The Village Green Preservation Society

A bit whimsical but an alright listen

They rock! They are the kinks, enough said.

Ok, this was a bit strange. I do see a glimpse of a concept album. The music is the usual Kinks stuff, nothing eally surprising. The lyrics, though, are something completely different. And there's the fun in this album.

What a weird and quirky album! Never heard it before. I kind of like it but will probably never listen to it again. I'm going to go read the review to find out what was going on when they recorded this because it is a very strange album.

I'm sure this was a great album. I only listened to a few songs.

How could I hate any album that starts with God Save Donald Duck. I felt the album started a little slow, by Johnny Thunder I thought I might tap out, but I really started to get pulled in by mid album. Songs dedicated to cats? A bit random, but overall an enjoyable listening experience. I can see myself exploring more of the Kinks music.

The beginning of the album started off really strong, but started to lose me in the middle, and really lost me at the end. It honestly feels like having a night out where it starts really nice and really fun and then it spirals down to a terrible night because you drank too much. 2/5

This is their Sgt. Pepper, a concept album with their best songwriting till that point, full of career highlights. A+

People Take Pictures of Each Other - auch 1968 war schon alles kaputt, ganz ohne TikTok.

I enjoyed this album. It was enjoyable from start to finish, even though I didn’t know any of the songs before going in. I think I would go back and listen to this album again to try and pick some songs I’d put on a playlist in the future. Good time overall.

Nyt on kyllä hyvää pop rokkia taas. Levy ei välttämättä yllätä, mutta jokainen kappale miellyttävä ja hyvä. Parhaat: Village Green, Starstruck, Picture Book, Johnny Thunder

Another Kinks album! This one has Picture Book on it- which is a song I enjoy and has been sampled and covered extensively. I like the album a lot- really pleasant background music. Definitely sounds more mainstream and less psychedelic than the last Kinks album I listened to. There were spots where I was getting major David Bowie vibes- I can see how this album influenced the direction rock went. Overall- very solid album. Probably a 3.5/5 but I feel like it deserves a bump up to 4

That one didn't age well...

Softer early classic rock/pop music. A good time, but I won't seek it out again.

I’ve loved this album since I discovered it in 1990. Playful; great melodies.

The Kinks previously were just a very popular and influential 60's Rock band being at the forefront of both Garage Rock and Psychedelic Pop Rock and they did have some well known and big songs like Waterloo Sunset or You Really Got Me but they were missing a full on project that would cement them just barely behind the Beatles in the 60's Pop Rock hall of fame. Luckily, that album was near as this 1968 release did exactly that. Not only was it somewhat of conceptual album (which they later adapted much stronger) but it was as consistent as they ever been at this point. The entire album is full of fun, well produced and well delivered Pop Rock songs that include different genres from Baroque Pop to Folk neatlessly. It is without a doubt, their biggest and arguably best achievement in their entire career. The album starts with the mellow and calm but fun and happy 'The Village Green Preservation Society' which is a beautiful Folk Pop song that not only starts the album off beautifully but also brings on one of the most memorable songs and hooks that the album can offer. It's quirky with silly but well incorporated references to for example Donald Duck. A pretty much perfect song to start the album with. The quirkiness stays with 'Do You Remember Walter?' which gets much more Rock while still being definitely Pop music but most interestingly, this sounds pretty similar to some of their older Mod stuff. The song is really great but a couple moments in the bridge do feel a little left alone which is kind of bumping the song down a little bit. But still, this is an incredible track. Luckily, 'Picture Book' makes up for that. The songwriting here is absolutely phenomenal. It builds enough tension to be interesting while still being easily enjoyable as a Pop Rock song. The happy energy it releases with the nostalgic instrumental and lyrical delivery is just amazing. The song is silly, very silly, but in the best way possible. It's fun and when it ends I even wished that it'd be longer. What can I say, this is simply perfection and easily one of the best songs in their entire catalogue. 'Johnny Thunder' sounds very much like a mix of the Beatles and the Beach Boys but still with own originality within. The song has a very strong hook and the background vocals add a ton of enjoyment to the already great song. The entirety is simply another maginificant track and again, this should've been longer. A big genre swith happens on 'Last of the Steam Powered Trains' which is not only the albums longest song at over 4 minutes but it adds a lot of Blues Rock as well as Country, Freakbeat and even a little bit of British Rythmn & Blues to the Pop Rock sound. It's an energetic and diverse song that doesn't linger too long on on part or another as it moves from guitar riff to vocals into the bridge and so on. It also speeds up at one point, adding even more energy to the song. And while I am not the biggest fan of Blues Rock, this song is very much how all of Blues Rock should aspire to sound like. It's not perfect but it's very close. The sitar inspired guitar as well as the Spoken Word vocals on 'Big Sky' are resulting in on of the albums weirdest but also most psychedelic moments. It's weird and even if it works and has great songwriting, it still leaves you with mixed feelings. Mixed feelings of if you heard the track the right way or not. It is weird but the mastered that perfectly and this song is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. Some moments though, feel a little bit overlooked and pale which is why the song as a whole is "just" incredible. The accordion on 'Sitting by the Riverside' adds a very French touch to the song. The song is also very theatrical in the delivery of the vocals. It's very psychedelic and lush and closes the albums first half with another incredible track that is just absolutely amazing. The B side of the album opens with 'Animal Farm', a beautiful Folk Rock song with wonderful lyrics and even better songwriting. The song feels like it achieves a lot of what some Country tries to do with its sounds and styles. It's genuinely a masterpiece in every sense of the word: not only the songwriting but the vocal delivery, all performances, the mellow strings and other arrangements added. It all results in a song that's simply beautiful and even a little bit nostalgic. 'Village Green' is pretty much a result of a perfect combination of the Beach Boys and the Kinks in both of the best things they bring to the table. The beautiful arrangements that feel like they were made up when both Davies and Brian Wilson worked together while on LSD and then added incredible songwriting and lyrics on top. Incredible!, perfect even! 'Starstruck' is much rawer and simpler in terms of ideas and execution. The songwriting is still incredible and the performances are wonderful but the song feels pretty simple compared to the rest. It's definitely another incredible song but it feels a little "outdated" when held side by side against the other songs. The experimental sides of 'Phenomenal Cat' with the pitched vocals, the interesting flutes added as well as the vocal delivery result in another pretty weird and slightly haunting song while still being very much a Kinks Pop Rock song, just a little bit less of a happy sunshine Pop song. It's great but one of the "weaker" songs on the album. The few moments of theatrical deliveries are pushed to their biggest extend on 'All of My Friends Were There' and while it was a nice touch on the other songs, here it actually harms the song a little bit. I do like the additional instruments and the music itself but some of the verses do feel a little over the top in terms of delivery. It's still a great track but again, weaker. 'Wicked Annabella' gets very heavy with loud bass and down-tuned guitars that result in something that if it was pushed even further might be enough to be called Proto-Metal but in the way it is finalised here, it's just some well performed Heavy Psych with energetic and haunting deliveries from all members. Sonically this very much stands out but not so much with quality. They were definitely trying something but as what they tried wasn't really a thing and also not what they usually do, the result is great and interesting but not much more. The exotic inspirations that very much feel like something you'd hear in South/Middle America together with the typical Pop Rock is certainly interesting but not really all that well made. The song has it's moments but falls a little bit flat. It's still pretty good. The Ska approach on 'People Take Pictures of Each Other' definitely ends the album in a very funny and enjoyable way when it comes to what they did musically and in terms of songwriting. The vocal delivery absolutely ruins this song. Well it doesn't "ruin" it but it harms it a lot. The song is groovy and it is fun but I cannot enjoy it to the extend that I'd want to when listening to these vocals. The song could've been incredible but it ends up being just a pretty good closing track. favourites: Picture Book, The Village Green Preservation Society, Animal Farm, Village Green, Johnny Thunder least favourites: Monica, People Take Pictures of Each Other Rating: decent 9 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

