Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

some bangers

Good stuff

Un inicio Increíble, muy buenas canciones. No le doy 5 por que las últimas canciones me parecieron repetitivas o ya no me gustaban tanto. Pero la verdad un álbum muy completo y uno de los mejores que he escuchado.

Enjoyable songs. Starts and ends strong, middle gets a bit slow. No real earworms, but I liked it.

7.8

Fun tunes with Beatles feeling, but mature.

A sunny cold day in March kinda vibe

Somehow never listened, don’t know why. Brilliant!

Idk how ive never really heard of these guys before. They sound so so similar to the Beatles in a lot of ways. But I guess they also got overshadowed by the Beetles in a lot of ways.

A true classic, only surpassed by Lola.

The most British thing ever. Then again I do like a lot of British Music and so far this does kind of hit the spot. 'Yes sir, No sir' is pretty good. 'Some Mother's son' is very good. Really enjoyed this one. 'Shangri La' is my fave thus far

The Kinks' most solid and fun listen is their 1969 concept album? The Who could never.

me gusto mucho la verdad, muy linda musica.

fav tracks: "Shangri-La", "Nothing to Say", "Mr Churchill Says"

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) 1. Slay love 2. Middle was meh but loved rest 3. Good 4. Okay 5. beh 6. Okay too but eh 7. Luv 8. Great 9. AMAZING 10. Good 11. Meh 12. Pretty good

Enjoyed greatly. Brilliant production, loved the lead guitar, quirky in (mostly) the right way.

I love a good concept album that tells a fairly clear narrative with a poignent message. Sure the "war is pointless" messaging isn't exactly revolutionary, but I think for an English band it has a critique about the nonesense pride over the concept of having an "empire" when that same empire is just an arm of repression over the world still hits today. I still here the addage "The sun used to never set over the empire" as if the fall of the British Empire was some great loss for the common public of England. There are elements that have aged, the critique of the rush of immigration by English people to Australia as a false kind of promised-land was very astute then, with the Ten Pound Pom scheme reaching its height the year the album came out, now its a kinda funny antiquated criticism. I'm not the biggest on the singing on a fair amount of this track, but everything else here is great. It's less similar to Tommy and more of a proto-The Wall in terms of the way it goes about its concept. Shangri-la is the very clear standout song of this album, its great. If all of the album reached that height it would be a high 5 and one of the best albums of the 60s, but I just don't think its quite there.

Favorite songs: Drivin Brainwashed Shangri la I’ve only listened to the kinks early 60s music but this was great I love ray something’s voice

4.5?

This album is funky I lowk love it!

I like this album, but not enough to listen to it every day

This is a side of the Kinks that I haven't heard as I've only heard their bigger hits like Lola and You Really Got Me. This might be a bit of a hidden gem for me. Opens up strong with Victoria, Shangri-La was a great midpoint, and the album has a lot of the fun ups and downs of a good concept album.

Was this a lot like the Beatles? Absolutely, but was it a fun listen? Sure was!

Fun instrumentation, great vocals, and a deeper subject manner I can't fully appreciate because I'm not British. However, America can also agree that war sucks and mothers shouldn't be losing their sons like that. Favorite Track: Australia

I honestly had way too high of expectations for this album. I don’t think it’s great, but it is pretty good. The highlights were probably: Victoria, Australia, Shangri-La, Mr. Churchill Says, and Arthur. Overall, I’d give it a 3.9/5!

Music has a kinetic-ness about it. Lyrical content could be political abd some some songs aloof. I really like

A more musical, and melodic Kinks

Considering I only really knew The Kinks for "Lola," this was a pleasant surprise. Significant social commentary in a digestable package.

Love the Kinks and this album....they always mix sincere nostalgia with a sort of cynical detachment. This album is a critical look at what British history actually is....ahead of its time in that way.

Ging gut klar das Album

I dig it

Fun!!

A classic, and I seem to have been in the mood for late 60s' British humor today, so I had more fun than I was expecting! (Princess Marina almost lost me)

This is a solid, above average album, but not something that would probably approach a top 1000 list for me, personally. There may be some 'it was great at the time' bias here, but I'm not sure. It kind of sounds like a lot of psychedelic stuff out around that time - it basically sounds like the Kinks version of Sgt. Peppers..

4 A bit inconsistent but the highs are high and the lows not that low

a fun time machine back into the sixties; surprisingly great musicianship and vocals; can really feel the Beatles influence

A fun and quirky album that will take you on take you on a breezy ride. I was far more familiar with their second album, so this was a treat and a fun album to wake up to.

I quite enjoyed it

Good. 3.7

Had a great fun sound, even if it was a bit of a drag at a few points. Trim a few songs and it's perfect!

The Kinks are just always catchy and fun. They never disappoint.

There were a lot of fun songs on this album, with a few favorites including "Victoria" and "Australia". The musical stylings were interesting because they had variety but with particular notes of Beatles influences as well as some softer, more modern sounds like Wilco.

This is one I need to listen to more. I listened through once, and I like it, but I think I want to get to understand what the 5 star reviewers are saying. I mean they have hits for sure, but Ive never really delved into their albums as a whole. I will have to come back and update it.

i listened to the first few prb 3.5/5 rounding up 4/5

Wowowowow! Favorites were: Victoria, Some Mother’s Son, Young and Innocent Days; Least favorite was Australia probably. I liked it a lot!

This album is so close to being a 5. But I just barely feel like it doesn’t reach it. Around half of the album is straight masterpiece level. Insanely good stuff, that does so many things so right. Songs like Some Mother’s Son, Brainwashed, Shangri-La, Young and Innocent Days; these songs are on par with some of my favorite music. But the album just doesn’t come together in the way a 5 star album would. It’s missing something that I can’t really put my finger on. But it’s still really good and I’ll listen to it many more times in the future.

