't have to even listen... 5/5. My favorite Kinks album, and one of my favorite albums at one point in my life.
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.
Didn't like it.
Yeah, this one's the best Kinks album. Listen to it when you're in a nostalgic mood (college graduation, first big move, significant birthday, etc.), and it'll blow you away. One of the fun things about it is that it's both genuine and ironic at the same time, much like how we make jokes about our own anxieties regarding the passing of time.
4.5/5
A pretty good album, I liked Picture Book, Village Green and Starstruck the most.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 50 We are the village green….one of the greatest albums there’s ever been! 🥰 Quite a treat to have this land as my 50th on the listening list, man do I ever love The Kinks. Ever overshadowed by the exhaustingly overrated Beatles, Ray Davies pop rock sensibilities really do rival that of Lennon & McCartney, and for my money this album ranks among the very best of the era. The album is a nostalgic reflection of English life, captured through the contemplative lens of Davies. Every song on Village Green feels like a scene from a faded photo album. Wistfully reflecting on childhood memories with the theme of what becomes unrecognizable after the passing of time. Jaunty and melodic, yet underneath catchy choruses lie a quiet ache — tracks with emotional range, tackling isolation and disillusionment with both irony and empathy. 🎧 Classic Track: Starstruck 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Sitting By The Riverside 🎧 Memorable Standout: Johnny Thunder 🎧 Personal Favorite: Animal Farm Musically, the album leans on baroque pop, British folk, and music hall, forgoing the heavy amplification of their early hits. The arrangements are intricate but never overbearing, often relying on acoustic textures, harpsichords, and rich vocal harmonies. There’s a clear sense of craft in each track, as if every chord and lyric has been carefully placed to serve the album’s overarching mood. The album’s quiet, poetic songwriting is what likely led to middling sales upon its release, however in the years since its release, Village Green has properly received its due as It’s now widely considered not just one of The Kinks’ finest works, but one of the great albums of the 1960s. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Hypnotic lure Its influence can be heard in the modern work of artists like Blur, Belle and Sebastian, and even modern Americana bands who find similar beauty in place and tradition. Have a listen to Green Day’s ‘Warning’ and tell me that song isn’t directly reimagined from ‘Picture Book’ 📖 .
It's pretty good, but they're not the Beatles.
Love the kinks.
It's a pop album from the 60's. It didn't make me feel like I needed to hear it, but I guess it's a good time capsule.
Starts somewhat strong, but loses steam after the first half. Pity. 3/5
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
Sounds like my favourite aspects of the Beatles. The vocals, instruments and mood are lovely and this album is very cute and full of whimsy. I love “do you remember Walter?”. Impressed so far. The tracks are short and sweet and each have a distinct sound. This makes me want to listen to more of The Kinks.
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.
Favourite song is village green. Really enjoyed
Good but goes on a bit too long.
Not what I was expecting from the Kinks. Very 60s feel for this album. Fun, unserious vibe.
Very good. I hadn't listened to this album before. You can really hear that 60s era of rock, where it at times reminds me of other artists around then (some songs are giving Bob Dylan rock era).
Like a folkier Sgt peppers. Thumbs up.
Not my jam, pretty boring. It feels dated, as one would expect. 1/5 stars.
Overall ok. Kinda just sounded like a worse version of the Beatles. I see how they could have scared a mother in 1968 with “Sitting by the riverside”. 6/10
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 album grabbed me right from the start. I’d never listened to this before but had always heard it was great. Man, 68 was a crazy year for music. As I listened, I could hear notes of Dylan. I could also hear its influence in belle and Sebastian and Spinal Tap. Such a diverse group of songs. I will be including this in regular rotation.
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
Mediocre 60s Brit rock
village green good, rest fine
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.
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.
Surprisingly pleasant listening to this one, fun!
kinda like if the beatles were less serious
Loved every song. Felt familiar from first listen.
Very funny very silly. Very 60s. Very Beatles. Almost as good as Sgt. Pepper's
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.
A real hidden treasure. Love every song. Somehow they can get away with being as quirky as they like.
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.
Despite getting really into The Kinks lately, I haven't got round to listening to any of their albums. However, as expected, I very much enjoyed this. Just pleasant, init?
2.5
classic good
Loved it.
mid
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.
Definitely my favourite Kinks album, it has a mood and a theme and just goes for it in a way that The Beatles never could.
Good listen. Not perfect, but close
Average
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.
Overall a very simple yet iconic album that is staple in the rock community that has inspired countless famous artists till this day.