I know you’re not supposed to judge kinks, but I’m judging The Kinks. I felt like I was listening to a Beatles’ clone with more simplified lyrics. It almost sounded like an album made for a children’s book soundtrack at times, and I struggled to push that thought from my mind. Older rock just mostly continues to not be my jam, and this is just another example of it just not hitting for me.

The Beatles called, they want their sound back!

Mi fanno un pò pensare ai beatles.. non sono così male.. il sound è agè ma... carini dai

What a very strange album. I really enjoyed it, despite the bloody title track, maddening earworm that it is. Quite different musical styles throughout.

4/5

Solid Album. Lots of catchy melodies, witty lyrical content. Very few fillers. Loved it

OK.

Pretty good listen but it felt a bit long

Awful

Loved it!

Aburrido, me cansó. Todo el tiempo creí que estaba escuchando una copia creada por ia de los Beatles

It was definitely Beatles adjacent. I think my other reviews kinda summarise it all: it's great but nothing mind blowing.

an album that i really want to like more than i actually do and will probably end up coming round to

Has anyone before or since sounded like The Kinks? No. They were unique, and this music is very good.

This was such a joy. Really fun and deceptively simple. Good variety of styles. Very influential. Hard not to like.

3.5

My dad’s favourite band I’d ask him what he saw in them but he’s been dead 23 years So I’ll just have to settle for saying this was alright

This was pretty good! There were a few weaker songs on here and I wasn't absolutely in love with it so it's going to end up a 4*. Still really quite enjoyed it. I've never really knowingly listened to The Kinks. The only song I recognized off here was "Picture Book" which I haven't heard in a long while. I also didn't know they were Beatles contemporaries and I can feel in the music it's from the same era now that I've heard an album.

I love the Kinks and you could do worse than this album. A blend of styles that kicks off a more mature phase for the band.

60’s British rock sound. Very enjoyable

Bit meh, no stand out tracks for me

I love the Kinks, and had heard plenty about this album, sad to be disappointed

ok, sounded like the Beatles a lot of the time

Not for me

easy listening and can see why they were so influential but nothing too interesting for me

This is 40 minutes of excellence. It's just great 60s rock and roll.

ños ritmos son agradables, la musica no daña los oídos

The lyrics are pretty stupid, but I love it haha. The music is awesome. Super listenable. I was surprised to hear some recognizable melodies in here! Some of my favorite artists seem to have borrowed from The Kinks!

This has a similar vibe to the last Kinks album that popped up on the list (“Arthur…”) and is similarly very conceptual and very English but I think the tunes are better. It’s a lot more catchy whereas Arthur was bland. It probably helps that I know a couple of tracks from the Hot Fuzz soundtrack. And it seems one of my favourite Green Day songs (“Warning”) is just a rip off of “Picture Book” too. There’s a bit of filler. But yeah. Pretty good. I could get into it.

Really enjoyed this British psych….

After you, no after you. I'm sorry are we facilitating a conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image? Tea anyone

It’s like the Beatles but less British

Wow. This is an exceptional record! Instantly saved. Favourite tracks: the whole thing.

Honestly, this is a very fine example of early British rock. There's nothing to solidify this with 'classic' status, but there's some very good guitar work and songwriting present.

Pretty flawless. A great thematic album, wonderful songwriting, full of surprises and great craftsmanship.

A fun and well-done sound that doesn't sound like anyone else too much with interesting lyrics.

All two stars are for the cat song

I had heard several of these songs in movies or on the radio and didn't know that they were The Kink's song. I liked this album quite a bit in the beginning and still enjoyed it towards the end, but it wasn't as good as the first part. It ended feeling a little repetitive and not as inventive as the first part. Still good though.

Why are there so many albums from The Kinks. Somehow these haven’t lasted time well.

More kooky than Kinky. Undeniable influential sound and classic production and sound but the pantomime feel of 60s Brit rock is a bit dated now. Some

It’s certainly got all of the fun Brit pop from the 60s that we enjoy, and I like a number of the songs. Just not a constant rotation for me.

A cast-iron classic! Was it the first pop music expression of a yearning for a semi-rural golden age that never was? Slightly satyrical and all brilliant.

