Reviews (page 12 of 12)
Meh? Kind of fun and jangly, but discordant and sort of redundant.
A different sound than the familiar hits from them…starts heavily anti-war and then becomes almost child-like later. “Australia” is hilarious propaganda that was worth listening to for the laugh.
Parempi kuin odotin, johtunee siitä että on lähempänä kunnon 70-lukua, parempaa ja raskaampaa rockia
Tämä sisältää taitavaakin sävellystyötä, ja levyn konsepti on sinänsä viihdyttävä. Lopulta musiikin esteettinen ilme ei kuitenkaan mahdollista varauksetonta nautintoa.
Not a lot to say about this one. Seems like a very standard album for its era, not really a fan of the vocalists voice
Kinks - Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXEWNdCnfw0&list=PLAyDusZa0PT_Rb4_Zrc1a4nN1nc4TAGjl&index=12 Coté 2/5.
Sounded good but idk just not my style
I’ve argued this point with my mates before, I’m my humble opinion The Kinks are a good ‘Best Of’ band and nothing more! A Best Of will give you all you need from them without having to sit through the 8+ below average tunes on each album. This album is irrefutable proof that I am, in fact, absolutely correct. I’ve never heard any of their albums that are all great songs and this is no exception. Two or three bangers and every other track is forgettable. Sorry, not sorry.
Not the best kinks but a few slappers
Nothing on this album stood out to me. Pretty straightforward tunes. I did like the song Shangri-La, though. The stripped down Mr. Churchill, with the twangy southern guitar, stood out a little bit. A boring review for a boring album.
Complaining about someone’s vocals on the heels of praising Bob Dylan is, admittedly, a little rich, but I struggle to enjoy Ray Davies voice. Paired with the unevenness of the tracks, I couldn’t find my way into this record. My wife expertly described this album as having “a Monty Python vibe,” and if this concept album had actually been the backing track to the TV show that it was written for but that was never produced, I might have enjoyed it more. The only stand out for me was the complete lack of bangers.
one or two good songs
I recon Victoria is one of their top songs, alongside Waterloo Sunset, Lola and You really got me. I get a lot of CCR vibes from this song also, which is interesting coming from a 60s Brit band. The rest of the album didn’t resonate with me though
Feels to me like they were trying to do a Sgt. Pepper's thing... with mixed results
Þokkaleg plata en vekur ekki almennan áhuga á bandinu.
What Kinks I've heard in the past I've liked, none of it was on this album though. I like the sound of this mostly. It sounded pretty dated. Thought it dragged a bit. The whole concept album type thing I generally am not a huge fan of.
Apart from the first names of 90s-era kids’ cartoons, I don’t see the comparison of this album to Tommy. Maybe Ray Davies doesn’t translate well across the Atlantic?
The song Victoria holds up and the Churchill song stood out. The rest of the album was unremarkable.
1969. Victoria
Started off and ended kinda strong, but the whole middle was kinda meh. Just not for me I guess. Standouts: Victoria, She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Maria, Arthur
Not the worst concept album ever, but still: it's fairly boring.
A fun listen but the words/music often sounded muddy, the vocals were not strong, and the songs were a bit long
Their sound works on the kind of twee Britpop songs, especially Victoria and Driving. But most of the album is really like lo-fi blues rock, and they just don’t do that that well. In particular, relative to their competition they’re really lacking in instrumental and vocal talent- their singer straight-up sucks, he’s constantly flat- but they still heavily feature vocals and mediocre guitar solos. Even the twee stuff, which they do much better (the more developed instrumentation covering for their shortcomings elsewhere), and which better suits their harmonic style (heavy on somewhat abrupt key changes) is not as good as their contemporaries (eg Zombies).
The Kinks do Rubber Soul
Not my favorite Kinks tbh
Also dull.
This is fine. Not quite as exciting as you'd expect from a Kinks album, it's more of a concept album focusing on the end of the British empire. Maybe it's a bit unfair, looking back on it from almost 60 years later, but it doesn't really tackle any of the interesting themes around the end of empire. The musical style is all a bit twee, nothing particularly striking. An underwhelming 2/5.
New music would say I liked some song but still a meh
I’m incredibly biased even as a self proclaimed not a Beatles fan that this band can make no name for itself in my eyes as this bands entire existence resides in the shadow of the Beatles creations
Eh wasn't really my cup of tea.