I like the Kinks a lot, but this one doesn’t grab me like its reputation suggests it should.
Loved this. First time hearing it.
A concept album from the 60s that doesn't suck! Probably my favorite kinks album too
A good album overall even though none of my favorites songs by them were on 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!
They have better
Very naive very cool
meh
It was a great album but I feel like I should listen to every May 1st
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.
I've played this card too many times, but this is another nostalgia album for me. Got really into the Kinks right before leaving for college, and this album about feeling wistful for your childhood/hometown/ identity really resonated with me at the time. I think Ray Davies is one of the wittiest and original storytellers in rock history. Each song on this album is either a complete story or a fully realized thought - and the music itself is equally full of life. The tempo changes, harmonies and recurring melodies match the dynamism of the lyrics. There's a real artistry to every song. For my own taste, I love the Kinks particular mix of mid-range acoustic and jangling electric guitars - a sound they'd develop more later with Muswell Hillbillies and Lola vs Powerman (in my opinion Lola is one of the best rock songs ever written) and which I've often tried to emulate in various bands. The Kink's obsession with the particulars of English culture probably limited their global appeal and accounts for why they aren't considered on the level of the Beatles and the Stones in America. But each of their albums is like a whole world inside itself, and song for song, they are one of the best bands of all time.
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.
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
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.
101/1089 - Went in one ear and out the other.
decent but i don't love the singer. like the music quite a bit
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.
3.3 2x
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.
Very English. Some good tight songs, some drifting.
Listen, I really like this kind of music, and I love The Kinks. Picture Book is such a good song oh my GOD. If this was a first-time listen, it might be a four, but I've spent some time with this album and know it puts me in a good mood, so... :)
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
No private session used for Spotify, either time I listened to this album. Dated by fun, good to go into a Kinks deep dive. Not sure I will listen again.
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.
Ach, für das das so legendär sind giz 4 P
sehr schlne warme 60er sound ufem erste song. sehr flowerpower irgendwie. aso für 68 nöd verwunderlich. so picture book zum bispil no nice find d drums recht cool und d stimme harmoniered guet. ich gseh irgendwie wie so nerds chönd finde "emfall d kinks sind besser als d beatles und d stones i ihrne beste moment". mich berauschts jetz null grad. okay bin bi all of my friends were there und finds eigentli chli nervig? vilicht wennis scho wür kenne fändis geil aber hert nöd gad?
omg freumi hert, kenn nur 2 lieder vo ihne SEITER GOD SAVE THE DONALD DUCK ah lol ja actually hahahahaha WALTUH MR. WHITE GET IN WE NEED TO COOK ich lieb de pinkman ANYWAY okay han d kinks um einiges schneller und dreckiger im chopf ich hans na gern aber s macht wenig mit mier laat of the steam powered trains isch na cool! hahaha sitting by the riverside chlii nervig animal farm findi seeehr cool village green megaaa schön und beruhigend iwie? phenomenal cat wird nöd mis lieblingslied people taking pictures of each other findi sehr cool vom text aber s ischmer z fest chinderlied:(
Funky People take pictures of each other: Seiner Zeit voraus, passt perfekt zur Social Media Zeit
i mean yeah it's 60s british invasion but like meh
This was really good. I’m very tempted to give it 5 stars.
Hyväntuulista tarinointia ilman hittejä
Dogshit Britslop. I’m allowed to say this, I’m English
Pastoral album, you can really taste the English folklore in an exciting and interesting way.
i can hear that it’s good… but i don’t really feel it’s interesting enough to want to keep listening. there were a few songs that peaked my interest but in general, not feeling it for now. i just wanted to go listen to Magical Mystery Tour or Sgt Peppers by The Beatles instead 😅 it will prob work better when i don’t feel completely burnt out on this genre and the 60s/70s from this list.
3/5
Alright. I do love defending the village green. But can we do it in a more exiting way?
One that’s been on my periphery for years. Took 3 listens to decide on a lower 5 rather than a high 4 - absolutely loved listening to this all day.
Very Beatlesque. Seems like they went away from the pop hits on this one.
It was ok.
Interesting listen knowing that the creator wanted to basically capture his childhood into music.
Jangly rock-pop that is clearly a product of its time. Not my bag, but fine for a listen. Standout track: "People Take Pictures of Each Other"
Not my fav from The Kinks, but still ok
Deze hoefde niet. Picture book is een banger, maar de rest is niet echt benoemenswaardig. The kinks hebben betere. 2..6
Sounds like Beatles again
I knew the single - lots of the album sounds similar, very pleasant - whimsical
The kind of music I can't stand. I can see where it would be important as a precursor for future rock bands or a touch-point for music at the time, especially as it relates to the UK and their lasting influence on the genre. However, this was tough to get through and I will not pick it up again.