I’ve been pecking at this album every few years for the last twenty, aware of its importance while struggling to obtain purchase, reminded of successors that slapped on their nostalgia for Davies’s real nostalgia, creating a simulacrum of nostalgia, a double-fake of a world that preceded these faux-nostalgists - have you ever been to a carnival? have you heard music hall in a music hall? do you think that rations are something that Solid Snake picks up to recoup HP? - which proved the avant garde of Brexit and the pints of Spitfires and blue passports in their train. And after writing that, I stopped, wondered what I’d say besides “Blur” if someone asked me to name one of these bands. And I quite like some Blur. I blame the power of this album’s nostalgia, which is portable and can be passed around. Pick it up and you feel it, regardless of the century you were born in. On return, every hook reveals to have been embedded deep: this is almighty, and also pleasingly sinister, often seedy, which it should be. What finally persuaded me over this listen is the tiny repetitive interstitial guitar riff that pedals “…Walter” along its last few seconds. They’re a accoutrement that makes the song, driving, sleazy and anxious at the same time. They’re so memorable that I was sure they played throughout the entire song, shocking me just now when I went back and found they only come in at the death, two up-down repetitions and then done. “Monica”’s throwaway calypso is my favourite, at least this evening.

Love it, listen to it frequently, not a bad song on it and many top tunes including two or three of their best. Wonderful album [EDIT - and the lyrics throughout! So ahead of its time, could be repurposed by a cynical Gen Z'er to illustrate our contemporary shitshow with minimal edits]

6/10

quite plasnt! highlights: do you remember walter?, johnny thunder, sitting by the riverside (sep 1 2024)

4.5 - Now this was what I was hoping for from The Kinks. So fun and playful, but also just great solid songs. Reminded me of times with alex bolan and then also the beatles sometimes

I thought I was going to like this one a lot, but I couldn't really get into it. I've had the title track in my rotation quite heavily for the last year or so, but not many other tracks stood out to me. The album didn't feel as thematically cohesive as Arthur either, though maybe I needed to pay more attention lyrically. Fave Tracks: The Village Green Preservation Society, Big Sky 3.1/5

Love The Kinks, but this one isn't essential to me.

Music to dance in a field too. Favourite Songs: The Village Green Preservation Society, Do You Remember Walter?, Picture Book, Big Sky. Least Favourite Songs: Phenomenal Cat, Monica.

The Village Green Preservation Society

This was a fun listen, like an English folk-rock album. A little silly in places but also composed well. Last of the Steam Trains was a standout to me, it caught the feeling of the album for me. Not everything has to have a deep poignant meaning, you can just have fun making good music about whatever you want.

Fun kitschy British music for Queen and country. Paints an idyllic picture of life in the countryside. Sounds lovely

Kinks gonna kink.

First listen Saved 5/15 Top track: Picture Book

We are the draft beer preservation society, and even after consuming mass quantities this album is not that good. Granted, there is a lot of variety and different song styles, most are light hearted. The songs are better stand alones than as an album. People Take Pictures Of Each Other was ahead of its time (and a bit silly) like much of Davies work. The Kinks will make The 1001 list a couple more times, this one comes in at (2.4*s)

The allure of this album is that you can tell they're just vibing and having fun, but that's also it's downfall. Why is it so damn goofy? Although I do like The Kinks, it's hard to take this one seriously as a whole. There's some good tracks buried among all 65 of 'em but the album is really incohesive. There's a lot of different styles being explored but it doesn't serve the project well. "Phenomenal Cat" made me laugh but I really couldn't stand the cheese-ball "All My Friends Were There" with it's circus tones. Then "Wicked Annabella" brings you back in right before it completely loses you again talking about Monica's nose. This album is the happy, playful version of The Beatles with more clapping and "la, la, la." I do like the title track (it hits), but the rest doesn't work on my brain.

Not really getting why such lofty praise for this one. Seems a bit juvenile and unpolished. The Kinks are a simple band I know but this felt oversimplified...like they were just laying down whatever nostalgic thing came to mind about their town. The band was influential for sure so I'm prepared for other albums to make the list. This one did not do well upon release so maybe need to listen to it more...2.0.

Not sure why The Kinks don't get more attention. They have a handful of recognizable hits and then a swath of fun original deeper cuts. The Village Green Preservation Society is another batch of jaunty tunes from The Kinks that deserve a listen. I'm not sure the overall album is anything great, but each of the songs is pretty quick and digestible. The Kinks should be recognized for managing to succeed at something different. There is something about their music that has an edge of humor and feels like they aren't taking anything seriously while still managing to assemble competent albums with occasional hits that stand out. I don't go out of my way to listen to The Kinks, but whenever they come up in my random shuffle I'm always pleased. They bring something else to the table and have some deep cut sleepers that need some more exposure. 2.28 stars

why is it now giving me all the good classic rock albums lol. after 200 days it has given me a streak of not mid

Pretty lovely as usual with the Kinks. No massive standouts (Picture book and Monica I was already fond of) but a pleasant listen! 4

The best album by a brilliant band.

Tbh, I feel like they did the whole Beatles-esque folky rock minstrel show better than the Beatles. A little derivative but really pleasant.

Can’t say I’m super familiar with the Kinks, but I enjoy this type of 60’s rock/pop. Some of the songs are more memorable than others. I like the minor elements of some of the songs though like the psychedelic elements in Phenomenal Cat and the subtle dark parts of Sitting by the Riverside. Overall, this was pretty good. Favorite Song: Picture Book Other Hits: Do You Remember Walter?, Starstruck, Phenomenal Cat, People Take Pictures of Each Other

Maybe 5

Not sure. Hints of good things to come.

Not much stood out to me on this one, found it pretty difficult to discern as a concept album. Listened to: picking up Caribbean food.

Whoever is ‘the poor man’s Beatles’, the Kinks are the poor man’s version of that. Insipid rubbish, don’t know how they’re possibly popular. Even their best song (don’t need to name it) is sort of shit? Imagine making this at the same time that the Beatles and Beach Boys were releasing those records…. Embarrassing.

It's fine, typical 60's 70's pop. Added 5 tracks to our 1001 Experience playlist, could've been less and I never would've missed them

Still not totally into The Kinks but I am understanding why people really like them. There is pop craftsmanship and wry humour to please the most hardened of souls. People Take Pictures of Each Other has aged very well in the age of Instagram which would be 30 years in the future.

