Reviews (page 8 of 13)
Hört sich immer noch an wie die Beatles
7.2
Hasta ahora escucho algo de ellos en esta época. Pero puedo decir que tienen muy buenas canciones y que en medida comparten algo del estilo de The Beatles, sin embargo los de The Kinks son un poco más "recatados" que los otros Favorita sería The Village Green Preservation Society Menos favorita sería Allá My Friends Were There 3.5
Some fun little lines in here. Not enough people are talking about "God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties". Lotta sky talk. I feel very similarly about this as I did with the previous two Kinks albums. I do like it, but do we really need all 3? Just like the previous albums, this falls somewhere between a 3 and 4 -- pleasant and poppy, but old. Wait, hold on -- 'Picture Book' is where Green Day's 'Warning' comes from!?? OK, I take it back, having this album was valuable. It's like Funkadelic x 'Rill Rill' all over again! History is a thick tapestry! Kinda funny that according to Davies, 'People Take Pictures of Each Other' is about how photos "encourage nostalgia" when this entire album is a celebration of nostalgia, right? Highlights: 'Animal Farm', 'Phenomenal Cat' (naturally) Lowlight: 'Last of the Steam-Powered Trains' (supposedly a parody of other bands, but a bad joke is still bad) Also a Dominion Card: 'Village Green'
big meh
Enjoyable. Good band. What an era of music. Better than Green Onions....
Was ok. A lot of songs I've never heard before. Didn't really give it proper attention though.
Not super memorable to me.
Not what I expected from The Kinks. Very different to their radio stuff.
#869. Not a one hit wonder, but we're keeping with the plot of this book in choosing an album at random from an artist's library instead of an album that anyone has heard of. 3/5: acceptable
I enjoyed this. It's was almost good enough for me to overlook the fact that it's partially to blame for the abomination that was Blur's comedy Cockney phase.
Copia dei Beatles, noisetto
Clever stuff for 1968 from a very prolific band but I find it depressing for reasons I can't and don't necessarily want to really articulate.
Fornøyelig nok
Listened to work. A perfectly pleasant but forgettable album. Surely there's more to these guys than this one?
No se si es un álbum que volvería a escuchar de principio a fin. Algunas canciones me gustaron muchísimo y me hicieron acordar a canciones del álbum at home de shockin blue, que se lanzó un año después que este. Las primeras canciones me hicieron pensar que no era un álbum para mí, algunas ni siquiera las quería terminar de escuchar. Escuché el álbum por 2da vez y recién ahí empecé a encontrar su encanto y algunas canciones que me guardé para seguir escuchando. Tiene letras muy buenas y algunas progresiones de acordes que me quedaron dando vueltas. Canciones favoritas: 1. Last of the steamed-powered trains 2. Picture book 3. Big sky 4. Wicked anabella 5. People take pictures of each other 6. Phenomenal cat
Basic rock. Earlier (lighter) han I expected. Not bad. Nothing to write home about.
1968, the peak of the American-Vietnam conflict for the US. A time of extreme liberalization and progressive cultural transition and the extreme corruption of the UK government. Rock music was thriving, people were partying, life was a blast. The Kinks were regionally popular and their music was similar to the kingpin group The Beatles but was more experimental, more boundary pushing, more alternative. This album is considered one of the first "concept albums" and has prevailing themes connecting each song to each other. The opening track and namesake of the album is very good. A couple stand outs like "Last of the Steam Powered Trains", "Big Sky" and "Picture Book" are above average songs on this album. Unfortunately, the good songs are contrasted to flavorless bland tracks that act as filler and back-end weight. Overall the album is above average and deserving of a 6/10.
Ganz nice aber kein kauf
aight
This is ok
Ok listening
Funny lyrics, great songs, good album
Fun energy and delightfully silly.
Meh. I like the kinks but this didnt do too much for me
Ouvi-se bem mas não achei nenhuma música memorável
Não tive tempo de ouvir com muita atenção. Pelo meu gosto pessoal dou 3, mas pode ser daqueles que com mais contexto subisse
Gostei de algumas músicas, mas também houve outras que não gostei principalmente na parte final do álbum.
Honestly as first I thought it's gonna be worse. Still not my kind of music, but it was fairly listenable.
A bit too Beatles ISH for me
The Kinks are a great folk psych compliment to the typical “classic rock radio” type acts many of us know. That said, they don’t hold a candle to the Beatles, as some have claimed their superiority over the fab five. This is a delightful record, though.
I didn't mind this album, but I doubt I would seek it out in the future
A better time was had with this one compared to "Arthur", and the songs on here are actually quite catchy, both in terms of the melodies and the zany, quintessentially British lyricism accompanying them. This did start wearing a touch thin after its first third, but there wasn't anything too objectionable going on to speak of, and the final few tracks were a notable uptick away from a drawling style which had begun to set in. Even if it's not my usual bag, I did find enough to appreciate here for the chance I might revisit down the line.
Best leuk album. Grappige tekst
First listen
Pretty typical music of it's time. Added 1 song to "favourites" (sic). Strange obsession over taking photos.
Álbum mediano, primeira metade melhor que a segunda. Algumas músicas fizeram-me lembrar de Jack White. Pela maneira de cantar, letras e algums acordes na guitarra. É um esticão, talvez, comparar The Kinks ao Jack mas foi o que me fez lembrar mal ouvi algumas músicas.
Last of the steam powered trains
Pretty fun, classic '60s rock!