A Kinks classic. Not one of my absolute personal favorites of theirs, but it's pretty great just the same.

Crazy lovely art!

'60s KInks is always a good listen. This is no different. Nothing that blows my mind here but solid pop-influenced rock that is very listenable.

This was cool. I like that it was a concept album, probably one of the first? I like the psych and blues elements. I love the zany weird nature of The Kinks. Its been a hard week for me, so I probably wasn't in the right mind set.

Never listened to much Kinks, maybe they're significant, let's see. Check Wikipedia: concept album, okay. Track 1, Victoria: I know this! Covered by The Fall, long ago :-) Songs roll on, they're actually pretty catchy! Vocals are not high in the mix, so lyrics are not impinging on my mind, so be it. Wait, there is a song called 'Australia'? Read the lyrics - it's a solid take on the image of Australia promoted in the UK (from Victorian era until time of the album, when the Davies' brother-in-law Arthur actually came to Australia as a "ten pound Pom"). Overall, I'd say the album is well-made and entertaining, not compelling to listen again but if someone (miraculously) suggested putting it on I wouldn't mind at all, so I'll (generously) call it Good, 7/10.

Pretty good! Never heard early Kinks!

Good album :)

Сподобався альбом, є дійсно хороші та цікаві пісні. Концепція "веселі пісні про серйозне" мені імпонує

Sprawling, big sounding, and a pleasant surprise from a band I only thought to be known as the "You Really Got Me band"

Great album, especially the middle. Standout songs: Yes sir, no sir Brainwashed Shangri-La

Gillade väldigt mycket!!

I have to deduct points because this album sounds very beatles-esque but I love the kinks and this is such a good frickin album with 0 skips

Top Songs: Victoria Brainwashed Shangri-La Arthur

From Village Green to this album, they really developed that Kinks sound that I like. This is another no skip album, there are a couple low moments but not worth skipping. Not fond of the Beatles sound they try to emulate on a couple songs. Then there are just some killer 60's rock pop songs. A great opener with Victoria then close the first side with Australia! The second side is just as good, I give a little edge to side 1 though.

Quite fun

Pretty solid album!

I liked it. This came out in ‘69? Wow. The artist’s work was elevated through the remaster on this one for sure.

This album was pretty great!

This is a pretty solid album

Another great entry in what may end up being the best single week of this project ever? Nothing less than a 3.75 for me!! And this one is great fun! The middle sequence of Brainwashed-Australia-Shangrila is so strong it really makes this album for me! But the rest is really fun! The Kinks are great!

This is nice. Lukewarm. It's "fine." It's just sort of... there. I feel like I would be super dismissive of this album for stuff like In the Court of the Crimson King, Abbey Road, Zeppelin, CCR, and Zappa. Really like the drummer and how much you can hear him. Heavy production, very large garage band sound. Not sure if I would revisit. I’m enjoying the themes in the second half of the album more than the first half. Overall, I like the album, it doesn’t scratch my itch. It’s a very consistent sound throughout and not off putting per say, it’s dynamic and I appreciated all of the different instruments and their usage. Also It's a concept album, and I LOVE myself a good concept album. But in 1969 there were a good number of better concept albums by King Crimson or The Who or Genesis, and I'd have been too obsessed over those to give this a real chance. I have the hindsight of historical value, so I'm gonna bump it up to a lukewarm 3. Did I need to hear this before I die? Probably

The Kinks will always be more enjoyable to me than the Stones and Beatles. I don't rate this as one of their best, but Arthur is still a banger. The textures of this album and the 'vibes' are unmatched

The day after Sgt Pepper! A cool concept served by some great Kinks tunes.

very summery i liked

Fico pensando como que essa galera decide capa de álbum, se é no modo foda-se, se é muito pensado, tem umas capas que são muito aleatória, e me chama atenção. Pior que gostei da Yes Sir, mais do que a mais famosa. Acabei gostando do álbum conforme ele foi avançando, me lembra um dos melhores álbuns de todos os tempos (Tommy), muita coisa similar ao jeito do The Who tocar. Vou dar 4* só de brabo.

Good vibe, love the kinks now

I began to feel I was inconsistent listening to this. After discovering I had a slight bias against anything I felt sounded American, did I have the bias against anything excessively British? Turns out not really. I have this a few listens and will be coming back. The Kinks are a great singles band but I've rarely listened to albums. This has it's kooky British moments but is solid, varied and enjoyable. With surprisingly rocking lead (as well as rhythm) work. Shangri-La stands out among what I didn't know. Very enjoyable.

Listening to this album somehow makes me think that this is the sound I imagine when I think of the UK 60s. Like this is the epitome of the term the swinging 60s or something. More songs than the Beatles or the stones. It's so English, the tone of it all, lyricwise and musically. I love it. I know the kink's greatest hits and comparably I'm not sure the songs here really stack up (beyond victoria, which was on it), but I suspect they'd bed in more after more listens.