I didn't like this but there's nothing that bad about it

this is boring, maybe it used to make ladies quiver in the 60s but NOT ANYMORE

é um beatles sem variação no estilo, sem a magia, sem a criatividade. OU seja, é um beatles sem graça. Passa batido, sem incomodar... Mas também sem marcar. Sem graça. E já é a segunda vez que vem essa banda aí. Pelo menos não veio Rap.

Always enjoyed the Kinks. This album flows well and I really enjoyed! 4 stars.

I listened to this album on a Friday, and it put me in a nice whimsical mood!

Fun songs. Four stars

OK

It's cool, the characters are interesting and the Kinks always took left turns before everyone else. Doesn't quite get to 5 for me, it meanders and loses me a couple times. But this one was revolutionary and is recorded in a way that sounds awesome!

Up until 'Village Green' I didn't find this album that exciting and I think it was due to my Gen Z mind.

I absolutely love this classic pop style, it's so vivid and magical that it captures my attention like a little kid watching the wizard of oz. Even with the simpler composition of the pop style, the songs are far from sounding similar, and to their benefit, conjure up a new setting with each track.

Not good

I think I saw them in person. I love their music. PICTURE BOOK LISTENED TO 25 times. Lololol

God, this just kind of sucks. Some harmonizing, Beattles wannabe stuff. I listened through some of their top tracks in spotify (which aren't from this album) and they're all way better. This cleaves way too close to "folk-rock" for my liking.

Lovely craftmanship and song writing in the early days of concept albums. Slightly overstays its welcome.

Yawn. It felt like a watered down version of The Beatles, to the point where I thought they must be a predecessor. But I was wrong--they were contemporaries.

2 or 3 for me. It's kind of a baseline corny English \"Herman's Hermits\" feel for most of the album and then some psychedelia thrown in some spots and some fun and weird tracks. favorites so far: opener - title track last of the steam powered engines sitting by the riverside all of my friends were there wicked Annabella people take pictures of each other

Strong opening few tracks, but starts to lose steam quickly. Seems like a spiritual predecessor of Thick As A Brick, but from a group that was not ready or able to take that kind of leap. In the end, they seem to be attempting psychedelia, but can't quite pull it off.

Not bad but didn’t connect with me

Sound like the Beatles

Classic rock (beatles similar)

Sometimes an album is good and there isn't much more to say about it. Favorite track: "Village Green"

Hadn't heard much of this except the well known songs. Good fun, will probably listen again.

This is, hands down, on of the best albums ever.

Surprised at how much I dug this one.

Not my vibe

Probably the best Kinks album and my favorite. It's definitely been setbreak or pre-show music so that helps too.

I like the Beatles so I liked this!

Blandly unexceptional 60s rock. Should have been the album with Lola on it instead the second half of this album really sucks except for wicked anabella

Really twee, but catchy!

Very much an album that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Weird and disparate (a lot of these songs don’t work individually, and I’m still not quite sure what the concept is) but somehow fits together to make a great psychedelic work.

Hugely biased mega-Kinks fan here. But if anyone knows a better written, better performed album of quintessentially English popular music, let me know. And I'll tell you why you're wrong. ;)

I’ve come to appreciate the Kinks quite a bit because of this journey. I knew them and liked them before, but the appreciation has deepened and become more meaningful over time. Like with cheese. You know you like cheese right off the hop, that’s a given. But as you get older you move away from the cheddar comfort zone and start to get more familiar with Gouda or Swiss. Then on to Manchego or Gruyère. The Kinks are Gruyère.

A lovely slice of baroque pop full of reflexive nostalgia and whimsy.

I have never listened to The Kinks before, but I get the slightest Beatles impression, so I'm out. I'm sorry.

This is the first album I've listened to before getting the prompt for it! It's hilarious how two days ago we got "Arthur", and I thought that "Village Green" was the better of the two Kinks albums I've listened to. Anyway, having listened to "Village Green" multiple times in the past couple of days - to compare it to "Arthur" and now for this prompt - I still stand by that. This is an excellent album - all the tracks are strong from start to finish. It also reminded me a lot of Vampire Weekend's work (especially the first half of their discography, which I absolutely love) - it's clear that they were influenced by this album.

4.3. Always been a fan of the kinks.

Interesting. It feels like this would have been much more popular when it first came out.

I'm a sucker for theme albums. The riff on "Picture Book" is like a solid 9/10 riff, it just works. But the way they convert it to minor on "Village Green" is a stroke of brilliance, straight 10/10 - that one's a beautiful touch. That said, the rest of the album is just OK. They don't have a lot going on rhythmically (that's part of the theme, I think) and have a real habit of just hanging on one chord of or one set of I-IV-V changes for just a hell of a long time. Nice listen, but a little plodding beyond the first couple songs.

Schön und gut, aber Kinks sind jetzt nicht gerade meine Favoriten

i have my hangups with ray davies worldview that ensure he will never be MY 60s pop song prophet...brian wilson is in my heart, and arthur lee strikes me as much smarter and less overly-inward in his observations (i have a deep affection for hippie aesthetics but man were they ever wasted on white people). that being said , only a fool would deny the peak of rays songwriting powers...the record is a bit side a heavy, but every track has some kind of interesting details or hooks. and ofc the bittersweet pastoral mood, running from the anxieties of industrial living even as it is crushed by them, is every bit as striking as any one of these aesthetically unified 60s pop statements...its no pet sounds, but id take it over sergeant peppers any day. song for song i think i might prefer arthur a bit atm...but this is a more fundamentally likable project for me

As I’m listening it goes from a 3 to a 4. Just endlessly inventive and fun

Cool album of the classic BritPopRock Generation

British rock nothing to write home about

Ok kinks album

Good, but not my favourite of their catalogue.

agreeably well-crafted and psychedelic but not really my cup of tea 6/10

I hate to chalk up someone’s sound to being similar to somebody else’s, but I’ve listened to A LOT of the Beatles, and this album constantly reminds me of their greatest moments. Tracks like Picture Book and Sitting by the Riverside would definitely be considered some of the best Beatles songs had they been written by them. It takes sounds from both their earlier and later albums while adding their own, wonderful touch throughout the record. These simpler, more standing out songs were the best on the album in my opinion. Despite all the positives of this album, the title track and a few others drag it down quite a bit. The best tracks are doing quite a bit of heavy lifting to keep this album at a 4, but it is still deserving of such a ranking.