This is a light, effervescent album with some good beats (and some weirdness). This feels very much in the avant garde 1960s in a carefree, cool, concept way, although it’s not something I’d relisten to a lot. Top tracks: "The Village Green Preservation Society," "Johnny Thunder," "Village Green"
--The Village Green Preservation Society...my second the Kinks album this week. I already prefer the production of this one --Do You Remember Walter...a fun jaunt --Picture Book...the tinny production from Face to Face is back. lyrics are a bit kinky (heh) --Johnny Thunder...plodding --Last of the Steam-Powered Trains...this grooves. still don't like the production on the high end --Big Sky...this one is fun and weird --Sitting by the Riverside...getting Tiny Tim vibes --Animal Farm...I like the jangly guitars. British musicians were thinking a lot about Orwell in 1968 --Village Green...that damned harpsichord is back --Starstruck...fun power pop --Phenomenal Cat...I doubt the phenomenalness of this cat --All of My Friends Were There...quirky. don't love it but I could see it growing on me --Wicked Annabella...getting a T. Rex/glam feel from this --Monica...a sultry Latin number --People Take Pictures of Each Other... fun closer for a good not great record
Very middling 1960s British music. Maybe it’s iconic in its time, but today it just sounds generic as hell.
Except for a few really great songs like "You Really Got Me", "Lola", "Waterloo sunset" and a couple of other songs I'm not really fond of The Kinks. So while this album is ok, it simply lacks highlights - at least for me. But as a whole it is ok and worth having been heard.
Habe mich schon die ganze Zeit gefragt, wann dieses Album an die Reihe kommt. Das hat mit "You Really Got Me" wirklich gar nichts mehr zu tun. Ich respektiere den stilistischen Left-Turn und das für die Zeit ungewöhnliche Konzept. Die Platte fängt auch wirklich stark an, aber in der zweiten Hälfte juckt mich wirklich gar nichts mehr und das Konzept beginnt da auch schon zu bröckeln. Da hätte man wirklich noch einiges wegkürzen oder zu vollwertigen Songs ausarbeiten können. Ganz schwache 3 Sterne.
War schon fair für die Zeit denke ich. Phasenweise kam es mir sehr kreativ vom instrumentalen Songwriting vor. Unterm Strich mir aber doch zu tragend.
War schon irgendwie gut, aber ich habe bei den Kinks und den Songs die ich von denen schon kannte was anderes erwartet. Aber das ist ja mein Problem, nicht das des Albums
Kinky
A different sound for the kinks, it's not as rock and roll like other songs, but it's still enjoyable. A calm sound and a concept that makes you listen further.
Fin, melodisk 60-tallsrock med surrete tekster. Litt for surrete tekster.
Мне нравится концепция альбома, но я считаю, такой веселый стиль, без выделяющихся мрачных треков не позволит прочувствовать её по полной. Также некоторые треки концептуально не совсем подходят, из-за чего хоть это вроде и первый концептуальный альбом группы-всё ещё смахивает на микстейп
Good but starting to blend in with some of the other albums like this now.
There are 4 or 5 kinks songs I like (all on different albums) and there are 4 kinks albums on this list and somehow none of them have any of those songs. I'll never understand why people like the kinks. They are not bad, in fact I think this is the best one they have on this list, but it just sounds like watered down Sgt. Pepper. Mid 3.
noice
it's giving store brand beatles
everybody was chasing behind the beatles
This is the third Kinks album I've gotten as an OAD, and I'm still not a fan of this admittedly great music, though this record hit me better than the other two. It's pretty weird in a way that I usually like. Again, it's all just so damn British. It celebrates a culture that was already in decline when the songs were written. It's very focused on that objective, and I'm sure it resonates in a big way with folks who share a similar sense of clear-eyed nostalgia and appreciation for the songs. This album was not made for me, and that's ok. Still, there are some very interesting tunes on this record. "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains" is an appropriate rip-off of Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning." I also liked "Animal Farm" and "Village Green." But most of the songs on this record hit me like "People Take Pictures of Each Other," awesome tunes that I don't care to listen to again. The best thing about listening to The Kinks as part of this project is to figure out why I'm not into it. I'm still working on that. Three stars.
Back in the 1960s, I only knew The Kinks from their big AM radio hits. It wasn't until the early 1970s, after Lola, that I really dove into their albums and became a true fan. Ray Davies' distinctive vocals and songwriting instantly hooked me. That said, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society is a solid album, but not one of their greatest. It's often called a concept album, though the overarching theme doesn't fully click for me. A few tracks feel instantly familiar and stand out, while others are just decent fillers. Still, there's no doubt this is unmistakably a Kinks record through and through.
A very sunny day music
Musically interesting, would make solid background music for most activities
I like animal farm
Very British: I like the Kinks. They are cool. This is up there with the best 60s folk-pop/rock that I’ve heard. I can definitely see the influence this would have had on bands like ELO and the Who. While there are no standout “hits” on the record it’s still a pleasant listen with enough going on to keep it interesting throughout. I’d buy the record. Strong 3.5
I cant decide if the kinks now who they are in this album. It’s not bad, but I kind of feel like they were still trying to figure out who they are as a band
My rating 3.0 Nothing offensive nothing that really stands out. Yellow paintish
I like the album overall, and it is an interesting departure for the Kinks. I still think I prefer them when they a rocking a bit more than on this record
Liked the sound of it although it started to drag on a bit near the end.