Pensavo dalla descrizione di pietra miliare che fosse noioso ma è proprio il contrario! Bel sound vivace e fantastica impronta inglese.
Insufferably peppy
4.5
Pretty solid, feels like a blues-ier Beatles album.
Face to face (66), Somethign else (también del 68) junto con The Village Green Preservation Societ, y Arthur (69) conforman una tetralogía fundamental del pop. Este fue un fracaso de ventas, el fracaso más exitoso de todos los tiempos según el propio Ray davies, pero ensalzado por crítica y el paso del tiempo no ha hecho otra cosa que aumentar su reputación (P. Townshend lo cataloga como su obra maestra, su Sgt. Pepper) con Days como absoluta joya, no incluida en su edición original. Aquí se apoyaron en el impagable Nicky Hopkins a los teclados y mellotrón. El Brit pop (sobre todo Blur) le deben más de media discografía, siendo generosos (y tomando en consideración lo mejor del lote, no absurdeces). La inicial The Village Green Preservation Society resume el sentir de todo el disco. Do you remeber Walter, Picture book y sobre todo Johnny Thunder son buenos temas, que en los 90 sonarían plenamente actuales. Last of the steam-powered trains es un buen tema de R&B, aunque Big Sky incorpora psicodelia y cierra la primera mitad del disco la McCartneyana Sitting by the Riverside. La cara B comienza con Animal Farm y gana brillo con Village green, una canción exquisita. El resto siguen los parámetros de la cara A, salvo Wicked Annabella con Dave Davies en la voz solista y una guitarra distorsionada, hasta el maravilloso final que es People Take Pictures of Each Other con un fraseo en algunas partes similar al Let´s spend the night together que los Stones habían llevado a la censura en los USA apenas unos meses antes. No es mi disco preferido (Arthur me gusta mucho más) de los Kinks, ni del 68, pero es un buen disco. Están joyas absolutas como las de THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - Electric ladyland y Odessey and Oracle de The Zombies, También THE BEATLES- White Album, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - White light, white heat, VAN MORRISON - Astral weeks, THE ROLLING STONES - Beggars banquet, CREAM - Wheels of fire, THE BYRDS - Sweetheart of the rodeo, THE SMALL FACES - Ogden's nut gone flake, THE PRETTY THINGS - S.F. Sorrow, OTIS REDDING - The dock of the bay, BLOOMFIELD , KOOPER & STILLS - Super Session, JAMES CARR - A Man needs a Woman, Dance To The Music de Sly & The Family Stone, Safe As Milk del Capt. Beefhart, Surrealistic Pillow de Jefferson Airplane, Lady Soul y Now de Aretha Franklin, The Notorious Byrd Brothers y Sweetheart of the rodeo de The Byrds, We're Only in It for the Money de Zappa, Idea y Horizontal de los Bee Gees, For Once in My Life de Stevie Wonder , A Saucerful Of Secrets de Pink Floyd, Spirit de Spirit, Bookends de Simon and Garfunkel, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida de Iron Butterfly, el Soundtrack to 1968 TV special de Elvis, Nuff Said! de Nina Simone, Child is father to the man y Blood, Sweat & Tears de Blood, Sweat & Tears... Debuts de JEFF BECK GROUP, NEIL YOUNG, THE BAND, CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, OS MUTANTES, SILVER APPLES...
The Kinks' "The Village Green Preservation Society" serves as a quasi-concept album that explores characters and narratives evoking a sense of nostalgia for a more idyllic time in England. Interestingly, nostalgia often leads us to idealize the best aspects of the past while overlooking the struggles. It remains unclear to me whether Ray Davies intends to convey irony through this concept or if he genuinely yearns for a simpler, idealized era that may never have truly existed. Musically, the album is characterized by its gentle rhythms rather than harsh or jarring sounds, featuring strong harmonies and intricate layers of instrumentation and lyrics. Aside from "All Of My Friends Were There," which stands out as the weakest track on the album, each song is a well crafted pop song lasting about two or three minutes. After listening this album, I find it difficult to understand why The Kinks do not receive the same level of acclaim as their peers from the 1960s British Invasion, especially considering their impressive body of work. Once again, as in my review of "Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)", my sole criticism would be that they occasionally indulge in their whimsy bit too much. However, this is also part of their unique charm
Some decent stuff but a lot of songs I don’t see myself coming back to
Interesting and varied.