Nice to hear something British that’s not ass. Loved the different direction of this, sound different compared to other British acts of the time

I've always wanted to love the Kinks. I've always liked them instead. The music is so interesting; but maybe that's the problem. It's too clever by half and I'm always made to feel like its really important to Ray that we all know that he knows how clever he is. The Zombies are similarly studio/musically clever, but their music sweeps me up emotionally. The Kinks' music is always, just, interesting.

Fuckin Hippies man.

Judged on its own merits, this album is a really good album, solid from beginning to end. Compared to their previous garage rock albums, this one is far more refined, polished, and has a mature, sophisticated approach. These qualities are also why it was a commercial failure upon its initial release. In the late ’60s, rock music was undergoing intense experimentation with psychedelic sounds, and counterculture was also leaning towards more aggressive and heavy music, leading to the rise of bands like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. The characteristics of this album were completely opposite, lacking the appeal of the experimental and heavy music that was becoming popular at the time.

Chock full of interesting and tuneful and often funny ideas, but it does't really cohere into something I enjoy listening to. A couple 4-star songs, but plenty of 2-stars as well. Still, I'd listen again. Closer "People Taking Pictures of Each Other" is a prescient commentary on an age that can't experience the present without somehow capturing it for later - and this was 1968!

as good as Beatles, imho

Sickening amount of talent in the Davies family. The Kinks represent an amazing force in the rock and roll spectrum.

I enjoyed this album as a whole. I have to confess, though, the first four songs felt like they were taking over from where the Beatles left off after Rubber Soul. It felt like Last of the Steam Power Trains ushered in a more unique sound. Once Starstruck hit, it felt like there was a return to the very Beatles-esque sound. In between Animal Farm, Sitting and Village Green offered the oddity I liked most. This is definitely a listen again

Nice effort but fell flat to me. I love a concept album but this one did not capture me. I did enjoy "People Take Picture of Each Other". Maybe this song explains our social media culture we live in currently. Very prophetic. Otherwise, yawn.

3.4 Not super familiar with the kinks discography but this seemed like a grown up version of the band. Songwriting was interesting enough. Will be worth another listen at some point

Love the Kinks. Not as familiar with these songs, but loved this album. It does sound very much like songs the Beatles could have done.

Great album

This is one of the best albums ever made. It came at a wrong time but it was very much needed because the times changed so fast and a view back - of course with some irony - is not so bad if it happens like here. Joyful melodies with that certain melancholy transported through folkish rock music that is not folk nor rock. And that makes it so great.

It's a rare quality for a band to be almost universally mood-improving, but the Kinks really are, at least for me. Even their more introspective songs, like "Do You Remember Walter" are jaunty - so jaunty, in fact, that it's the basis for one of the all-time upbeat songs, ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky". And of course Green Day took the riff from "Picture Book" for "Warning", one of their most upbeat, Major Key songs. But what makes VGPS special is that its sonic and thematic cohesiveness is not really replicated anywhere else in The Kinks' discography. It's also the final album they made during a yearslong ban from the United States, which gives the album such a deeply English sensibility that it became a sort of ur-text for Britpop.

very interesting, some neat moments but kinda goofy in other spots

nah not really

Nice

This was a bit unforgettable. A few good moments, a few moments were a bit twee for my taste.

2 Stars (5/15)

Highly original, perfectly executed, catchy as hell, what more can you ask for

Nah.

Picture Book Sitting By The Riverside Animal Farm Wicked Annabella People Take Pictures Of Each Other

Picture book and big sky are my two favorites overall I really enjoyed this album even when it got a bit experimental for me.

It was decent but nothing to really get too attached to outside of a few hits.

Really struggled to get into this one

This album was pleasant. Very reminiscent of the Beatles and a fun read on why they weren’t allowed to tour in the United States

I would benefit from a deeper dive or song explainer documentary to better appreciate the lyrics and meaning. As it was, I passively listened to the album (both in real-time in Norway and a month later playing catchup) and came away thinking it was a decent enough baroque pop Beatles knockoff. I can't help but feel I'm missing something that fans are seeing, so I'll be generous and give it a 3.

Meh. 3

Classic Kinks

Really just not enjoyable. I like The Kinks' edgier stuff. This ain't it.

Sort of Beatles like but not as good.

Not what I was expecting, but unsure if better or worse

4+/5

Meh.

absolutely rocks

song reco: picture book ⭐⭐⭐ it's giving sunday morning vibe. easy to listen album.

Temazos y buen rollo, no lo subo al cinco porque creo que no pero esto es un cuatro alto, cuatro con cinco incluso.

This is adorable. Never heard any of these songs before. They are so twee compared to the later hits.

3.5

The next time an older person decries the state of music, I will be able to reflect on the multiple baby boomer-centric albums served to me on this list - the Paul Simon records, the Village Green Preservation Society, anything from Paul McCartney and Wings - and conclude that, no, it was not better back then, and that having skipped this genre in favor of others did nothing to degrade my quality of life.

Always think I don't like the Kinks but I end up admitting I'm wrong with every album that comes up. It's just the twee, self-conscious Englishness of some songs grates on me a bit. Listening to this you realise half of 90s Blur songs were basically Kinks tributes.

- this was fun and fine - good sound

- same year as Sgt. Pepper? Fishy - solid, some enjoyable tunes

While I know the big hits by The Kinks in later years, I knew none of these songs. At first listen, it honestly sounds like many of the British bands of this time period. Jaunty guitars, trippy at times, It’s an ok listen to me. After listening I read about this album’s legacy and what it meant to many more contemporary artists - I still do not hear anything revolutionary.

Basically the Beatles but better

Pretty standard '60s rock, nothing special really. I like the sound musically, but do not really connect with it's particular vibe of missing the old times, since it's the old time values that are least important to me that they reminisce about Favorite tracks: Village Green Preservation Society, Big Sky, Picture Book. Album art: Cool band photo, love the swirly neon colors.