I must admit I knew nothing of this legendary Kinks album, fond as I am of their rollicking hits. While I understand the brilliant nature of the sprawling thematic review of humanity on this album, the whimsical pastoral journey through that landscape doesn't pique my interest much musically.
Good album by a great group. Wistful, nostalgic and endearing. The title track, and Picture Book are excellent. Only wished they’d included Days on it too.
This was pleasant, jolly with heavy English themes. I love much of the Kinks music, but for me this is not their strongest work, still enjoyable.
Yeah, I don't know, i guess there were a lot of "ahead of it's time" moments, but I think it was longer than it should've been, and maan that's the problem with rock bands from the british invasion. Nothing really compares to the run of albums the Beatles had by this point. I probably should give it another chance, but at this point I didn't feel it being better than a strong 3 for me
I appreciate and enjoy quite a few of the Kinks’ songs, but I don’t think they deserve a place alongside The Beatles, Stones, and The Who as giants of the British Invasion. They sound a lot more dated when they recorded this, in 1968, than those bands were sounding by that time. I admit I’m less familiar with The Kinks than most major acts of the era, but every album of theirs I’ve heard has been a mixed bag. This is no exception; there are a few songs that are pretty good and some that might grow on me after a few listens, and it’s never boring, but it also doesn’t seem particularly inspired and is at times a bit hokey. However, I love the bass playing on several of the songs, and a few have great instrumentation, such as Wicked Annabella.
This was fine, but I had a hard time caring. 3/5 Highlights: Last of the Steam-Powered Trains Big Sky All of My Friends Were There
at least for a good cause
This was okay. A few songs I enjoyed.
yup, a little more my style!
A decent album some weird songs and a couple nice ones
I’m very familiar with Kate Rusby’s version of the title track from this, so obviously expect her northern pronunciation of duck and the like. Other than that, I’ve not heard this as an album before. It’s OK I guess. A bit dated perhaps and not really my thing in those terms. But I’ve heard a lot worse
It was fine. Very 60s.
It’s just okay music. Nothing really stood out to me.
Love the kinks but did not really know this album. Cool vibe but not my favorite
Really enjoyed this album! Very chill vibe. Added several songs to my library. Reminded me of The Beatles.
This is a fun album. Very upbeat and inventive!
Pleasantly surprised by this one. I didn't have much of an expectation going in and I think that helped the experience. It was like a weird (in a good way) folk rock journey through a British town. Some songs were more rock-heavy, and they were probably my favorites. But I also enjoyed some of the softer, acoustic tracks. A few songs used distinctly different genres and sounds to change things up, which kept it from being boring. It kind of reminded me of a Beatles album, but one where Ringo wrote most of the songs. I'm also inclined to compare it to Blur's Parklife, which I got on here a few weeks ago. I'm sure it's mostly from the idea that the location and its people are the concept, but in some ways the style and choices felt similar to me too. Almost like they could be companion works. Interestingly, I didn't care much for Parklife while mostly enjoying Village Green. That said, I didn't love it all. Some tracks just weren't all that good to me. Also, I did get a bit tired of it by the end. 15 songs was a lot for the idea they committed to here. Some of it felt a little whiny, but that may just be from hearing it 60ish years later. I do think that the album works well as a whole, for what that's worth. To sum it up, I think it was a fun listen without being something great. They took what could have been a dumb or boring concept and kept it interesting throughout, which is impressive in its own right. I'll put this one as solidly good, but unspectacular. Overall: 3.25/5
Bubbly
I really enjoy The Kinks! Very much like an alternative early Beatles, although never reached the same creative levels. This album had a lot of fun songs I enjoyed but I wasn’t crazy about it! Top Songs: Big Sky, Village Green, Starstruck
I do love the Kinks. This isn't the best of them but not a bad album either.
More British the Beatles
Not that bad!
It was ok, but I probably won't be coming back for another listen.
5.0/10
just fine. nice but nothing huge for me
Great song writing by the late great Ray Davies
Pleasant, although none of the tracks really stood out as great. Three stars for being short and relatively sweet.
No doubt that Ray Davies is a great songwriter but some of this was a bit music hall for my personal taste.
I tell you what is Kinky, Len Houmous! 2.5 1/15 The Village Green Preservation Society
zni to cele mega familiar, tak jako nostalgicky, jak kdybych to poslouchala ve sve classic rock fazi, asi tam poznavam ten influence ?? lyricky je to funnn, je to takove silly nejvic se mi probably libila ta prvni pisnicka, tu si hazim do liked:> nic silene wau, ale kazdopadne je to prijemny, takovy hezky album do podkresu minimalne
I liked some tracks on this one, very dated, though I do enjoy The Kinks stuff, psychedelic and very 60s
the title track is something i always think of because it’s in Hot Fuzz. not a bad album, but not the best either.
Not my favorite Kinks record, but a fun listen nonetheless. How did these guys not get as big as The Beatles?
Didn’t like :(
alright album but nothing real stuck out to me
Koji je iskorak unaprijed bio Arthur nakon što se čuju ovi raniji albumi, a ovaj čak i nije toliko ranije. Opet su oni najbolji od ovih baš ranih proto-bendova, meni milion puta jači od Beatlesa i svega tada.
I didn’t really connect with any of these songs, but the Kinks’ sound is always welcome, for sure.
Really strong opening half of the album. But was a little let down by the final few songs.