I like The Kinks a lot but this album didn't do a whole lot for me.
4.5
This album is fantastic!! I love The Kinks!! I always heard this album was great, but I never knew why until I listened to it today!! I was took back in the to another place when I listened to this album. I also heard influences from some of artists that came after them.
Probably won’t listen to ever again but I understand thenappeal
The Kinks are a funny group for me - so much of their music slaps but then some goofy shit comes along and it loses me.
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.
Fun. Quirky.
7/10 Highlights: The Village Green Preservation Society People Take Picture of Each Others Animal Farm Picture Book Do You Remember Walter
The darkest hippie music, half heavy distorted Rock'n'Roll, half soft harmonies. Songs for outsiders.
50% British, 50% Invasion. 100% underrated
Most Brit pop/rock sounds pretty similar to me, but a few songs in this album branched out a bit from the genre. The choruses got a little repetitive sometimes, but it wasn’t bad.
Ehh. It was fine. Took me some time to finish.
Really liked this. Hadn’t given the kinks much time previously. But this was great.
Classic
the other Beatles. Good stuff.
Ray Davies is an interesting character, and I really want to like The Kinks... but something about this just doesn't impress that much. I think I overall find that their songs are too sprawling and uneven, incoherent even. One song can have a really nice tone and sit well, and then the next sounds like some kind of circus theme or otherwise whacky thing, like 'Phenomenal Cat', for example. I guess that is partly what makes them interesting, but it also works against them sometimes. Had trouble finding songs I liked on this record, but there also weren't any real major low points (except aforementioned 'Phenomenal Cat' perhaps)
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.
Some pleasant tunes, couple annoying
A nice listen. Some good tracks i hadn't heard
Pleasant, pretty, too cute for me.
Sympa mais je le trouve clairement en dessous des deux précédents après ça reste cool et l'ambiance est clairement agréable mais c'est pas ce que j'écouterai par moi-même
Not my shit, I understand why it could have been popular but it’s not for me
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
Very British and at times a bit twee but never the less an interesting snapshot into the mind of the genius that is Ray Davies. Not their best effort but enjoyable none the less.
Very much in the same vein as the Beatles.
3/31/25. Might be my favorite Kinks album so far! Enjoyed the concept and realized a couple of riffs and sounds were used by more popular bands in the future. This one is a keeper.
I've always loved The Kinks! This album is great and it just had me adding some more songs to my list! The lyrics tell a story and its wonderful to follow along with it!
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.
It’s a cool album, very much of its time. There no denying its influence on modern pop and indie - the title track stands out above the rest. It’s not an album I’ve heard before but would certainly go back and revisit it.
Not what I was expecting. Had some catchy riffs and lyrics- overall I liked it but not something that would ever go in rotation
Quaint. Small town sober hippy dippy.
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.
First heard this ten years ago. I loved it then and it’s only grown on me more.
inoffensive boring fun rock
3rd Kinks album. Still no Lola. WTF??? 2.75
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
Not a fan - if I wanted to listen to The Beatles, I would just listen to The Beatles. (03.25)
I really like some Kinks material but they were very prolific and there's a lot that I really don't know. This album was mostly new to me, although I did recognize the song Picture Book. Overall this is a very interesting album, with definite themes throughout. Musically, it's good; it leans a bit more into the British whimsy than I would normally care for, but it works here. I would listen again.
OK...
Not into it, kinda corny and too wacky for me
This was a good album I will look forward to their other entries on this list!
fine
village green preservation society- 7 or 8 do you remember walter?- 6 picture book- 7 johnny thunder- 6 last of the steamed powered trains- 6 or 7 big sky- 5 sitting by the river side- 6 animal farm- 5 or 6 village green- 6 starstruck- 5 phenomenal cat- 5 all my friends were there- 5 wicked annabella- 6 monica- 5 people take pictures of each other- 6 the beatles if they were good. easy listening album.
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.
Meh it’s was yea
I enjoyed it but not enough to really wanna come back to it. Big respect for the kinks tho. This is the most 60s sounding album I've ever heard, and sounds like it could be a recent indie release
I loike when you ge kinky, baby!
I was listening to this thinking that instead of random, we should listen in order of release so we could hear how music has evolved. This isn’t great for today, but may have been when it was released.
