The Kinks – Preservation Act 2 (1974) [Remastered 2004]
PS3 Rip | ISO | SACD DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Scans included | 3.13 GB
SACD-ISO PS3 Rip to FLAC 2.0 | 24 bit / 88,2 kHz | 77:04 min | Scans included | 1,54 GB
Ray Davies released the “song” songs from Preservation — the character sketches, the wry observations, the lovely ballads — on the first record (or “Act”) of the musical drama, leaving the narrative for Preservation, Act 2, a double album released six months after its companion. Simply put, the record is a mess, an impenetrable jumble of story, theater, instrumentals, “announcements,” unfinished ideas, guest singers, and, on occasion, a song or two. There may have been a workable theatrical production hidden somewhere in Preservation, but it was utterly lost on record (reportedly it was better live), due in no small part to how it was unevenly divided, a practice that revealed Davies’ lack of realized songs for the project, plus his unfinished story. It was later revealed that Ray was at the end of his rope during the making of Preservation — he would have a breakdown during its supporting tour — so, perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that the album doesn’t work on its own. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that he was in such a fog, that he didn’t realize that “Slum Kids,” a staple in the Preservation shows and a concert favorite throughout the ’70s, was the best rocker he penned for the project and left it off both records. Thankfully, it was added as a bonus track to VelVel’s 1999 reissue of the album, improving the quality of the album considerably. The single version of “Mirror of Love” was added as a second bonus track to this edition, as well. ~~ AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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The Kinks – Preservation Act 1 (1973) [Remastered 2004]
PS3 Rip | ISO | SACD DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Scans included | 1,93 GB
SACD-ISO PS3 Rip to FLAC 2.0 | 24 bit / 88,2 kHz | 46:35 min | Scans included | 957 MB
Originally intended as a more thematic rendering of the characters and themes of The Village Green Preservation Society, Preservation Act 1 fails to realize Ray Davies’ ambitious goal of marrying theatrical elements with rock. Cutting down from a double album to a single LP left significant gaps in the structure and story line, with the plot coming across as virtually indecipherable, though the work still manages to capture a good deal of the nostalgic charm and caustic conservatism that marks much of Davies’ most notable work. Although widely remembered as one of the Kinks’ most resounding failures, Preservation Act 1, when viewed apart from the pretensions of Ray Davies, is really not that weak. While it may not work as a cohesive concept album, when taken on a track by track basis, some truly outstanding songs float to the top. No doubt, “Sweet Lady Genevieve” would not be out of place on an album like Something Else, just as the Dylanesque phrasing of “Where Are They Now?” or the brass section of “Cricket” would not be all that out of place on Muswell Hillbillies. The muscular, straightforward rock of “One of the Survivors” and the Beatles-circa-Abbey Road pop of “Money & Corruption/I Am Your Man” are decent, despite being second-tier Davies compositions. The low points, while rarely embarrassing, sound something like psychedelic show tunes and are plagued by a lack of focus and some of Davies’ less poetic musings. This may have been the first slip on a long and steady decline for the Kinks, but if Preservation Act 1 is, indeed, one of their worst albums, it speaks volumes about how prolific a run they had. ~~ AllMusic Review by Matt Fink
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The Kinks – Everybody’s In Show-Biz (1972) [Remastered 2006]
PS3 Rip | ISO | SACD DST64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Scans included | 1,31 GB
SACD-ISO PS3 Rip to FLAC 2.0 | 24 bit / 88,2 kHz | 75:31 min | Scans included | 1,52 GB
Everybody’s in Show-Biz is a double album with one record devoted to stories from the road and another devoted to songs from the road. It could be labeled “the drunkest album ever made,” without a trace of hyperbole, since this is a charmingly loose, rowdy, silly record. It comes through strongest on the live record, of course, as it’s filled with Ray Davies’ notoriously campy vaudevellian routine (dig the impromptu “Banana Boat Song” that leads into “Skin & Bone,” or the rollicking “Baby Face”). Still, the live record is just a bonus, no matter how fun it is, since the travelogue of the first record is where the heart of Everybody’s in Show-Biz lies. Davies views the road as monotony — an endless stream of identical hotels, drunken sleep, anonymous towns, and really, really bad meals (at least three songs are about food, or have food metaphors). There’s no sex on the album, at all, not even on Dave Davies’ contribution, “You Don’t Know My Name.” Some of this is quite funny — not just Ray’s trademark wit, but musical jokes like the woozy beginning of “Unreal Reality” or the unbearably tongue-in-cheek “Look a Little on the Sunnyside” — but there’s a real sense of melancholy running throughout the record, most notably on the album’s one unqualified masterpiece, “Celluloid Heroes.” By the time it gets there, anyone that’s not a hardcore fan may have turned it off. Why? Because this album is where Ray begins indulging his eccentricities, a move that only solidified the Kinks’ status as a cult act. There are enough quirks to alienate even fans of their late-’60s masterpieces, but those very things make Everybody’s in Show-Biz an easy album for those cultists to hold dear to their hearts. ~~ AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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The Kinks – Muswell Hillbillies (1971) [Remastered 2004]
PS3 Rip | ISO | SACD DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Scans included | 2.11 GB
SACD-ISO PS3 Rip to FLAC 2.0 | 24 bit / 88,2 kHz | 51:23 min | Scans included | 1,02 GB