09/03/2022 Hmm…I’ve liked Victoria on this album for a long time, but frankly….I wouldn’t listen to this album. I’ve never been a huge Kinks girl, but Village Green Preservation Society is way better imo. However….you can’t tell me that all of 2013/2014 indie rock got their brand from this band. Australia literally sounds like a strokes song. — Studio was roughhhh today, but I ended up slaying and got a shit ton of work done so I could enjoy the long weekend. Heading to San Antonio to see my Lukey :)
Didn't like it
Esto fue aburrido
Surprised this has not been bumped off the list by better recent albums
Ahhh, the late 60s punish continues. 2/5.
Vähän jo unohtunut mitä tuntemuksia herätti kun kuuntelusta on jo muutama päivä aikaa. Levy jäi ainakin kesken joten kertonee riittävän paljon.
Klassikkobändi ja suunnannäyttäjä, mutta hirveästi ei enää kanna tähän päivään biisit. Joitain aivan huippuja löytyy bändiltä, mut tälle levylle ei niitä ollu eksyny. Pitää kyllä kuunnella vielä levy uudestaan
Meh, had a few good songs but most just fell flat for me.
Aside from Victoria, Mr. Churchill Says, and Arthur, there wasn’t much of interest to me. Nothing to Say is a straight up Beatles rip off.
Clash? Yes. Kinks? Nah.
2
Not doing much for me, would rather hit skunk spray than listen to too much more.
#niksaan
hmm... some 1960s brit pop. There are some great lyrics and themes but the music is all just so saccharine.
More fiddly than I expected Its OK
Best Song: Australia. Kind of catchy and fun lyrics. Worst Song: Yes Sir, No Sir. Lyrically cliche, slow and plodding. Overall: I can feel the influences that this album must have had, but it feels REAL dated.
Enjoyed listening but don’t need to hear it again as it’s “old” 2*
It did actually grow on me a little bit and there were one or two good songs but I think I expected better.
Gute 2 Sterne, vor allem wegen Mr. Churchill Says.
I tried. I like a small number of Kinks' songs, but listening to this album all the way through, in all honesty I didn't hear any tracks I liked. Some bored me, others annoyed me.
man this seemed like it had a lot of potential before it fell into the same trap that all concept albums of the era had where it's a bunch of unfinished songs presented as suites or something and hey look you do you ok but i know what you're doing
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) by The Kinks (1969) The Kinks get on board the ‘concept album’ train with this interesting piece of work, sort of a Broadway musical soundtrack. It has coherence, but it doesn’t say much. This ain’t Der Ring des Nibelungen. Nor is it Tommy by The Who (1969) or Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967). Bob Dylan did this much better in the last verse of “Black Diamond Bay” (Desire [1976]). But then, Bob Dylan does everything much better. It was the late 1960s, and this little piece of aspiring avant-garde artistry by The Kinks illustrates the disconnect between peace and prosperity on the one hand, and fashionable ennui and acedia on the other. For the mainstream middle class, times seemed so bad, but history shows times were really quite good. So the mockery (in “Mr. Churchill Says”) of Churchill’s WWII leadership of thirty years prior is more than a little obtuse. The same could be said for the politics of nearly every song on the album. Dramatically, then, this playlet lacks depth, compactness, engagement, power, and resolution (Have I left anything out?). But musically, it is modestly interesting, coming as it does between “You Really Got Me” (1964) and “Lola” (1970), the two songs for which The Kinks are most famous. There is a nice extended jam in “Australia” (the song, not the country). With this recording, containing painful vocals (e.g., “Some Mother’s Son” [!]) but colorful compositions and horn-flavored instrumentals, the listener can, with slight determination, make it through the twelve tracks before moving on to something that is more productive, meaningful, edifying, and/or otherwise of interest. 2/5
Kinda boring.
there was some sick guitar riffs for some of the songs. it did give off sitting in the round table vibes so that’s pretty sick.
Off-brand Beatles with tired voices.
Nope.
just not feeling it - totally hit and miss band for me. Shangrli la is a good tune though. 2
Bit boring tbh
This one is a tough sell for me. I appreciate their musical talents and there are some really great rock songs here. But the content is SO political, and so British, that it becomes inaccessible fairly quickly. I'm all for politics in music, but it's been done much more powerfully and subtly in the decades since by other groups. While I appreciate their bravery and forthrightness, I much prefer their later hit music. I would likely not listen to this album again.
Some ok songs but wasn’t excited to finish
not unpleasant but i wasnt into this at all.. no stand out tracks, MAYBE king kong if i must choose an okay song. but its pretty generic as everything else.
Average 60s 70s music which didn't actually really stuck in any way. Easy to listen and even enjoyable background music, which is sadly also really easy to forget.
Kind of boring
Meant to be a concept album but I didn't really get the themes other than war is bad and the empire isn't great either. Maybe that's cause I only listened once, but idk
2*
Not my preferred music
I really didn't like this album as much as I should have done, I found the music immature and uncollected, actually felt chlostrophobic at times, yes the guitar riffs are cool, but not much else.