Wow that was an unexpectedly good ramblin' time. "guys let's lay down a track about how great australia is" *everyone jams for 7 minutes*

Thoroughly enjoyable traipse through an album criticising the British, by possibly one of the most British coded bands out there. I had no idea of this album’s existence, but I feel it will grow on me even more. Loved some of the guitar hooks, the lyrics were genius in places, and I found I liked all of the songs. Highlights include ‘Australia’, ‘Victoria’, and ‘Mr. Churchill says’. 7.5/10

I’m not sure yet what vibe this album gives off but I like it! Victoria has so much going for it as a track even though it’s mostly a singular lyric. Yes sir no sir had such a cool orchestral section! It reminded me of a marching band, but then the guitar came in behind it and it honestly was awesome! I don’t know if this is sacrilegious to say, but No Mothers Son reminded me of The Beatles, actually a lot of this album did. Drivin’ was a good track. It was almost trancelike if that makes sense. Going into Brainwashed after that was slightly like whiplash, but I totally felt I could dance to it. Australia commented on another country in a way that only the British really do. It was positive, but in a way that felt like it was about to racially profile you. Shangri-La was great! I loved it. Mr Churchill says was cool as I chose to write an essay on the Churchill speech in grade 12 English, not that I’ve given it much thought since, but it was fun to hear it again in this way. She’s bought a hat was so much fun. I can’t say I’ve heard a kazoo in a track for a while and I love when you can hear that the band had a fun time making a track. Young and innocent days and Nothing to Say were great! To close, Arthur was a good track. 4/5 ⭐️! Enjoyed this one! 41/1089

Im loving this, giving me like beatles vibes

Um álbum muito britânico por definição, mas recheado de sarcasmo e critica.

Solid rock band. Solid rock album.

Pretty enjoyable, but it would be much better in the summer.

Couple good songs but couple skips

I enjoyed this one. Not sure id listen to it again but definitely hit the mood today

I liked this more than I thought. Kinda Beatles-ish, but different. The only problem is some of the songs went on too long.

Great album, the kinks are sick

Very underrated band and album

I the different sounds it’s weird and fun

The Kinks are never bad, but their albums never hit the full on highs of some of their peers.

This was great. Really nice narrative. Some of the standout tracks for me was Some Mother's Son, Nothing to Say, and Shangri-La.

Actually really enjoyed the songs on here. None of which I’ve heard before (that i know of). Great classic pop/rock that had me listening in the car, at work, while cooking, while cleaning, all over the place.

Great stuff

This one's been on my list for quite some time now, glad to finally check it out. I personally believe that albums like Tommy perfected (or as close as you can get to it, I suppose) the early rock opera form, but this is nothing to sneeze at either. Side A in particular feels weirdly influential on the Elephant 6 music collective, which it very well may be. There is a gigantic bombast to this that I didn't expect from the Kinks, only really having heard their biggest hits from 64-66 and then "Lola". Exciting stuff.

Despite thinking Ray Davies is a songwriting genius I was less impressed with this one. Perhaps because there were a lot of songs and so some of them felt like fillers. Despite that it was an interesting mix of styles.

The Kinks sit firmly in a 'its awesome' or 'its dreadful' camp. Listen to a Greatest Hits and you'll see what I mean (or hear what I mean). But I still remember the day I first heard 'Victoria'. This song is great in every way. Still one of my favourite songs to this day. And I was very excited when I bought a copy of this album. Oh, hey! Track one: Victoria! I was excited! But then it went into the rest. This album, no; most songs on this album are VERY inconsistent! Take 'Australia' for example, mundane lyrics, but a cool melody and then an absolutely killer outro. 'ShangriLa' is in the same vain. Great parts within a song, but then pulled down by others. 4 Stars. And I really mean it.

Tremendo album. Primero que escucho de los Kinks. Me encantó. 8/10

Best: Austrailia Actually quite shocked by what this album achieves. So deep with social commentary and very well arranged. I think a lot of later Brit Pop is a poor attempt by comparison and you can see how this would influence Blur etc. It feels wrong to give it a 4 but I feel like it just doesn't quite make me feel so much and that is a requirement for 5

Enjoyed this, suprised by the genre, was expecting a more rocky sound but that's my mistake

I really enjoy The Kinks. Their musicianship is very underrated and they have an iconic sound. Great album overall

Álbum interessante. Boas músicas e bem executadas. TRN Conch.

Good

++: Drivin', Australia, Shangri-La, Mr. Churchill Says, She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina, Nothing to Say, Arthur +: Victoria, Yes Sir, No Sir, Some Mother's Son, Brainwashed +-: Young and Innocent Days 7,9/10

Surprised I've never heard any of these. Solid 4.4/5

For a long time, The Kinks have flummoxed me. They’re often heralded as one of the big 4 British Invasion bands, alongside The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. But they never seemed to fit in that lineup neatly, always seemed a bit too ragtag or dated compared to the others. As I listened to this album through the first time, I didn’t really get it, and was trying to understand WHY they’re considered so great. Once I got to the end, I didn’t feel like I’d given it the proper attention to rate properly, though I was pretty sure I’d give it a 2 or 3. I started from the top, preparing myself to really listen, and as “Victoria” crescendoed to its climactic chorus, I got it. I suddenly saw the appeal. It was actually great, there was actually something there! I listened to the album through again, and enjoyed it so much more than the first time. I’m not sure what changed, or even how to articulate what is good, but it IS good, and that’s enough.

- Me gusta el sonido y es bastante accesible, fácil de escuchar. - Se les nota la influencia de los beatles - Me gustan las voces dobladas - Me gustan los cambios de ritmo, como en australia al rededor del 1:30

Kinda like the Beatles, not my vibe

What a great classic album. Timeless, super fun and groovy, makes me want to dance! Easy to listen to as I work.

positive surprise, so remarkable!

Fun album. I’m familiar with the Kinks, but not with most of the songs on this album.

purely for HIMYM

Mycket 60-tal förutom Beatles förstås låter daterat. Men inte Kinks. Kanske inte lika uppfinningsrika som the fan four. Men solid tidlös pop. Stark fyra

porra bom pra caralho hein tava esperando lixo veio ouro

eh bem legal, até. rockzim bão e variado, nada cansativo e divertido!!! curti bastante, até!!