3.5 stars
Quirky and likeable, but a product of its timei probably won't spend much time on in the future
Is that it? Isn't this a classic album from a hugely influential group that's on countless recommended lists? Maybe I missed it. No, I don't think so... Is there sthg special here? Sounds like a whole bunch of ordinary. Perhaps this is not the album I am looking for... +2.5 stars for a roundly average album. +.5 stars because I know they have other good stuff. -2 stars because Zzzzz...
Solid brit rock album, that i feel is just woefully out of its era. can definitely see how influential its sound is on current rock music, but I just think that other bands since then have improved upon the sounds and styles from this album.
Strawberry fields vibes. It was alright
Probably on this listen because the members of Oasis and Blur like it, rather than for any actual artistic merit. I quite like Ray Davies as a songwriter, it's not often that a big musician has his finger on the pulse of his countrymen for such a long time. There is a very heavy tinge of irony and sarcasm throughout this album, while on the surface it praises the England of old, it is about the absurdity of nostalgia and clinging onto the past. This seems apt particularly for England. As the future continues to look uncertain or rather, that there is a rebalance in the world order and the person at the helm is not Britannia or Uncle Sam, it becomes very easy to cling to a simple version of the past for comfort. The writing here is the highlight, it pays to listen closely to the stories in the songs. Much like the Beatles, the Kinks' songs evolved from simple boy:girl songs to complex character stories. Musically, a lot of the songs are good but not great, with a couple of misses. There are some standouts but not of their really big hits are on here, at least that I'm familiar with. It's a strong 3 and if the music here was more my speed this would be an easy 4. Highlights: The Village Green Preservation Society, Sitting by the Riverside, Village Green
This was nice! A solid album Songs added to playlist: - The Village Green Preservation Society - Picture Book - Animal Farm - People Take Pictures of Each Other
I actually really like the Kinks and appreciate their influence on garage/indie rock, but think I prefer their later era stuff more. The first two songs here are really great, and Ray Davies is an undeniably excellent songwriter, but a lot of the later tracks are a bit forgettable.
bouncy
Interesting for the time it was made, can see how it influenced other artists. Wouldn’t be keen on listening again though Best song: Animal Farm?
Very nice
Enjoyable but not repetable
Quintessential english 60s pop. I like it.
Pretty good and catchy music. Typical 60s type stuff.
It's whatever. Nothing amazes me, but I can't hate on it. I just know that it sounds like the Kinks, who sounded like half of the other British rock bands of the 60's.
tidy album, they sound a lot like the beatles
This feels like an entire album of deep-dive 60s. Playful and fun.
Eh
It’s pretty crazy that I’ve gotten three Kinks albums and only one Beatles. This is definitely the best of the three, but I still didn’t like it very much. The British Invasion stuff does absolutely nothing for me; I get its importance in the grand scheme of music history, I just don’t find it to be good or enjoyable. The first half of the album was pretty standard fare 60s rock, which was good enough, but the second half was a weird concept, borderline experimental album. Overall, I’ll give it a low-end 3/5. Can’t wait for like 25 more albums like this!
With how oversaturated the presence of British rock bands are on this generator, this was actually one of the better ones. I know that the title track is the hit off of this album, but I actually preferred a majority of the tracks quite a bit more. This was enjoyable and moderately entertaining.
The Beatles in a different font
Meh
Pretty good 60s pop / rock. I like the variety in the track list with some folk, psychadelic, blues and baroque inspired songs among others. The production is a bit rough for my liking though. I really enjoyed the title track and the similarly named Village Green, but the rest ended up feeling a bit forgettable.
Buen disco, me guardo 2 o 3 canciones que ya conocía previamente.
Atmospheric and fun. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it this much
Faixa favorita: Big Sky Letra favorita: “Yes, people often change. But memories of people can remain.” - Do You Remember Walter? Como me senti: sombria, alerta Resumo geral: Um folk-pop britânico que tem charme. Melodias simples, letras também. Reação pessoal: Como aquele CD que tocaria no caminho de desvendar um novo mistério com a trupe, ou aquelas músicas de desenhos animados. Tem uma ingenuidade infantil com toques de melancolia bem adultas.
Pretty fun. Not listened to this type of music much before
This was an ok album, found out where Billie Joe got the riff for warning from haha 🤣
Classic and sweet riffs, warm and groovy instrumentation that's tight and folky without being a meme (unlike saving england by the pound). Has a sweetness to it and you can just see the mods on little scoots zooming around. Has that trying hard 60s cool about it from this kind of folk rock
Really light hearted, a little goofy, but very summer of love sounding
I was gonna give this 4 stars but the entire album passed out of my head unfortunately.
This…wasnt at all what I expected. I know little about the Kinks but what I did know was edgier, gritty stuff. This was more like a Beatles/Monkees/Turtles album. I dug it. It just threw me
My personal history with the Kinks is kind of hilarious (considering their import and influence) but probably somewhat common of people close to my age: I was introduced to them by "Come Dancing" on MTV and that will always be the first song I think of when I hear their name. And of course that song is in no way a representation of who the Kinks were, at least not a complete one. I still love it though. Anyway, I read quite a bit about this album before ever hearing it. It is always listed on "Greatest _____ albums ever" or "[Rock legend]'s favorite albums of all time" lists. When I finally got around to listening to it I liked it but it didn't blow me away. I guess you had to be there. I like the Kinks - they sort of remind me of a British proto-Replacements, with their garage-y, shambolic sound. And the cheekiness. Can't forget the cheekiness. This album also reminds me a bit of the poppier side of early Pink Floyd. I really liked "Wicked Annabella" and "Monica."