True story In about 1983/4 a girl from our group of friends was invited to a party in the middle of our seaside town and we all went mob handed. The main partygoers were in the kitchen but we stayed in the lounge where there was an impressive collection of tapes on the mantelpiece. When the host wandered in I thanked him for his kind hospitality and asked him about the music collection. He told me in a very self effacing and modest way that he used to be in a band in the 60's and I may or may not have heard of them - The Kinks. It was only afterwards that I realised how big they were and now it seems that their classics will live forever. I was speaking, of course to the one and only Ray Davies. Thanks for everything Ray. BTW the album is good!

Ok. Not my favorite. A bit too mellow. Need bad boy kinks.

Not peak Kinks yet, but fun and whimsical. Great start and great finish

I enjoyed this album. I like the title track and Animal Farm. Started off pretty "normal" and got trippier by the end.

Really impressed by this album. Love the nostalgia in a lot of the songs, and the desire to hold on to their upbringing and culture. There’s something very genuine feeling about it all. Super fun and catchy and lovely.

Es un álbum interesante, es un álbum que no pega mucho con mis gustos y creo que sería un gusto más auto impuesto, creo que si lo escuchara de una manera frecuente, podría llegar a entender el mensaje, y podría llegar a gustarme

While I’m quite tired of all the 60s stuff on this list, this was a good listen and didn’t feel like a re-tread or beaten to death.

The Kinks love an early concept album I'm learning. This came right before Arthur, and, like Arthur, it's super British. This one is basically all about longing for a British small-town culture that seems to be fading to them, considering how to deal with the past, and creating a bunch of characters that evoke that culture. This album seems to be typically considered their best work, and I guess it had a huge influence on the Britpop bands in the '90s (Blur and Oasis in particular). I'll try to contain my eyeroll about some of their overly nostalgic, change-is-bad lyrics, but otherwise this is pretty solid. Just like on Arthur, they do a really great job of storytelling and capturing the feeling of a moment. I don't know that this is quite in "best album ever" territory (like some of the reviews I'm seeing are saying), but it's definitely solid. Definitely an early British rock sound, but they do a good job on the songwriting piece, and the sound is varied enough to keep it interesting. Favorite song: Last of the Steam-Powered Trains Other: The Village Green Preservation Society, Picture Book, Big Sky, Sitting By the Riverside, Animal Farm, Village Green, Starstruck, All of My Friends Were There, Wicked Annabella, Monica 6/19/24

Beautiful album, well written, the sound of 60s britrock.

Very quintessentially English and self consciously so. I suppose it's to be expected from the band that gave us Waterloo Sunset which may as well be a theme song for London. Completely uncool and out of step with the time - it connects to a sense of Englishness that was already gone whilst satirising psychedelia. This would be done later and worse by bands like Blur who were similarly trying to capture this but with considerably less humour (at least not intentional humour). If you're going to do Vaudeville, at least be funny about it, which these guys do. Phenomenal Cat maybe leans too strongly into whimsy for my taste though this is obviously deliberate, but I can't hate a song about a cat. Favourite Tracks: Do You Remember Walter? Picture Book Village Green

Cheeky lyricists With undercurrents of cool Play jaunty rock riffs

I enjoyed this

It's okay, doesn't feel too unique, but it is enjoyable

I dont get the concept. Some solid tunes however. Not my favorit type of music

60er Jahre Album, das sicherlich vom Klang der „Beatles“ geprägt war. Stellenweise klingt es auch nach den frühen „Simon and Garfunkel“. Das Album hat einen eigenen hörbaren Stil. Herausragende Stücke haben sich aber nicht herauskristallisiert. Brauchbar sind „The Village Green“, „Last of The Steam Powered Steam“, „Village Green“ & „People Take Picture from Each other“. Im Gesamteindruck ist das Album ganz ok.

This will be my third Kinks album to review. I've mentioned this on my other reviews for their albums, but heading into this project, I would have assumed that I would have loved their albums, even though I was only familiar with a few of their songs. That has not been the case so far, because as it turns out, the Kinks songs that I was familiar with and enjoyed were pretty much nothing like their albums that are on the list. I was not super thrilled to see this pop up today, but I'd prefer it to the second Pere Ubu album I still have left. Here goes nothing. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I enjoyed it much more than Something Else By The Kinks and Face to Face. I felt like the overall sound of this album was a lot more accessible, and a lot more enjoyable as well. The jangly guitar playing, string arrangements, and keyboard playing were all great, and gave this album a really unique feel. I enjoyed the various sounds that the band employed as well (calypso, blues, music hall, etc), but all of the songs still felt like they fit with the overall sound of the album. This album's sound was really fun to groove to, and the arrangements fit the concept of the lyrics really well. The nostalgia for the village green was a unique concept, although in today's political landscape of rising populism, it almost has an anti-immigrant feel. I don't think that's what The Kinks intended, but it's interesting how thin the line between nostalgia and an Eric Clapton get-out-of-my-country rant can feel these days. Still, this was a really good album, and the best Kinks album I've listened to so far. God save Donald Duck, indeed.

I didn’t find any standout tracks on my first listen but I’m sure I will in the future.

Pretty good. I like the kinks, never got to see them live. Did see Dave Davies once.

Very 60s psychedelic rock. But better somehow. Definitely not what I expected from the kinks. It was good

Hell yeah, this is some rock and roll music.

Such a great listen. I’ve never been this deep into The Kinks discography and not disappointed to be here. Styles are a little all over the place here, but it’s never off putting. Proto-‘90s-Brit-Pop! You can plainly hear the sound that Oasis and Supergrass will borrow years later. A lot of album’s are labeled “ahead of their time” but this one delivers.

Pretty good. A great song Photo Book with many pretty good songs and few if any low points. Not exactly my style, but not exactly not.

2.5 60's Ren faire folk doesn't age well for a full album. There were a couple tracks that stood out

I'll have to listen to the rest of the deluxe version later but it's nice to have one of the bands my father enjoyed being the start of the project of all things

The Kinks are such an odd band - occupying this weird place compared to the Beatles and the Stones, and with such a wildly disparate sound between songs. Another album I knew of, but hadn't listened to. I enjoyed it, and the track by track discussion on the Wikipedia entry really enhanced the experience

Quirky.