Solid rock concept album. Don't totally love the vocals on this one, but it's fine in general. The music is nice. "Brainwashed" and "Arthur" stand out in particular.

Very delightful and pleasant listen. I think there could’ve been a bit more variation but the production’s solid. Great listen.

This music is so much fun. Its like the Beatles never came over to America and just got more weird and English as time went on

A very nice one. A little time bound but not cheesy, not derivative feeling. Just a solid 60's british rock record from one of the premier british rock bands.

I put on this album to try to get in some steps today and it was pleasantly dancy. There were a couple of tunes ('Australia' is a great example) where it started and I wasn't sure I was going to like it but after about 15 seconds I was all in. I'd put this one on again for a long headphone walk or a road trip.

I liked this one, and I mess with the cover art.

my first listen and i just can't believe the kinks have flown under my radar for 34 years, i really enjoyed it. super interesting and layered, not what i was expecting at all. has a band influenced 00s indie music more than the kinks??? my ears don't believe so!

Brilliant

Muy bueno

That was intriguing - I intend to go back and listen again and establish the story

3.5

Monty Python ass music (good) 4/5

Heil

Great stuff from The Kinks. Starts with a bang with Victoria (one of my favourite tunes of theirs), and carries on with the theme of everything that is wrong with Britain in the 60s.

The Kinks have a lot of Opinions About British Things. I, as a simple American, largely do not, other than the standard "I just think they're neat!" So while I'm not the target audience for the social commentary, that doesn't mean I didn't like this. Because, after all, I think they're neat. Good times with this one.

I lurvvv the kinks

Lovely stuff

It's okay. It started to get better as it went.

A

I loved this album. I think the concept was riveting and very well explored through most of the tracks. There were a couple of tracks where I feel the concept was looser and lost a little but still enjoyable. The standout tracks for me were Yes Sir No Sir, Some Mothers Son, Brainwashed, Mr Churchill Says, and the title track. It feels like something I would like to revisit every now and then.

victoria 1969 united kingdom rock

In making an album about Britain that is actually good, The Kinks once again accomplish something that was previously thought to be impossible. Yes I'm a sucker for concept albums but for damn good reason, Arthur is quick to immerse you in this satirical yet close-to-home world that captures the sentiment of many people at the time. The album manages to stay interesting both musically and in narrative throughout its runtime. It takes the best parts of The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society and applies them to a much more immersive album that has some absolutely amazing peaks, namely Victoria and Shangri-La. There really isn't a weak point on the album, with each track standing on its own quite well even without any context. The catchy pop framework of the album pair surprisingly well with the satirical narrative of a pretty grim subject matter. It did take me a few listens to be able to process everything on the record, but it has quickly grown into my favorite Kinks album.

𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘳 showcases Ray Davies at his most sharply observant, turning history, class and national identity into vivid, human-scale storytelling. It’s hard to tell where these lyrics even come from — they feel effortlessly detailed, full of empathy and irony, as if Davies is channeling entire lives into a few lines. Compared to 𝘝𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯, the album is noticeably more forceful and rock-driven: heavier guitars, more urgency, and a stronger sense of narrative momentum. While still unmistakably British and character-focused, 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘳 sounds outward-looking and restless, using rock music to examine ambition, disillusionment and social change. A remarkably intelligent album that balances conceptual ambition with raw energy.

Like these - a band I know and a record I never heard of with songs I don’t recognize any of the titles. More jam sections than I expected. Cool stuff. Kinks are interesting to me. Around forever and so varied in their music. Gals to listen to this. 4 stars.

Outstanding songwriting

Loved. But I did know that I like the Kinks. Big Lola and Sunny afternoon fan. Feels like the wrong time for this album. I need to listen again in the summer and do a full deep dive

if music never moved on from this sound i think i would be okay. my name mentioned?? ❤️‍🩹🥀

Pretty good album. A lot of The Kinks on this list.

Really nice. Though it's an interesting choice. 4 *

Hell yea finally some Kinks! This is one of their best albums in my opinion. All of their trademark whimsy and wackiness. Favorite track: Shangri-La

The evolution of the Kinks from a blatant Stones knockoff to something psychedelic and unique is fascinating. Still not the most original album in the world (Ray Davies added Hendrix and Barrett-era Floyd into his knockoff mix), but it's enjoyable and interesting.

The creative genius of Ray Davies; Quay Street carpet-layers and more!

I've only listened to greatest hits of the Kinks before. The album was good. More experimental than I expected. Aspects of the sound quality and music are a little of the era, but there's a lot going on.

16.12.25 3,5/5

I like it! I admittedly don't know much of Kink's material save for the big songs. This album's pretty rambunctious. I need to come back to this and listen again and probably check out more Kinks. They're cool. Def got some proto-Punk shit going on.

Nunca había escuchado a los Kinks tampoco. Justo los tenía anotados ya que estos días estuve escuchando a los Small Faces por enterarme un poco del rollito mod. Shangri-La es increíble. El resto del disco voy a tener que escucharlo más para formarme una opinión. Pero bastante bien, me mola el rollo.