How did the Kinks respond to the fresh start afforded by Lola? By delivering a skewed, distinctly British, cabaret take on Americana, all pinned down by Ray Davies’ loose autobiography and intense yearning to be anywhere else but here — or, as he says on the opening track, “I’m a 20th century man, but I don’t want to be here.” Unlike its predecessors, Muswell Hillbillies doesn’t overtly seem like a concept album — there are no stories as there are on Lola — but each song undoubtedly shares a similar theme, namely the lives of the working class. Cleverly, the music is a blend of American and British roots music, veering from rowdy blues to boozy vaudeville. There’s as much good humor in the performances as there are in Davies’ songs, which are among his savviest and funniest. They’re also quite affectionate, a fact underpinned by the heartbreaking “Oklahoma U.S.A.,” one of the starkest numbers Davies ever penned, seeming all the sadder surrounded by the careening country-rock and music hall. That’s the key to Muswell Hillbillies — it mirrors the messy flow of life itself, rolling from love letters and laments to jokes and family reunions. Throughout it all, Davies’ songwriting is at a peak, as are the Kinks themselves. There are a lot of subtle shifts in mood and genre on the album, and the band pulls it off effortlessly and joyously — but it’s hard not to hear Dave Davies’ backing vocals and have it not sound joyous. Regardless of its commercial fate, Muswell Hillbillies stands as one of the Kinks’ best albums. ~~ AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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The Kinks – Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire (2019 Deluxe) (1969/2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:22:20 minutes | 1,89 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Sanctuary Records
When The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society was released in November 1968, the Davies brothers unveiled an album that was out of time. It was a pop masterpiece that was steeped in nostalgia for an Olde England and some thought it was almost backward-looking, though today it is considered one of the most influential records of its time. What’s more, it proved that there’s more to life than just Lennon/McCartney and Jagger/Richards! Following that spectacular record, their fans were wondering what could possibly come next. The idea didn’t come from either of the brother’s creative brains but in fact from the producers of Granada Television who commissioned them for… a rock opera! The plot takes place in post-war England and revolves around Arthur, a carpet-layer who emigrates with his family to Australia as he struggles to find his place in the world. The story was inspired by the Davies brothers’ older sister Rose who moved down under in 1964 with her husband Arthur. Her move left a mark on Ray, who later composed Rosie Won’t You Please Come Home in 1966 for the album Face to Face. In any case, it provided more than enough material for the English songwriter to produce these deliciously crazy and ironic songs. In the end, the film was never shot and so Arthur was released in October 1969 with no visual aid.
Almost as brilliant and nostalgic as , the record’s instrumental richness, skillful songwriting and intelligent compositions went to prove once again that The Kinks were just as creative as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. On Shangri-La, one of their most impressive compositions, the Davies brothers mix pop, rock and blues. Dave’s guitar playing is particularly impressive, revealing both thick riffs (Brainwashed) and intricate ballads (Young and Innocent Days). Unfortunately, the public didn’t exactly lap up the unusual, daring songs of this baroque farandole, instead opting for The Who’s Tommy. Though fortunately, time has been kind to Arthur and today the record is considered a genuine masterpiece. – Marc Zisman
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The Kinks – Word of Mouth (1984/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 42:03 minutes | 913 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Sanctuary Records
State of Confusion gave the Kinks their biggest single in nearly 20 years, but they didn’t try to replicate the music hall-tinged pop of “Come Dancing” on its follow-up, Word of Mouth, preferring to concentrate on straight-ahead hard rock. Most of the material was well crafted, but only a few songs were distinctive, particularly the circular, synth-spiked minor hit “Do It Again.” ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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The Kinks – The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society (2018 Stereo Remaster) (1968/2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 40:07 minutes | 527 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
BMG will be releasing a definitive version of the album many consider to be The Kinks’ singular masterpiece, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, which celebrates its 50th anniversary.
The new version of the album, which will be made available in a variety of formats, features a gorgeous, previously unreleased track entitled “Time Song” that was mixed earlier this year by Ray Davies himself. Though it was never included on an official release, The Kinks did perform the song during their January 1973 concert at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in celebration of Great Britain’s acceptance into the Common Market.
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The Kinks – The Kink Kontroversy (1965/2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 30:00 minutes | 372 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Sanctuary Records
The Kinks came into their own as album artists and Ray Davies fully matured as a songwriter with The Kink Kontroversy, which bridged their raw early British Invasion sound with more sophisticated lyrics and thoughtful production. There are still powerful ravers like the hit “Til the End of the Day” (utilizing yet another “You Really Got Me”-type riff) and the abrasive, Dave Davies-sung cover of “Milk Cow Blues,” but tracks like the calypso pastiche “I’m on an Island,” where Ray sings of isolation with a forlorn yet merry bite, were far more indicative of their future direction. Other great songs on this underrated album include the uneasy nostalgia of “Where Have All the Good Times Gone?,” the plaintive, almost fatalistic ballads “Ring the Bells” and “The World Keeps Going Round,” and the Dave Davies-sung declaration of independence “I Am Free.”