60s kinks sounds so different from 70s-80s kinks. fun album, gave me the impression of 'harmless' music - calm before the 'storm' like
I’ve never listened to this. Odd, playful, and interesting. Although I like their later stuff much better this is cool to see their beginnings.
Decent. I don't think this album holds up as well as some other albums from the 60s. 3/5
One interesting song followed by many mundane songs. There are far better Kinks albums.
Peak 60s listening. This album would’ve been blaring post war coming home.
Liked the album. Need to listen again. Not a huge standout in my mind.
Gute Unterhaltungsmusik aus den 60ern.
I was worried with the first song. But after that it is a fun, well produced record. Nothing historic but definitely worth the listen.
Not crazy about it on the first listen but will definitely need to give it another go. Sounds like mid-60s The Beatles but not very interesting?
The Kinks are a very peculiar band to me. They’re one of those bands who I know are immensely popular, and I even have a good bit of their music saved to my Spotify already, however, I can’t for the life of me name any of their popular songs, let alone even remember what the ones I have saved are. It’s a band that I know I like sometimes, but know nothing about. If someone tells me one of their songs, I’m sure it would ring a bell, but I sure as hell haven’t even heard of a single song off of this album in particular. If I had to describe this, it would be a Beatles knockoff with just a touch of The Who mixed in. It wasn’t terrible, but I’ve already forgotten it entirely as I’m writing this review. My favorite song was “Last of the Steam-Powered Trains”, and even that was just ok. A few skippable songs that I found more annoying than good, but none that were offensively bad. As I listen to more albums, these are going to become dreadfully common, but this is yet another middle of the road 3 star affair that will quickly fade away out of my head in due time. The best thing I can say about it is that the singer sounds pretty good, and I would absolutely be willing to give these guys another shot at a 4 or 5, hopefully with an album where I’ve actually heard of some of the songs on previously. Being the first of 4 Kinks albums I’ve heard on here, I have a pretty good shot of getting my wish later. Will they all be this average, or will one of them surprise me?? As always, time will tell.
The Kinks were staples of the ‘60s and ‘70s. This album already had a commercially successful song (Picture Book), but I wasn’t familiar with the rest of it, I was familiar with The Kinks however, especially for their hits. Most of the songs aren't particularly memorable but there aren't any songs that I would say are bad either. This wasn’t my favourite on the first listen, but it grew on me the second time around, it’s one of those albums that grows on you slowly. To me this album and The Kinks in general sounds like 'Underground' The Beatles sometimes, especially in the way they do their harmonies, but a bit happier, quirkier, more whimsical, and sometimes a bit melancholic. The arrangements are layered nicely, the blend of folk, pop, and some touches of baroque psychedelia. Also I love the album cover on this one, the swirly neon colours and the warm orange and reddish shades are cool. Favourite tracks are The Village Green Preservation Society, Do You Remember Walter? and Picture Book.
2.5/5
3 stars. Boring to me, as most british music seems to be, but isn't so terrible I wouldn't hate hearing it again.
Love a concept album and a cool concept, like the lyrics. Music is ok but pretty chaotic at times, sounds like it was recorded with one mic. Harder to engage with because of this. 6.5 / 10 Best track/s: Last of the Steam-Powered Trains, Village Green
A lot of variety on this album, I didn't mind it but at the same time nothing really stood out either.
Ya, it's pretty good... But not my favourite Kinks album
Sounds great. Sounds a bit like Beatles.
Fine, Wicked Annabella best track
Great
Not what I expected from the Kinks. I understand how this was their first commercial miss, songs are all over the place in sound and theme. With context it's clever, without it's a mess. Thankfully the wiki page includes a short write up on each song that helped better understand the album and made the listen quite interesting. That said, an album shouldn't need each song explained...l usually listen to music to avoid reading! ....but I'll give a pass on this one since I did end up enjoying it. In short the album is the kinks poking fun at various things while pining for a quiet life on the countyside.
Great chroniclers of the transition of postwar England. Some great songs, some that are time pieces.
I really like the Kinks. One of my all time favourites. I’ve spent a lifetime being fascinated by Ray Davies songwriting. I like Village Green, but if I’m being honest, it only gets me halfway there. It’s particularly because of the lack of fidelity, and partially because of the conceit of the project. As a North American, I’m curious about English culture and lifestyle, but a whole album’s worth overestimates its value to me. That being said, Picture Book always lodges itself in my ear for a while every time I hear it.
Not my favourite Kinks album but pleasant enough
I kind of enjoyed the title song just for the novelty of it, but most of the other songs blended together for me, even after a few listens.
I loved the title track and I enjoyed the one about the steam train. I really wanted to like the rest but I just never really got into it.
man - so not how I remember the Kinks. Would never have guessed. Ok for Kinks fans...
Thought I would like it better. Sounded like the early Beatles and nothing stood out to me.
It was good. It was pleasant and a bit twee. I enjoyed all the different styles presented. Very British and Beatles-esque. I probably wouldn't listen to this album again but glad I got to check it out. Standout songs: Sitting By the Riverside, Last of the Steam-Powered Trains
Beatles-like, calm and moody.
Was nostalgic when released in 1968, but sounds very dated in 2025. A snapshot of a lost time but no longer relevant, seems very dated. I didn’t really enjoy it as an album, individual songs are good but it’s best consumed in small doses.