Of course a musical about a middle aged carpet-layer moving to Australia after World War 2 is a folky, poppy, droll music hall classic. So weird.

have always liked the kinks for some reason

I really enjoyed this album. I thought it was strange how a lot of the songs seemed to change so much partway through, but I liked it. Loved the instrumentation. Occasionally thought some of the songs were a bit too long or repetitive, but overall I enjoyed it and would listen again. Fav song: Victoria Least fav: Drivin’

Generally enjoyed this, some bangers on her and good vibe overall but can get a little weird at times. Really nostalgic though. Specific rating - 4.4 Fav song - Victoria Least fav- Arthur

I know people who think The Kinks were the best British band of the 60s and 70s. Albums like this help me appreciate how they may have felt like a viable alternative to the other two; there's a bit of a punk feel to a lot of it, tho maybe in that art student way that is self aware and sometimes a little cute. I found these songs compelling for their energy and satire. Even when I thought things were weak or off, I still felt a draw to the imagination behind it all, wch is no small thing.

pretty good?>

another kinks album where i know zero of the songs going in, but overall this was better than most of the others we've had on this list so far. favorites: victoria, australia, shangri-la, mr. churchill says

honestly pretty tight. feels like a particular brand of wacky alt rock but before they'd invented most instruments. favorite song is Yes Sir, No Sir

Rating: 8/10 Not bad at all! Fun and weird, political lyrics in classic albums like this are usually a plus. So many great songs. Fun highlights early like Victoria and Some Mother's Son along with the more progressively driven Australia and Shangri-La. Just starts to fall off for me a bit in the last couple tracks until Arthur finishes off strong

Victoria is a banger and the rest of the album does not quite match it. Although after a few listens the rest of the album did grow on me and there are some great guitar hooks and lyrics. The production sounded really ropey to me - with everything sounding quite muffled and fuzzy.

One of the greatest opening tracks to any 60s album. The guitar parts are perfection, the melody exquisite, the sarcastic nostalgia biting. There's enough in the way of quality tunes here. 'Brainwashed' is one of the great Kinks album tracks. Punk energy. It's an interesting one. Many tracks not as immediately accessible as the singles, and the circuitous melodies take time to come through. But those, alongside the wry observation of a dying empire, although not inventive in terms of production, stills feels relevant today. This is a an album waiting at border control to get into 5 territory, but just falls short.

An album about realizing something may be wrong from inside the belly of the beast. As timely in 2026 as it was when it first came out. I dug the Beatles influence as well.

4/5, never heard anything by the Kinks before and I really liked it. There were some songs that were fantastic and some that were only okay. In many of the songs it felt like the lead vocal was too quiet and I couldn't hear it in the mix? I like 60's British rock so I think I'm biased towards this style of music.

My favorite Kinks album on the list, catchy songs, cool drums fills, and some nice guitar. I had somehow previously missed that super cool riff in "Brainstormed", which was later sampled by That Handsome Devil and thus activated my brain like a Pavlov Bell. Bit bottom heavy though, as the first half isn't that strong

Victoria is a pretty awesome song, the rest is pretty good for the most part Will I listen to again: 80%

Never really thought much about the Kinks, but I found this really enjoyable. I sort of wish I could experience it without being used to modern production values, because of course it has that 60s sound, but there is a lot good going on.

I always liked the kinks.. but I was just familiar with their radio played songs … I also had some “greatest hits” vinyl back in the day. I never just listened to 1 of their early albums beginning to end. I was surprised at entertaining this album was! Some of the music seemed derivative of other English groups of the time but still enjoyed it! 4 stars

Really powerful concept. Great parts every now and then but musically felt generic at some points. Can feel their influence over british music too.

I should really listen to The Kinks more because every time I do I like them. Most of this music was new to me but I dug the vibe. 4/5

Echt gute Musik, einfach alt.

Good, catchy songwriting. Never heard a Kinks album before, but I enjoyed this quite a bit. I will definitely be revisiting.

??? aber das ist ja echt nah dran an den Beatles und Konzeptalbum, love it! c

Pas mal bon ! J’étais vraiment pas certain avec les premières tounes, mais c’est un album qui devient de plus en plus intéressant avec les chansons qui passent.

Fun ‘60s Brit pop. Would recommend.

Solid album

That was pretty okay. Some real standouts (‘Victoria’, ‘Australia’, ‘Arthur’) and some Beatles influence (that hat song) and some doors influence (‘Mr Churchill’) and some middlin’ in-between songs, too. Ray Davies was the real deal and this was a great album that has (mostly) aged well. 3.5

This album was a pleasant discovery. I apprecaiate its irony and satirical tone.

I do not know the Kinks well but I really liked this album!

This is my first time listening to this entire album, though I'm certainly aware of the singles from it. This is an interesting and pretty solid album. I'd listen to this again. The production on the drums is rather good for this era, though it does tend toward the odd stereo panning which was also typical for this era.

Was surprised to hear this type of sound from the kinks

A fun, uplifting album. The band hits on political issues while keeping the vibes high. On tracks like Australia and Mr. Churchill Says the band gets to flex their muscles and just play, showing their true, "let's jam," roots. 12 tracks of fun that are enjoyable from start to finish.

Good songwriting/ story telling. And variety. Quality album - much better than I remember the Village Green album being- but may revisit that now. Usual quintessential English references - flask of tea and Gooseberry tart and Potters Bar (shout out to the Herts massive) references on Drivin’. Shangri La - great. Something a bit McCartneyesque on some of the vocals which is strange given the geographical differences. Can’t beat The Fall’s version of Victoria though. Didn’t really care for that song about the hat - strayed a bit into novelty song. I think I need to listen to The Kinks more.

Tracks 1-7 pretty perfect. Some of the rest is a little too 'cor blimey gov'ner' for me.