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The Kinks – State of Confusion (2004)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:00:41 minutes | 1,36 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Sanctuary Records
State of Confusion is The Kinks nineteenth studio album originally released in 1983. The record was well received, peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Album Charts. State of Confusion featured popular singles “Come Dancing” which make it to number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, “Don’t Forget to Dance” and the title track.
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The Kinks – Something Else By The Kinks (1967/2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 37:01 minutes | 821 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Sanctuary Records
The brothers Davies were in fantastic form on this 1967 album; the songs range from the witty to the wistful: their classics Waterloo Sunset; Death of a Clown , and David Watts plus Two Sisters; Lazy Old Sun , and more! Having closed out their hard-rock period, the Kinks went pastoral on “Something Else”. It’s an album of folk and pop songs about the quiet pleasures of family life and the English countryside, dotted with harpsichords, acoustic guitars, and ethereal harmonies. A radical rejection of the Age of Aquarius, it was one of the boldest pop albums of its time, a commercial failure but an artistic landmark. In “Two Sisters,” Ray Davies sings about a wild, swinging woman and her homemaking sister, and dares to side with the latter. Other songs include “Afternoon Tea,” surely the first rock song ever written on that subject, and the majestic “Waterloo Sunset,” which has been described as the most beautiful song ever written in the English language.
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The Kinks – Sleepwalker (1977/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 40:07 minutes | 826 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Sanctuary Records
Arista had made it clear they would not accept any concept albums from the Kinks, and Sleepwalker, their first effort for the label, makes good on the band’s promise. Comprised entirely of glossy arena rockers and power ballads, the album is more of a stylistic exercise than a collection of first-rate songs. Ray Davies contributed a handful of fairly strong songs, highlighted by the exceptional “Juke Box Music,” which sees him in a shockingly resigned frame of mind, claiming that rock & roll is just rock & roll, and nothing more. Unfortunately, he chose to illustrate that fact by loading the rest of Sleepwalker with competent but undistinguished mainstream rock. While that might have made the album a hit at the time, its processed sound and weak songs sound dated today, especially compared to the lively arena rock the Kinks later released. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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The Kinks – Schoolboys in Disgrace (1975/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 36:24 minutes | 738 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Sanctuary Records
Ray Davies had indulged himself one time too often with Soap Opera, and his bandmates, namely brother Dave and founding member Mick Avory, revolted, insisting that their sixth RCA album sound more like a Kinks album (certainly, that’s something RCA wanted too). So, Davies designed their next album as a return to a simpler, band-oriented sound. Of course, he didn’t jettison his love for conceptual works, so Schoolboys in Disgrace was born. Working under the presumption that a return to simple rock demanded a simple theme, Davies constructed the album as a nostalgic trip through childhood, reviving ’50s rock & roll (including the occasional doo wop harmony) for the album’s foundation, then turning the amps up high. There’s no actual story per se it’s a series of vignettes, like a coming-of-age film. As such, it’s intermittently successful, on both the hard rock (“Jack the Idiot Dunce”) and ballads (“The First Time We Fall in Love”), but it’s way too campy for anyone outside of the dedicated. And that campiness is all the stranger when married to thundering arena rock; at least with Preservation, the vaudeville made sense in context, but here, the Kinks are pulling in two separate ways, and Schoolboys winds up as one of their least satisfying albums as a result.
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The Kinks – Percy (1971/2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 33:07 minutes | 701 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Sanctuary Records
Ray Davies and company had already participated in one failed television musical when the movie Percy came along it wasn’t as original as Arthur, nor did Davies have nearly as much to do with its creation, but he still outdid himself given the material at hand. Directed and co-produced by Ralph Thomas, who had been responsible for some brilliant thrillers (The Clouded Yellow, Above Us the Waves) and very popular comedies (Doctor in the House) in past decades, Percy was the story of the world’s first penis transplant (it was probably inspired, or at least justified, by big-budget efforts of the period like Myra Breckinridge). Although virtually unseen in the United States, it was still popular enough to yield a sequel (Percy’s Progress), but its real impact came from its soundtrack. Davies wrote some hauntingly beautiful ballads and some solid blues and country as well “God’s Children” and “Animals in the Zoo” have turned up on some career anthologies, but there’s a lot more to Percy than those two tracks. “Completely” is as fine a slow blues as the band ever recorded, with a sizzling performance by Dave Davies, and “Dreams” is a pretty solid rocker, even up alongside “Animals in the Zoo.” To this day the album has never appeared in the U.S. catalog recorded at the tail end of their contract with Pye Records in England and Warner/Reprise in America, and connected with a movie that was never going to see much exposure in the U.S.A., Reprise passed on it at the time.
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