Stop forcing The Kinks on me, they're so average

I was never a Kinks fan. I think the vocals put me off. They did have some good songs though. The songs are cool, but I can't really get interested. Too bland in the production. I started getting annoyed - second day in a row. Wow, I'm surprised at myself. 2 stars because they're the Kinks.

We are full swing in the post Pet Sounds and Sgt Pepper era of rock music, and this album wears those influences on its sleeve without delving too deep into Baroque Pop or Psychedelia. The biggest thing I was thinking while listening is "this is British as all hell". Unfortunately it does fall off on the B-Side, but still a pretty enjoyable experience that flows well as an album.

Fantastic concept album and semi-ironic paean to an England that only exists in nostalgic fantasies.

not as good as arthur as i prefer the heavier and more political focus on that album but this is still super comforting and enjoyable. 8/10

I go back and forth on what album from The Kinks I think is best or my favorite. Really that seven album stretch from Kinda Kinks to Lola is pretty phenomenal. Always loved Village Green and this was a delight to get and listen to, it'd been a bit.

Great album. Interesting fun catchy 60s rock. It compares a to the Beatles but the problem is that no one compares to the Beatle.

Why do these blokes think they aren't European. Bloody daft.

I really enjoyed this one. I’ve covered a few more famous Kinks songs with a band I was in a long time ago but I had never heard this album for. The lyrical content is a quaint little take on what I would imagine suburban English life was at the time: unimportant and pretty banal things that even those of us that grew up elsewhere and in different circumstances can follow along with. Some are direct (Picture Book, Sitting by the riverside) and some are more abstract (Big Sky). I read that this is supposed to be a take on the way the bands life used to be and what it meant for England to get more globalized at the time. If you listen to it with that in mind, some of the songs become a kind of call out on boring weirdness, but if you take it literally they just sound like a sing a first grader would write. It’s a bit of weird way to straddle the two ideas and I’m not sure they pull off the more intellectual side of it. Lyrical content aside, this is musically a pop rock album. It’s cleaner and in my opinion more listenable than a lot of the other British stuff coming out in that era. That doesn’t mean that it’s particularly interesting though. Again, I’m not sure how I’m “supposed” to hear it. It’s s fine enough album but I bet the Kinks have much better ones out there. Maybe we’ll hear them later.

Some of these songs really suck and the others make me want to watch Hot Fuzz.

Simon and Garfunkel mixed with the beatles, its pleasant

Pretty happy go lucky Beatles style tunes of the 60's, enjoyable. But lacking any profundity.

i do love an album title that includes the artist's name. this kinks album makes me think of them as the british beach boys, which i've never thought before. 1968 is the time where the pop bands of the sixties were experimenting, and the kinks are no exception. this album is halfway between sweet pop and more adventurous rock music. of course, i don't find them to be a cookie cutter of the beach boys at all. they took this album in a different direction. there's some south asian influence, folk, and psychedelia, too. not the sound i was expecting from the kinks!

This album felt experimental and playful while still being pretty approachable! They explore a lot of different types of music here and do so well! The Kinks seem to have followed suit of other British Invasion type bands. "You Really Got Me" was their breakaway hit, which was still fairly different (and punk-y) compared to other British Invasion bands, but the composition felt pretty standard. By this album, they have deepened their craft a bit with good songwriting and genre experimentaiton; this album kind of feels like it could be their "Pet Sounds" or "Sergeant Pepper's". Not a bad listen at all!

It was alright

Some very silly lyrics. Classic 70s stuff. Good though

Nice one

Interesting. Best track is Last Of The Steam-powered Trains 3/5

Cool

Excellent Kinks. A bit overrated in their catalogue though.

Pretty forgettable overall - doubt I'll ever listen to this again.

Masterpiece. The complete opposite of what everyone else was doing at the time. Mr Davies stuck to his guns, legend!

Eh. Don’t love it

Love this and have been listening to a lot of BritPop inspired by Kinks so this came at a great time. Super stacked album and really close which is my favorite between this and Something Else. Rating: 4.6

I enjoyed it. 3

"Easy old-school charm" personified. Nothing that I would probably seek out again, but it was pleasant while it was on. Makes you want to go sit in a field on a warm summer day.

The sound of sunshine ☀️🤗💛 The psychedelic nonsense lyrics can be a little annoying, but they're also so outrageously ridiculous that they loop back around to being fun and funny. They also do a lot musically for songs that never pass the 3-minute mark. Not all of it is a winner, especially when it turns into Tin Pan Alley reverence, but all of it is bright and enjoyable, and never asks me to take it too seriously. And when it does ask me to go deep, it's all about this nostalgia for youth and innocence, a topic I’m a sucker for generally. But unlike most records discussing those topics, it does so in a positive, sweet, cute way, which makes it an easy and enjoyable listen, instead of one that triggers an existential crisis, and I do appreciate that. I think that's why I like this so much more than other psychedelic records from this era. This is ironic and silly and enjoyable, compared to the high-minded serious ~insights~ other hippies insisted on expressing on their records. So while The Kinks aren't doing anything particularly exciting from a sonic perspective for the era (at least not anything obvious, unless you're a music theory nerd), what they ARE doing is having fun. And fun is important to actually enjoying music!! Because above all else, I just love a bunch of goofy lads 🤪

5 stars

As with the other Kinks albums I've listened to on this list, the songs here are out of the ordinary and sometimes a little strange. I can see why many reviewers don't like it ... you keep waiting for a rocker like "You Really Got Me", and you end up with a song about a flying cat. But to me the Kinks live up to their name ... the songs take a few simple, but unexpected twists and turns. I find it all both charming and fun.

There is just enough here to rate level 4 (B-). No outstanding songs just good english fun. It reminds me of British tv shows like the Darling Buds of May.

Post Sgt Pepper, pre Space Oddity, post Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Sounds like all three. There's an hidden attitude in here I don't like, but maybe I'm just projecting backwards from britpop.

Pas pour moi

Very good. mocks the nostalgia for an England already vanishing in the '60s. Ray Davies turned from American rock fantasies to English jangle; on the outside that is critique of modernity wrapped in catchy tunes. Songs to a past that was never as rosy as ppl remember.