Gostei, achei um album leve de ouvir (apesar de algumas letras não serem tao leves assim), bom pra colocar enquanto ta fazendo outra coisa. A única que ja conhecia e que continuou sendo minha preferida foi some mother's son, curti Arthur também.

gente é IGUAL a beatles to chocada. legal mas eu preciso estar num mood muito específico pra curtir, tipo estar na rede de baixo das laranjeiras na casa da minha vó no interior com umas galinhas do lado. infelizmente hoje não foi esse dia 😔 destaque pra brainwashed as letras parecem interessantes mas n consegui parar pra prestar atenção :(

ótimo álbum, agradável. nenhuma é cansativa de se ouvir, sempre aumentam o tom durante a música. gostei bastante de 'Drivin' e 'She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina'. não conhecia a bastante mas com certeza retornarei

"Mãe, eu quero Beatles!" - "Nós já temos Beatles em casa, filho". Dito isso, são bandas da mesma época e movimento, o que justifica a grande similaridade do som. Não vejo isso como um problema, levando em conta que as músicas são muito boas. Apesar de terem a pegada do pop rock inglês anos 60/70, existe uma clara influência do blues americano, que dá mais peso e sobriedade em alguns momentos interessantes. Buscam muito a melodia. Trabalham muito o mix LR, assim como os Beatles, ironicamente, tornando a experiência de ouvir no headset ainda mais interessante. O álbum é dinâmico. Tem músicas animadas, calmas, lentas e rápidas. Muito bem distribuídas ao longo do álbum. O tempo de duração é excelente. Um álbum muito sólido. Uma pena esta banda estar na sombra dos Beatles. Melhor do álbum: "Australia". Pior do álbum: "Drivin'".

Recently I've developed a pretty good appreciation for The Kinks. What started with just a fascination with some of the songs I heard in the movie "Hot Fuzz" has really blossomed into full Fandom. It helps that Arthur is a concept album and I'm predispositioned to love any music with the faintest wiff of a narrative attached to it. The rough througline is right in the name as the album takes you through the highs of the Victorian era through the then modern day all with a bopping late 60s British invasion sound. I'll give a particular call out to the songs "Victoria", "Shangri-La", and "Mr Churchill says" as my three favorites on the album, though that last one less because I think it's a grand piece of music and more because its kind of silly and fun about a serious topic.

Pretty good. need to listen to it more to really know how good it is.

What a fun ride! Psychedelic rock slaps? Medieval psychedelic rock? Banger! I may like this album more than abbey road…

OH MY GODDD

Something you would listen to feel energize in the morning.

Alternate universe sgt peppers

Why didn’t anyone tell me this was so good?

Not a Kinks album I was familiar with but I quite enjoyed it

Old english rock. I had heard of the kinks and never listened but it was worth it.

The classic rock vibes were great, but I can never get on board with the minstrel pop.

Great album with wonderful melodies. Love Shangri-La.

Concept album aside, this is a fantastic collection of songs. The Kinks had really matured into a very interesting band here, with clever and very melodic songwriting. The concept album itself works very well too. It's just worth noting that almost every song here works just as well as a standalone song outside of the overall theme of the album. The Kinks had developed quite a distinctive sound at this stage, sounding somewhere between 60s rock 'n' roll and lighter folk (setting a template for future indie rock bands like The Shins). But there are lots of surprises in the music too (for example, "She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina" catches you off-guard halfway through), and more than enough to keep your interest right to the end. A very different sounding band to the those who sang "You Really Got Me" or "All Day and All of the Night" (two of my favourite songs btw), but that's why we're still talking about The Kinks in 2025, because they evolved over the 60s and 70s to create some very interesting music, and this album is a perfect example of that.

Probably the most British album I've ever heard. Some of these songs are so bleak in the best way possible.

Had a good time with this overall! Shangri-La was my favourite track. Victoria is great too. Just a boot of a general bopper. (3.5 stars)

This was a fun album! Probably lyrically more so than musically. I am shocked as an Australian that I'd never heard of Australia before. Also adding the famous Churchill speech to music was surprisingly good. I assumed this was a protest album from the lyrics that I paid attention to, so interesting to find out it's more of a thematic story album.

Typical of The Kinks in the mid-late 60s. A good play for a weekend of something that isn't "the usual". Overall I like it.

Как обычно с the Kinks у меня - перевод текстов резко добавляет интереса.

In 1960s pop, it was often a very fine line between social commentary and outright sneering at people who have day jobs and live in the suburbs, and I'm not sure Ray Davies always walks it that well on this one. However, there are some great songs here, and Victoria is one of the Kinks' best.

Why the hell would you name your band "The Kinks"?! 4/5

Wonderful British Invasion album with strong themes of counter culture and protest. The trademark zaniness of that era in rock is present throughout with the implementation of kazoos and intentionally flat harmonies. Truly worth a listen.

Pretty damn good.

Great songs. Typical Kinks albums - quirky, smart, a little odd but always a good listen

This was a fun one! Reminded me of early Beatles.

Starts with s banger but nothing else truly matches it

Shiny guitars and defiant lyrics, the Kinks Regime.

Liked this more than the last Kinks album! Felt more cohesive with better hooks, plus I love that mid-late 60s sound.

i like the 60s vibe and the social critical lyrics

The subjects are a bit too topically British for me to fully appreciate. But it’s a fun concept album nonetheless.

I didn't listen to this album back in the day. The only song I'm familiar with is "Victoria". This is in the vein of a lot of concept albums happening (especially in England) at the time. This is unique among them. Kudos to Ray Davies for some brilliant songwriting and a great band performance. I'd give it a 5, but it sounds dated to me and, therefore, not an album I want to listen to on a regular basis.

Excellent. Really enjoyable

Great band throughout the ages. Sound of the 60’s--70’s. Great songs. Time tested.

good

Very good

I was never in England in the middle of the 20th century but this album makes me feel like I know what it was like. It’s got wit and charm and the Kinks’ ramshackle r&b is energetic and fun.