A little too obscure
booooring
Started off meh, fairly strong in the middle with Brainwashed, Australia and Mr Churchill Says all being good then descended back into meh for the finish.
wasnt ready
Too 60's for me. Just reasonably dull. couple of decent songs, but a lot of boring on it. Good songs don't make up for the boring. Definitely a change from 50's music, so can see why it was so new.
Some songs are catchy because they’re so repetitive, but overall I can’t picture myself going back to this album
Bored, didn’t care about it lol.
Some solid rock tracks on here with interesting arrangement but dragged down by some ho-hum filler in between.
1.9
Horrible
kinda just pissing me off. i do like other kinks songs but i hated this album
Don't rate this album at all simpley not a good album starting from the voice overall not a fan of it 1.1/10
Meh....did nothing for me, they just sounded all the same. Completely forgettable. Victoria is OK.
Another tedious sixties album.
3/10 - another overrated album from its time
Thought this was super mid, had none of the charm of Face to Face. Very gcse drama vibes to its narrative
Not for me, I think this album would only be good if you heard it at the time it came out.
I am all for an album that tells a story but this was unbearable. Listening to Arthur was like sitting through a young writer reading their first novel out loud. Word play, subtlety, and expanded vocabulary would have made it easier to listen to.
I just don't get the appeal of The Kinks. It felt like a slog to get through. Victoria is pretty good, other than that, pretty forgettable.
Jonninjoutava, mitäänsanomaton aikansa tuote, joka ei ole kestänyt aikaa. Ei herätä mitään muuta kuin sen, että milloin tämä loppuu tai olisiko seuraava biisi edes jollain tapaa hyvä tai edes ok. 1/5
1.5
I like some Kinks tracks, although they are not a band I listen to much. Certainly the first couple of tracks on this album so far are so poor I’m glad they weren’t my introduction to the band. Finished the whole thing now. Pretty dreadful throughout. Very disappointed as I had looked forward to this when it came up.
mehhhhhhhhhhh nao curti muito hippie poucas se destacam
#33 Britain strikes again with a snoozefest 😪
I have to call it. It’s been 8 songs and I want to rip my ears off. This is not my vibe at all.
Boring and tiring not for me
I like the later Kinks stuff better
Ehhhh!!!
Álbum gigante do inferno. Um ritmo de roadtrip onde parece que eles queriam quebra o tabu sem decepcionar os pais boomers. Pensar que esse álbum nasceu junto com a internet faz as coisas parecerem ainda mais loucas, esses moleque aí cresceram num mundo pós segunda guerra, comendo literatura da mais fina e fizeram isso aí? Achei q faltou gritaria.
It potters around but it is not substantial and the voice and lyrics are not as potent as they once were. It does not travel well
Lots of noise, not much music. 1/10
It is not my type
Bad. Some British rock is just bad
I don't like this
Nah
I had to drop out of listening to this as it was terrible, and I like 70s music!
didn't listened
глаз задергался, мне хоть вся планета будет говорить, что это хорошая музыка, это меня не переубедит. все что раньше 1980 для меня не слушабельно. это уже 60 лет назад почти, простите
Boring and old, not a fan.
Bof j’aime pas
The upbeats in Victoria were very fun. Worst Song: Yes Sir, No Sir Best Song: Victoria, Shangri-La Added to Liked Songs: Shangri-La
One good song
It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized The Fall were covering Victoria. This album was downhill after that.
Really not into this one.
I could've sworn I knew the group, but I think I confused them with the KiNK. Not sure whether the English or the Bulgarians would be more offended by that slip-up. Admittedly was caught off guard by the lead's voice. Very reminiscent of this time, like if the Beatles decided to up their game. Not a fan overall. "Some Mother's Son" *almost* reminded me a fusion between Styx and Black Country, New Road. "Shangri-La" might've been my favourite track if they kept it as a mellow a capella, or at least made it stylistically similar to "Young and Innocent." Perhaps it's the harpsichord making me silly. Frankly, they should've leaned more into the folk British sound of the hat song. Nursery rhyme potential right there (it's my favourite track of the album). "Nothing to Say" is quite poppy but I could not stand the singer's voice there. I could see this being modernized by someone in the likes of Ben Rector with that bouncy piano riff (take that as you will, this is neither a positive nor negative comment). All in all, this definitely exemplifies the fall of the British empire! The sun has set.