They are amazing songwriters

just a good album really 4.2/5

Beatles esque

Favorite Tracks: The Village Green Preservation Society Village Green People Take Pictures of Each Other

Didn't think I knew anything by these guys since I didn't recognize the group name, bit I knew Picture Book from somewhere deep in my memories. Do You Remember Walter? Is a really awesome song, as is Village Green. They probably hate this, but they are like a lesser version of the Beatles on this album. Overall, thpugh, pretty fun.

They took a lot of chances on this album and not all of them worked, but points for trying. 2.5/5.0: Mixed

One of the most pleasant afternoons of my life was spent listening to this album and then Arthur while taking a walk between small English towns through farmer’s fields.

Didn't really capture my attention. Not my style of rock.

Really cool album. Can hear major shades of Brit Pop in this.

I've listened to this over & over since I was 12. Hugely influential on my own songwriting & brings back many, many memories. It's an entire album about nostalgia after all. One of (if not the) best from one of my favorite bands.

I was never much into the Kinks and understood the impact of the legacy through songs like 'Really Got Me', 'You Really Got Me', and 'Lola'. But they've never really rung the bell for me. 'The Village Green Preservation Society' has changed that. With elements of pop and psychedelia the Kinks found a great lane for themselves here. 4/5.

This screams 60s music style

Clearly someone is a big fan of The Kinks. This is definitely not their best work.

Not bad. Beatlesy

All time classic.

Good

Davies you geniuses.

a great relisten.

I mean, its THE Kinks.

Guess I'm a kinks fan now

I’m getting bored just writing this review

Yeah

I'd put this similar to rolling stones. A lot of meh with the few very good songs total classics.

Enjoyed

9/10. Felt like it brought elements from different genres. Really enjoyed it. Last of the Steam Powered Train might be my favorite song since starting the project.

Ok. Someone save me from brit 60-70s rock, I get it already. Not bad though

Right there in the depths of a 3

I enjoyed listening to this but conversely I didn't find it special.

Breezy british pop rockers with a surprisingly long album that never outstayed its welcome. 15 songs crammed into a pacy 40 minutes means most are sub 3 minutes, perfect song length. Otherwise it's a wholly unremarkable album, it just is, it feels super cozy and warm but I'd not consider it a *must listen to* album.

This is so incredibly not my kind of music that I just cannot see it. You Really Got Me is a song where you can at least see the Rock & Roll bones, but then they pivoted and went to this...mess. I don't even know how to categorize it other than to tell you there are lyrics about kissing a girl under the old oak tree. That's not much of a descriptor, I know, which should really underscore the deep antipathy I feel for this album.

Lyrically uninteresting and musically average. Released in the same era as big Kinks hits, I have to believe that the surrounding albums are superior.

a nostalgic album about what England once was. no hits on here really except for a couple of songs later used in Hot Fuzz. not commercially successful at the time. (also released the same day as The Beatles White Album).

The Kinks are always fun.

Loved the fun, playful lyrics. Similar in style to the Beatles, but different enough to have their own unique take on things. Will definitely listen to more Kinks in the future.

British rock

Some great tracks - not my go to era tbh

Good, solid album. Not really a bad song. Some songs are better than others though. I can clearly see how a lot of bands that came later were influenced by this album.

Bright and jangly melodic pop that lacks the force of their best work, but replaces it with a funny observational approach to song writing and richer arrangements. Is this just little England nostalgia though? It's self aware and parodic, but not entirely kidding about yearning to live in the Hot Fuzz town and win the flower prize...Requires a few listens to sink in.

I mean, come on. Not much beats The Kinks at their peak, and this may be it. I might listen to Something Else or Lola Vs Poweman more, but as a cohesive statement, this album (and the follow-up Arthur) are Kinks at their absolute best. Definitely essential listening. Good job, list.

The Kinks are uneven through their career. But this is great. It’s not my first time listening to this, and it won’t be my last It is, however, the first time I’ve rated it. I bounced back and forth between a four and a five on it. During Animal Farm, I was thinking it’s a 4. By the end of the same song, I was back at a 5. I think there overall sound of this album and the strength of the songs get it a five, despite there being a few three and four star songs.

Sounds like the Beatles

Gear: Fostex TH610 Artwork: unerwartet wenig grün, dafür recht psychedelisch, macht aber so gar nix her im Plattenregal Mix (2018 Stereo Remaster): in der Tat ausgesprochen Stereo, insgesamt für das Alter beeindruckend ansprechend abgemischt 👌 Musik: hinterlässt keinen bleibenden Eindruck - höchstens den langen Schatten der Beatles Wertung: 💚💚/5

3/10 very repetitive in all the wrong ways

Feel like they’re singing about nothing important or significant. I’d rather listen to the Beatles.

Yet another 70s rock album. Not bad, but did I really have to listen to it before I died ?

Just a majestic technicoloured quintessentially British record which is also withering in it's satire of Nationalism. Spanning a whole variety of different genres and tones, it's a contender for Sgt Peppers. Like a budget Sgt Peppers but loading the term 'budget' with less negativity. Really marvellous record.

The the quintessential pub garden album. Endlessly relistenabe.

Good. A little too British folksy

hmmmmmmmmm would need to listen again but have no desire to

Literally perfect - but y’all knew that already

its the kings, what to expect

Best: Walter Bester Songtitel: Monica Interesting: Wicked Annabelle Worst: All my friends were there

Very good. Proto Mac Demarco

Interesting and oddly enjoyable. Had no idea the Kinks had this in their bag.

No bangers but this was a nice, casual listen. I liked it.

Hard to believe this is almost sixty years old. There must have been some wild trippin' in those good ole days. Sounds like the trip isn't over.

Just ok for me, kind of boring

I’m so glad I finally listened to the Kinks. I must have had an aural hallucination when I was younger because I always thought of slightly out of tune, aggressively strummed chords and have just assumed they were annoyingly overhyped for as long as I can remember. It turns out I’m just an asshole and that these dudes are pretty groovy.

Great to hear these songs again.

Cool album, have loved picture book for a while, starstruck is really cool too

first time really listening to the kinks, i was hoping i could say "more like The Stinks" but unfortunately it was good so i am unable to put "more like The Stinks" in this review

Eh.