4 - great album

Solid

Never heard this album. It was fun! Some Beatles influence.

I really liked this album!! British angst with great baselines and fictional people - what more could you want?

I groaned when I saw another album by The Kinks pop up, as I didn’t really enjoy the last 2 I’ve gotten as picks. Yet this was a fun surprise. Off the jump, the first track had me grooving, and it just continued until the end. This was a really solid album.

It's wild to think this album came out in 69. It sounds of its time but with a dash of something that makes it sound timeless. They're clearly taking notes from The Beatles but I have zero complaints about that. This is good shit.

Like taking a stroll through West-Notingham-Binghamshire-On-Kent

Those crazy Brits, always grappling with their national identity! I really liked this album. The band was very tight and the songs were very sharply written. Victoria is such a great track. Will definitely listen to this album again.

This is the weakest of the three Kinks albums I've heard so far, but still worthy of a four. Good fun.

The Kinks are a great band. They have a cool sound here. It does kinda overstay it's welcome after a certain point where it's like, "alright that's the Kinks."

One of those albums that grows on you every listen. In many ways, this is traditional, classic rock from the British Isles- however, it subtly subverts expectations in many ways, and the sound is really clever. Experimentative without ever seeming like it. Also, love the idea of an album that chronicles the British decline- they got it right! They need an updated version for post-Brexit.

Probably my favorite Kinks album. I like the whimsical nature the album flows through.

I found myself getting into this it's weird and wonderful with some pretty solid lyrics thrown in, it's a 4 because there's a few duff tracks.

Far more enjoyable than I was expecting.

hell yeah,, this was a vibe!!

Very good, as per. Simpsons: Yes

It’s no Village Green but it was solid.

Already need to re-listen, but I do like The Kinks.

01.10.25 #6 Favourite tracks: victoria, yes sir, no sir, Australia. Rate 7.5/10

Nice work kinks

I love concept albums, and I love history, and I love the idea of the Br*tish declining, so I also love this album

Quite good actually! Creative, here an there psychedelic english rock!

Thoughts before listening: The Kinks is one of those bands that I love almost every song I hear from them, but their catalog is so big I don't really know where to start. That means I mainly know greatest hits albums and Spotify playlists. It is always nice to have a reason to listen to one of their albums though because they tend to be very strong. Review: I love that there is quite a bit of British silliness and satire to what the Kinks were doing, especially with their 60s output. While certainly they were putting out extremely catchy rock songs, they were also filling their songs with political and social commentary while not afraid to play around with unexpected music styles. This album starts with a very recognizable song with "Victoria" and then follows that up with 11 more fun, interesting songs. 4-stars

Everything works so well together here! Some of the best from the Kinks I’ve heard!

Pretty good

Really good album didn’t think I would like it so much.

(85/100)

I didn't knew it. Absolutely awesome!

Young and Innocent Days struck a cord with me

Complétement mon style, il m'a manqué un petit truc mais très bien.

Some great songs on this one, and Victoria is such an awesome way to begin an album. Yes Sir, No Sir is so damn catchy, I couldn’t get it out of my head for hours afterwards. Some Mother’s Son and Shangri-La are a couple others that really stood out to me. I’ve always been told that The Kinks were just as good if not better than The Beatles and while i cannot definitively say I believe that or not, I’m excited to dig deeper

Love The Kinks, love this album: original sound, incredible lyrics, raw and folky guitars.

got some 60s rock here, from the kinks of course! it's always interesting to see these guys pop up in my radar again. really creative concept this time around, based on a story from a television drama script. like other albums by these guys, this one is pretty jaunty and... rockin', i suppose you could describe it. listeners can immerse themselves pretty easily into the shoes of arthur, his goals and his journey across the land. some songs are awesome, some are a bit of an acquired taste. for the most part though, i like what i hear.

This was a cool album. I liked the music, I liked the theme. At times it felt like there was a major Paul McCartney influence.

Victoria's the standout here. Album holds up as a whole, but the concept wears a little thin by the end. B+ relative to the catalog.

Good and consistent

Muy disfrutable, al igual que el anterior se los Kinks que me salió

Always great upbeat '60s rock n roll from the Kinks.

good album

Trying (and failing) to not let VICTORIAAAA make me give a biased score

Solidno.

I had not heard this and I really enjoyed it. I prefer the Kinks sarcastic yet upbeat tone over their contemporaries. Really great, catchy melodies and great musicianship.

Very solid Classic Rock album, quite good for what It is, the instrumentation is also diversed, and the concept is also kinda interesting. However, It has also aged kinda poorly in terms of sound, tone, mixing etc., other than that I had a fun time with this album. Top 3 tracks: 1. Australia 2. Shangri-La 3. She Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina

Genuinely think that The Kinks are one of the coolest and most original '60s bands there was, and definitely not just the band that made 'You Really Got Me' (MY original misconception). In a way, their very diverse and, at times, scattered albums sound like a more extreme version of their pop-rock contemporaries, The Beatles, and dare I say, Ween before Ween. There's a theatrical, comedic, and snarky edge to the songs here, even a song like 'Some Mother's Son' that tackles quite a dark topic can't help but sound almost overly sentimental, purposefully so. The bangers are still here, though - for one, 'Victoria' is a genuinely incredible opener with one of the more earwormy choruses here. And I don't know what it is about 'Australia', but I swear to god the smoky vocals on that song sound like Alex Turner - and the shimmering arpeggios of that song are generally pretty ahead of their time. It also has this infectiously jammy outro after a very standard, yet earwormy, poppy progression early on. Oh, yeah, and I guess there's a concept here; apparently, this was soundtracking some play. The story wasn't very obvious to me, but then again, I don't think that was the point. It's moreso just a large clump of songs with some thematic constants.'Shangri-La' stuck with me quite a bit from the lyrical side, it seems to be describing someone that's so cozy in their comfort zone, to an almost imprisoning degree. A really fun listen, just like everything else I've heard from these guys up until now. They haven't missed.