Fucking ass Spotify got three different versions of this album and all of them are deluxe. If it only wasn't convinient to listen to stuff with. The year seems to be off on Spotify too. Also, this album is much shorter than I thought because of all the additional tracks the Kinks made at this time. Anyways, this is a very good 1960s album, a concept album of sorts and I really enjoyed it. The generator has a lot of mid 60s stuff so I am glad I am getting something that's great that also isn't the Beatles, Stones, or Who.
There are some real gems on here surrounded by some absolute garbage.
:)
I don't know how I feel about the vocals.
later
Hearing this so close to Electric Light Orchestra was not great. Very samey and I zoned out multiple times. Quite bored with this rock music, even though it’s not bad by any means.
норм, без негатива.
Why is it that '60s psych bands can't resist putting a couple terrible children's circus songs on otherwise good albums?
50 percent bangers, 50 percent mash.
Amazing
Some of this is good-ish. Too much of it feels like a Beatles Wanna Be Band. Yeah, could be better. 2.65. Round it up to a pretty generous 3.
Echt angenehm anzuhören.
Ok
I have tried on this album a bunch of times and every time I hear it, it sounds like a Spinal Tap version of Sgt Peppers. There are some great songs.
Mix the Rolling Stones and The Velvet Underground and you get the Kinks. Enjoyable.
Jo, 70er Rock, weiß nicht was ich sonst noch dazu sagen soll :D
Ist das längste Wikipediaeintrag zu einem einzigen Album bisher?
meh. Prefer different kinks, still pretty good tho
An enjoyable listen, some hits/singles I would listen to again. However overall it was good background rather than something I would revisit as a whole album.
It feels like Im unearthing the road map of some of the best 90's UK rock acts. And Green Day on Picture Book for some reason. It was great, but not mindblowingly great.
Do you have to be British to appreciate this album?
I guess I don't know how to fully appreciate the Kinks, the lyrics probably mean a lot to someone wiser than me but musically it couldn't really take me very far, it did feel like it was a pretty big journey for just a sub-40-minute playtime, though I can't tell if that means something good or bad to me I already know I like a couple of things from Arthur, though, so I'm still willing to look forward to that
Listenable.
Good solid old rock album. Perhaps a little old to do too much for me without the context of its time, but enjoyable.
Heard it before. It's really interesting musically and makes the album stand out among other more standard 60s rock albums 3/5
Who caresssssss. This was very boring unfortunately, a lot of people seem to really enjoy it.
More of that 60s English whimsy. Picture Book is fun. The rest is kinda meh. 2.5/5 #191
Åbenbart et flop og udgivet det samme tidspunkt som beatles the white album. Det er senere blevet en kritisk succes pga dets tidsløse tekster. De synger om hverdags og everyday life ting, som mange kan relatere til og er gældende i dag på samme måde. Det er det andet the Kinks album jeg rater og selvom jeg synes det er charmerende og godt (60'er lyden) så rammer det mig bare ikke rigtigt. Synes det virker hektisk og overgearet og jeg kan næsten blive stresset af at lytte til det. Måske har jeg bare en stresset dag. Jeg overvejer at give det mere eller mindre end 3 fordi de sidste mange albums jeg har rated har været 3'ere. Jeg tror det er en blanding af at jeg gerne vil anerkende at det er god musik, men jeg kan ikke rigtig sætte et ord på præcist hvorfor jeg synes det er godt. Specielt når det meste burde ligge i teksterne og jeg generelt ikke rigtig forholder mig til dem. Der er noget engelsk satire over det som senere har inspireret kunstnerne i brit-pop bølgen. Det baroque pop / brit pop.
Some was good. Some wasn’t. It’s not quite a like for me but not fully meh either.
I liked it but it got a little too whimsical in the back half.
My first shot at The Kinks! And I get it, I get why it inspires, I get why it's a classic, there's a lot of really cool things happening all throughout the album. The B side is a little extra special to me, not really a fan of the way the record starts off but that's a personal preference thing, a little too kookie. I associated "The Kinks" as a name with a sound more punk than this. We're actually experiencing classic rock with British wit. And weird goofiness. I'd like this on my collection, not because it's my favorite rock album, but because even though it's dated, there's a lot of cool interesting twists. Great percussive work, entertaining and well composed lyrics, it's an awkward jam. 3.4/5
Enjoyed, reminded me of my Dad.
Eeugh, I guess there were parts where I wasn’t having a horrible time. Understandable why I haven’t heard anything from this album
I'm starting to think that every 60s pop record sounds the same. This one at least had a few cool moments, but overall I swear this sounds like the last five 60s pop records I've gotten at some point. Worst part is it's always the bands that I hear my parents talk really well about.
Despite the description, this sounds a lot like all the other Kinks we’ve had. Perfectly fine.
I know this is a critically acclaimed album and even considered to be their masterpiece but I really prefer the lo-fi garage band British Invasion songs that really made them famous.
Pleasant but unexceptional. I guess there were some nice little stories of every day peoplle tucked into the lyrics of these songs but overall this album sounds like a knock off of other British Invasion acts ("Last of the Steam Powered Trains" sounds like the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger's charisma). I feel like I said this about the last Kinks album we heard (I just checked and I did). Maybe I'm missing something, but this era of music is be well covered with the Beatles, Stones, Who, Zombies etc. so Idk why this Kinks album needs to be on this list. The durms on "Wicked Anabella" are cool though.
Same same. Nice music, not massively keen on the lyrics/theme.
A little too cutesy for my tastes, but not so much that I wanted to turn it off.