Ugh, I hate this record. To be totally honest with you, dearest reader, I hate the kinks. Ray Davies’ desperate attempt to mimic the sound of the Beatles, to cash in on beatlemania, seems to be entirely overlooked and I don’t understand why. The lyricism is shallow, vapid, and boring. Every chord is predictable and uninspiring. It’s like some bizarro universe where the Beatles had no redeeming qualities, but made records anyways. Not something I ever care to hear again. 1*
Very simple back then. There are some good, classic kinks songs, but none of them were on this album. Didn’t recognize any of the songs and I can’t say I really enjoyed any of it either.
Pretty boring.
Oh goody - more late 60s white UK bluesy rock beloved by real ale drinkers with beards.
Not for me. 1/5
Meh not for me
49 minutes of meh. Decent background music 1001 album worthy: No - 33/59
Shit singer....like all their stuff hence won't listen again....I hope
knietief durch die 60er .. eher zäh und verkrampft der erste teil des albums, nachher etwas sehr lieblich säuselnd .. mir gefällt es wenig.
Late 60s early 70s british noise makers Not my thing
Ik lees dat dit voor geen meter verkocht. 2 jaar later probeerden ze een derde single van het album. En ja! dat scoorde. Welgeteld nr 62 gehaald in de VS. En dat is wel het niveau van dit album. Het beste nummer heeft op het moment van uitkomen ongeveer 60 betere nummers voor zich te laten gaan. Het is simpelweg niet goed. Ze hebben wat Beatles-achtige klanken met minder creativiteit en ontzettend storende matige zang. Schande voor de lijst.
like an expression of grief of the romantic aspect of Queen Victoria and her Empire? wouldn't know also like a song about the realities of life in britain? i don't like this song because i wouldn't relate/understand
Have you ever heard a British singer? If you haven't I recommend this is not one you start with. I don't like the lead singer's voice, it's kinda whiny, and I just really don't like this album. The only thing I like is the background music. I highly recommend that you don't listen to this album.
1. victoria - 1 2. yez zir - 0 3. zon - 1 4. driving - 1 5. brain - 0 6. auztralia - 1 7. zhangri la - 1 8. churchill - 0 9. marina - 1 10. young - 1 11. nothing - 1 12. arthur - 1
Hated it horrible horrible stupid boring stupid no good songs at all
60’s
not good
What the ever-loving crap is this mess?
So far 3 songs are basically the same-same melody, same idea of singing about a place, and all the places end with A (Victoria, Australia, Shangri La), so pretty much no originality. Listen again: no Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song: none
Not for me
Chas and Dave attempt Sargent Pepper? There were some moments where some decent music attempted to break through the crap. Sadly, not often enough. A high 1 star.
Still wishing for some \"Lola\" like punch that just doesn't emerge. Nothing special, just old-school storyteller rock.
The singer sounds like how I'd sing in the shower if I was trying to make myself laugh
Beatles circa 1965 rip off except this was released in 1969. One of the most overrated bands of all time.
I didn't really like any of their music. Even their more famous song like "Victoria" are pretty lame. I wouldn't care if I ever heard this again.
Sounds a lot more like the Beatles than other Kinks songs I'm familiar with. There's elements like in Shangri-la that sound like the Kinks I enjoy. Other bits sound like bad Beatles imitation.
I like the Kinks. But this was not my favorite. I am not sure why it is on the list when there are so many other better ones.
Oh boy no thanks
Liked it alot although once again the music was so loud making understanding the lyrics problematic.
victoria - was ok until he just repeats the title 20 times yes sir, no sir - ok some mother's son - grating brainwashed - neat australia - starts nice but ends up overbearing
Not my cup of tea
As if 70 Beatles albums weren't enough.
This album was awful. Songs were annoying to listen to, and musically beige.
no
Did not like it at all
No thanks. For me, this was the least enjoyable Kinks record I've heard. Borderline unlistenable.
Boo
Forgettable
Folksy through and through, really liked the last track (Arthur)
Es no bueno
Mmh.....
så stopper vi
A fucking racket…vocals like a cheese grater to the brain
The Kinks are great, but not on this album.
Meh.
i literally hated this
bad
Not for me
The Kinks are so boring.
What a struggle this was to listen to. Just plain bad singing, forgettable songs, and instruments. 3/10.
This is the seventh album from the British rock band the Kinks. It was made as the soundtrack to a never produced tv play about family of the band. Being that this was a soundtrack, the album plays as a rock opera and has great music production. The album was praised at release and paved the way for the band's comeback years later. But I don't see what all the praise is about though, because the music from the album did not stick out to me. Sure did feel like background music to a story, and not a complete or standalone album imo.
Folksy beach boys/beatles type music. Not my jam
Shit
meio chato na real
at least better than hip hop
Boooo
Similar to The Beatles and Stones.