Album assez calme dans l’ensemble Groupe très connu mais je n’avais jamais pris le temps d’écouter un album en entier. Résultat : j’adore la voix (très Jim Morrison), les instru sont top (très Beatles / Beach Boys par moment et c’est presque normal comme c’est la même décennie)

8/10 Eek, a concept album. Except the songs come first, so it's fine. Really fine. Victoria is one of my favourite Links songs.

Great album! Never listened to the Kinks much but I enjoyed the energy and vibe of this one.

Fun songs to listen to. Attention grabbing lyrics and skilled instruments. Got 2 new songs for me.

Easy listening and groovy

bisexuality 💥💥💥

Kinda chill, kinda vibey, has a nice mix of music, reminds me of the Beatles. 4/5

I need more time to sit with this but wow there’s a lot more to the Kinks than Days and Lola which are great songs. A lot harder rock than I thought. I need to listen to these narratives in the songs.

I like The Kinks. They reaffirm my faith in 60's music. "Permission to breath Sir"

shaggadelic

Really enjoyed this more than I thought I would based on the 2 other Kinks songs I knew...

I still prefer the Beatles.

i like it

Prettttty sure this might have been influenced by the Vietnam war??

7/10

Well I don't know what I expected but this sure wasn't it. I am not super familiar with The Kinks but I see Arthur and I think of knights, and this is more Beatles-adjacent. As I listen, it does sound EXTREMELY British. It's pretty catchy, they got some jams, but it's also sort of confusing I guess? I'm struggling to identify the vibe, although I think I'm getting closer as I get through it. Now that I'm at the end, I do think it's a good album! I don't know what kind of mood I'd have to be in to listen to it, but it's quality.

Поки що певно найкращий альбом, з тих, що мені траплявся. Кілька разів я навіть відволікалась від своїх справ, щоб звернути увагу на те, що пісня непогана.

This was an interesting album. It was not what I expected from a Kinks record. “Tommy” by The Who was an album from last week, and this reminded me more of that than the usual songs I’ve heard from The Kinks. It was also quite Beatlesque musically, which isn’t surprising from an album in 1969. I’m struggling to decide what I really think of it though. The songs were very listenable and some were even more than that, but there weren’t any that I remember more than others. And none I’ll save to a playlist. It’s a 3.5 but I haven’t yet decided to give it a 3 or 4 rating.

Compared to some of the absolute stinkers the Kinkers have dropped at times on this project, this one was pretty OK. Victoria is a great song, of course, and generally, it felt like they were keeping the Pearly King act to a bare minimum on here, focusing on things like 'writing songs' and 'singing properly'. They'll always lose marks for having demonstrated that they can write Victoria, Waterloo Sunset and You Really Got Me, but they choose not to do more of that for some reason.

Fav: Shangri-La Least Fav: Arthur More proof that having a main character called Arthur Morgan in a piece of media automatically makes it good

Overall: 8/10 So artsy and fun. Lots of beautiful melodies and it quite honestly felt like a broadway musical at times. I'd say there were a couple songs that I didn't enjoy enough to bring down the rating but it was overall a great time. Very worth listening to. Fav Song: Victoria Least Fav Song: She Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina

Some really hard hitting and emotional songs, especially in the first half. Felt it trailed off at the end but great overall.

American western beatles. Good songs, really enjoyed most of them. However there were some parts that i didnt like

Drivin’ added to repeat playlist

I was braced for more punk awfulness, but was pleasantly surprised by their Beatles-ness. I'm much happier to listen to an hour of social commentary of they're an actual melody involved.

Enjoyed that. Don’t really know what I was expecting (echoes of early 60s Beatles?) but I was pleased with what I got (echoes of late 60s Beatles?)

The first beneficiary on the rounding up system. Musically very good. Lyrically a bit all over the place, and I'm not a big fan of Ray Davies' patriotism/nationalism.

I once banged a bird called Victoria so this was a welcome reminder. Much like Victoria this was a solid performance, thoroughly enjoyable and something I will try to do again.

I love The Kinks, but their catalogue can feel a bit scattered. Many of their prime-era albums have one or two huge songs each, which makes a lot of them feel like solid 4-star records rather than all-time classics. That said, their singles catalogue is world class - their greatest hits easily outshine those of many bands who do have a clear 5-star album. If there are other kinks albums on here, I might upgrade one to 5 stars in a "Al Pacino Oscar for Scent of a Woman" kind of situation. Probably for whichever album it is that has waterloo sunset at the end.

A fine Rock Album. Sounds way ahead of his time. Fav: Young an innocent days

Great album but not perfect

Pretty good Good Songs: Yes Sir, No Sir / Some mothers son / shangri la

Ret fedt!

Banger-tungt! Et af de mindst overambitiøse konceptalbums jeg har hørt (jeg antager det er et konceptalbum? lyttede ikke rigtig til teksterne)

The Kinks are great. They suit my style as a dedicated follower of fashion.

Great album.

Very quirky concept album. Writing an album about your brother in law??? Interesting social commentary, especially liked Mr Churchill and Yes Sir No Sir. A lot of the songs are very goofy. I don't think I'm a massive fan of the vibe but can appreciate the talent at work. Ambitious for sure