5.27
It's ehh. It's alright. I ain't got much else to say about it.
The comparisons to the beatles don't do it any favors. Occasionally the sound of the kinks surpasses that typical 60's pop but those moments are sparse. Still a perfectly fine listen.
An early concept album. But a bit too lightweight for me. The harpsichord really gets overused for my taste giving it a little bit too much theatrical vibe
Not too bad but I wouldn't put it with top albums of all time 3.3
5/10
It's nice, but somewhat homogeneous and wants to seem like the very essence of pop rock of those years. It's catchy, but it's not THAT catchy, and that makes it playable only one or two times. And seriously, 60 tracks in 2018's deluxe edition?
Ni fu ni fuck
Algumas músicas conseguem ser bem originais, é legal de ouvir
Genérico
I don’t think I’ve really listened to the Kinks before and based on the name, this is not the music I expected. I feel like I need to listen to more of the Kinks to better rank this. Favorite track: People Take Pictures of Each Other.
Copy/ paste notes from previous Kinks album.
So many songs had licks that resemble other songs.
This is definitely the most British thing I've ever heard. Not bad though ⭐⭐⭐.5
I love a good concept album but sometimes the concept hits harder than the execution. Great songwriting and themes but the musical style was just not working for me except for on a few songs like Wicked Annabella. Found the circus-y Sgt. Pepper-y sound pretty samey
Better than I thought this would be. Sounded like a lighter version of Beatles.
Meh
This isn't as good as Arthur of the Decline and Fall of the British Empire. It lacks cohesion and feels kinda disjointed. I just don't really know where they were going with this, the songs feel really all over the place. Nothing really stuck out to me or made me go wow. Slightly disappointed.
seems an earlier version of The Kinks. like they don't have their sound yet & trying out styles. not bad, just not memorable either
I'm getting beatles vibes. Nothing more to add then that. I'd give it something like a 3.5
Overall, nothing exciting and sounds a bit dated when I listen to it today, but I know that this was pretty cool to jam to back in the day.
I've heard another The Kinks album before so knew what to expect. It's good although a complete vibe mismatch for me today
Hey, the Kinks. Of all the "the" bands in the world, there isn't a better word you can append to your band name than "Kinks". It just has a great ring to it. Strokes is a solid second place, and I often get the two confused due to my lack of familiarity with either band. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, music. If I'm to guess, this will either be a pop rock or psychedelic affair. This album was pretty good from start to finish. Some inventive and infectious pop songwriting. Ray Davies is a very talented vocalist. I enjoyed all of the different styles and tones he was able to capture over the course of this album. I wasn't sold all the way on the instrumentals, but there are some gripping quirks here and there. "Do You Remember Walter?" is a good tune. The piano/percussion combo is gripping, but it's the vocals/songwriting that really do it for me. The "rolling" quality that they take on during the middle of the song is fantastic. "Picture Book" is a good follow-up. Great chorus, and I enjoy the chord progression on the guitar during the verses. "Animal Farm" has a very interesting sound. I like the heavy acoustic guitar and the vocals are, again, very pleasing. "Starstruck" has a nice, feelgood energy. The strings in the background are pleasing, and I enjoy the bassy guitar which underscores the song. Book time. "timeless". That's about it, really. Nothing much in the way of impact or influence, but I don't need much convincing. I quite liked this - it's been way too long since I was last hit with an album I enjoyed. I cosign this inclusion
Some 5 star songs for sure! I love the concept but some bits were less than good to my ears
Good album to jam along to, paints a picture that I'm maybe not British enough to understand. But it's a vibe, and "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains" is super fun. 3.5 stars, if I could.
Average 60s pop/rock. One or two songs above average, one or two below average. The Beatles comparisons in other reviews make sense, but this just doesn't hold my interest like a Beatles album does.
A million hipsters born of this album.
Interesting, but feels crammed- like a few songs could be removed
3,5
The soundtrack of 2000's British comedy films. It's twee and British, every song is about scones and strawberry jam. Not really, but sort of. One of the songs has the same riff as the bass in Warning by Green Day. It's like sitting in a field watching cricket and drinking Pimm's. I feel a lot of bands sounded like this in the late 60's.
Ці ностальгійні переживаннями за старою доброю Британією досить цікаво слухати.
Quirky, manic and just a bit too much twee going on, but still fascinating. If a kitten was an album then it would be The Village Green Preservation Society. Jumpy and not quite grown up. Very very British and I'm up for that.
8/20/25
Just didn't grab me like I thought it would.
Boring
This was a fun and enigmatic album. It just FEELS British. What must have felt extremely experimental at the time feels almost familiar now likely due to the influence this album had on music going forward.
Cute music!
Well, that was boring. I’m just gonna come out and say that I wasn’t really big on this album. I’d heard of The Kinks before, mainly because of You Really Got Me being covered by Van Halen, but I hadn’t really heard of any of their other stuff. So I listened to this album, and I wasn’t all that impressed by it. The lyrics weren’t very interesting to me, and the music didn’t pick up that slack where the lyrics fell short. It all kind of just felt like really early Beatles songs, not bad, just kind of inoffensive. All of the music and vocals sounded well made, it just wasn’t really interesting to me. I guess if you like this style of music, this is right up your alley, but I’m gonna move on and find something I like better.
Cross between The Who and the Beatles B-sides. Liked the title track, didn’t like the cat song. Not bad.