Slayed.
allll of his friends
Not sure about this one! Some of it was great and I had a great time and thought of the Beatles and occasionally even my beloved Jonathan Richman (like Big Sky and the album title track). Other songs really made me scratch my head going what the hell is this (like Phenomenal Cat and Wicked Annabella). It’s quite an unusual mix in some ways. I’m sure I’ll revisit and rethink so for now I’ll go 3 but that seems unfair.
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
Reminds me of Beatles a little bit :) Nice
Skiffle at its best?
20% banger
This is fine... I guess? It's not a bad album, it's just not that interesting and pretty outdated. It's not boring, but I didn't feel anything when listening to it. This sort of chill, easy-listening rock is not my thing, and this album doesn't do enough to differentiate itself from all the other similar ones.
Interesting, but not their best
#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.
Goofy af
Oh dear, this was dumb.
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)
Boring with all the songs sounding the same.
Totally a product of its time, it still sounds great today.
Really liked nearly every song on here. 4 stars
I know I just got done listening to the new Panda Bear album, but wow does he sound like a new version of the title track on here. So thats saying I enjoyed the start of this album. It’s all got a pleasant, trying to be utopia feel about it. “Do You Remember Walter” sounds a lot like the blueprint for Mr Bluesky too! Unfortunately, around “Johnny Thunder”, this album succumbs to a bit of the tired sounds of it’s time, I feel myself resisting the urge to think comparatively about the Beatles, etc. “Starstruck” is a standout for me for the “babababa” chorus. “All My Friends Were There” is so goofy and circus-ish that I replayed it a couple times. This is overall a respectable effort, I’m guessing this was a diversion from some of the earlier mid-60’s stuff The Kinks and others were doing. Easy on the ears / 5.
Good band from the 60’s. Good songs.
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!
out of all the 60s rock albums out there, this one is probably my favorite. absolutely stunning album
306/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
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.
Why is your name done if you are not done mate
Liked the first half a decent amount
1. village - 1 2. uualter - 1 3. book - 1.5 4. thunder - 1.5 5. zteam - 1 6. zky - 1 7. riverzide - 1 8. farm - 1 9. village - 1.5 10. ztruck - 1 11. cat - 1.5 12. friendz - 1 13. uuicked - 1 14. monica - 1 15. picturez - 0
Distinctly kinks and very 60s - enjoyable
it's not unpleasant to listen to but from my point of view it feels like... a worse beatles? i didn't really get it i guess. i liked it okay, the lyrics were fun and all my friends were there was a nice upbeat track i guess.
Man they really did a lot of these. Title track is fun and silly, there's some that feel like their gonna rock, but never quite do. I think this may have been the first of their british pastoral/parklife style albums, but I think its the third I've gotten on the list and the oompah adjacent pacing, and slice of english life stuff does get a little threadbare after two (honestly good though) albums.
Rating this 5/5 strictly because this was such an influential album for the Kinks’ success. Each song is fun, light, full of melody, but still hold a note of “please take me seriously.” Ray’s experimentation on this album did not go unnoticed, and continues to be some of the best out of England in the late 60s.
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.
This was nice. Not amazing by any means but I’d never heard a Kinks album before.
Super good. Kind of reminds me of that psychedelic type of sound of the late 60s. But the way the kinks would do it instead
Estuvo ok
The Kinks were absolutely prolific, and they have some good songs. But this particular album is far from their best work.
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"
First the Byrds and now the Kinks, another majorly influential band that I often find a little bit "shrug". This is one of the first concept albums but I didn't really follow the story. I don't know, maybe the musical aspects of the songs don't seem as well connected as other great concept or theme albums - or why so much dead air between songs? Further makes it not feel seamless. I liked individual songs but the sum of the parts was no more than the parts. Highlights were Do You Remember Walter?, Last of the Steam-Powered Trains (reminded me of CCR and classic blues), Animal Farm, maybe Picture Book and People Take Pictures of Each Other. Next.
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.
Classic album which co-started the classsic-album-era. Obviously a milestone and given Ray Davies' quality as songwriter and him being in topform here, this is a 1960s gem that transcends the signature single hits otherwise associated with that time. Paved the way for many British (and some non-British) acts who were more into crafting a concise longform statement rather than churn out 3minute bursts of pop.
Pretty good.
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
Good
I’m very biased when it comes to the kinks but god they were good
= The Beatles I usually like the Kinks but this one is uninteresting
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.
To old timey
I liked it! Big fan of the Kinks and their sound
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.
60s British band being goofy about jam, a dime a dozen at this point. Almost strange in a way, why does it come up so much? The album is fine.
Felt like a walk through the park on a sunny day with a good buddy