They really want to be the Beatles
Jeg tror jeg har det lidt med The Kinks som nogle mennesker har det med Radiohead. Måske ville jeg være idioten til en Kinks koncert der bare stod og ventede på at de spillede You Really Got Me, og ikke rigtig fattede deres andre sange. Altså noget af det er da okay. Men det når bare ikke rigtig de samme højder.
Another try at the Kinks and still not clicking for me. Enjoyable, but don't get it yet. *Heard before
This is peak high guy music if you've ever considered wearing clogs
- decent - clearly a big inspiration for Bug Club - slightly twee in places - mono mix slaps, stereo mix is whack - knew more songs than I expected
Didn’t know this what The Kinks were-less proto-punk, more pure melody. A bit saccharine, but a few really good tunes.
Album is okay, but nothing that really struck me as amazing
всё время забываю что они древние и мелодичные (как и про бич бойз забываю). пока не ложится на душу, просто милые
I like The Kinks but this album didn't really evoke anything in me. I didn't mind listening to it but I also didn't save any music to come back to. Truly neutral.
A time capsule of its time, and doesn’t have much to offer today
I get the time period, but found the album quite immature in the lyrics.
This album felt deeply nostalgic and unmistakably English. The themes were sweet and the storytelling was charming, full of small details and gentle humor. It didn’t hit me emotionally, but I appreciated the way it painted its world. A soft listen with a strong sense of place.
Yes, Jesse, I remember.
S’ok!
This was alright - didn't blow me away but was decent.
Love the Kinks but this is one of my least favorites.
El tercer tema se lo robaron a Green Day
Aguante de kinks papaaaaaaaa
Poco kinky para llamarse the kinks No tengo ningún highlight sobre los temas, lo escuché en el auto y meh
They sound very similar to the Beatles.
3 1/2 Stars: Has the upbeat, earworm of Beatle-like pop of the era, but lacks the overall depth and polish. Still a lot of fun to listen to. Can't beat a full album of 2 minute pop ditties.
This one is definitely a rollercoaster and will probably benefit from additional listens down the road. It starts off amazing, sputters toward the middle, then casually drops a couple of amazing songs in between before it finally fizzles. Still, you can’t accuse Ray Davies of being boring, as he throws all sorts of styles into his mod rock blender and makes it sound pretty incredible and prescient for 1968. Even the Beatles, at the height of their experimentation, couldn’t hit the same consistency as the Kinks are here. It’s just not always consistently great.
I wasn't incredibly impressed, nothing was exciting or very interesting about it.
This was ok
It's a pretty accessible folk/rock pop album, but I didn't find it that noteworthy. I believe it has more of an historic role, being considered by some the first concept album, and being pretty ahead of its time back when it was released. By now though, while an easy listen, they don't sound particularly different or innovative. This doesn't mean it's a bad record by any means, I just didn't find it to be a landmark record. Maybe it deserves an extra star when listened in more detail? The singing it pretty good, the backing vocals were particularly interesting and well delivered. They sound pretty good, they mix songs that are catchy and energetic with more slow folk ones. This works well, specially because the album isn't that long, so it's a easy and quick listen. Thematically, they approach it with a sort of nostalgic take on English culture, mixed with some satire to make it more interesting. It's mostly about what they miss about small village life and how modernity changes these things. Also love, their friends, and a cat. It works mostly, and he writes some interesting songs that remain somewhat relevant today. In terms of songs, I liked how experimental they get in "Sitting By The Riverside", "Animal Farm" was pretty nice too, and "The Village Green Preservation Society" is a good opener, though a bit over the top. Also, "Phenomenal Cat", because it's about a cat, and because it's so weird and whimsical it's nice they decided to go there. I also found "People Take Pictures of Each Other" pretty funny, even more so because I'm a photographer.
Meh.. Prefer their few big hits. Sounds very Beatles wanna be.
Buen álbum, no esta nada mal.
Alright British invasion rock. If that's the style your into, no disappointments, fits right in
It was fine. Nothing earth shattering.
Better than the last kinks album
Some stuff was dated, some stuff was alright. Not their best or my favorite stuff but solid.
Much more interesting than anything else going on at the time in my opinion. I've been given Beatles and Stones albums already. This tops them
Never really knew much by The Kinks, but this was a good start. Biggest enemy is themselves; this album is very British Invasion and they deserve their dues.
New to me. Good early but found myself getting bored by the end
I dig the Kinks but this album felt long. Like every time I listened. Multiple times over multiple days. Usually albums grow on me. TVGPS might be a smaller dose album for me. Makes sense tho that they didn't become a global sensation band but rather a cult favorite. There's always like this underlying art school vibe VS straight up Beatles or Stones -ness. Not a bad thing, just maybe trickier to sustain for the long haul? Too much of a good thing? Idk. I'll just say it's not my favorite Kinks album.
6/10
This is a classic Kinks Album. Very much in the "Beatles" style that was driving a lot of groups at the time. Best Songs The Village Green Preservation Society Picture Book
Jeh, good
Idk somewhere between a 3 and 4 I like the kinks they’re cool just never loved em
Another disc I own. This is a very English records with a set of songs that seemed just right for the time, you can see how it influenced bands that followed like XTC. Almost seems like a Ray Davies concept album all quite consistently good even if there are no real bangers on this one. 3.5/5
I do appreciate the irony, but not so much the music here.
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.
Jangly guitar melody pop. Pleasant enough just not stunning.
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
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.
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.
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.
Aka Wes Anderson music. Iconic and seminal and appreciate what it means
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
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”.
Good old school rock.