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34th out of 94 books
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16 voters
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The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society (33⅓ #4)
by
Andy Miller
Ignored by virtually everyone upon its release in November 1968, 'The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society' is now seen as one of the best British albums ever recorded. Here, Andy Miller traces the perilous circumstances surrounding its creation, and celebrates the timeless, perfectly crafted songs pieced together by a band who were on the verge of disintegrati...more
Paperback, 160 pages
Published
October 1st 2003
by Continuum
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A nice little book about a classic but underanthologized record. Compared to the Beatles/Stones/Dylan, hardly anything gets written about the Kinks, but their importance has been immense. The book deals with the cricumstances around the albums creation, its genesis as an abandonded Ray Davies solo album, the band's fall from the pop charts and unfashionable image at the time, and the total lack of success this wonderful little record experience upon release, only to grow into a bonafide classic....more
"Village Green Pres, etc." is a great Kinks album but Davies is just an asshole and the Kinks were the English Beach Boys the way they defied psychedelia by singing about dull traditional British ways and its preciousness.
The most interesting point made in the book was that following the band's Musicians Union ban from the United States they dramatically changed their musical complexion from US music (Chuck Berry, R&B covers) to an insular-cum-inbred British music hall style, whi...more
The most interesting point made in the book was that following the band's Musicians Union ban from the United States they dramatically changed their musical complexion from US music (Chuck Berry, R&B covers) to an insular-cum-inbred British music hall style, whi...more
This is one of the 33 1/3 series from continuum. I got it to read on a plane flight and it was a perfect choice. The book is a pretty straightforward account of the making of Village Green. It includes song by song analyses of all the songs that made it on the final version of the album, along with songs that did not, and others that were recorded around the same time. Lots of good info and insight into Davies and the kinks. While the account is straightforward, the story it tells isn't--it...more
The first time I remember hearing about The Kinks' album The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society was when it was listed in best albums of all-time lists in the local weekly in college. My knowledge and appreciation of The Kinks grew from the hits that I knew to the covers of Kinks songs that some of my favorite artist of the 80s and 90s were doing (The Jam "David Watts", The Young Fresh Fellows "Picturebook, The Pretenders "Stop Your Sobbing," Elvis Costello...more
A wonderful glimpse into the making of, arguably, one of the best albums of the 1960s. For me, the most fascinating aspect of the story is that this album – which, today, is almost universally praised and gushed about - was a complete flop when it was released in late 1968. The Kinks were thought to be past their prime, out-dated, and corny. Releasing a music hall-inspired concept album, that explored somewhat old-fashioned themes (although quite cynically), while all the cool bands were making ...more
The album is better than the book, but it's a great album. The author first tells the story of the kind of mess the Kinks and Davies brothers were in just before and after the album's recording. I assume it's a very confusing topic because I couldn't keep up with what was going on with their record company and potential solo careers. I'm sure Ray and Dave had just as much trouble trying to record, tour, and enjoy all that swinging London had to offer. The latter part of the book goes on a tr...more
This well-written little book gives the background and a track-by-track account of one of the greatest--but largely unknown--rock albums of all time. I don't know whether anyone who is not deeply into the Kinks like I am would enjoy the book, but if you buy the CD you'll fall in love with the music--and then you'll enjoy the book as much as I did.
An illuminating look at what is, for many of us, the most illuminating Kinks album. For fans only, of course. I'm one.
A great take on the makings of one of the best albums of the 60's.
Well put together history of the record! Great stuff here!
Never have so many words been written about an album heard by so few... This is the story of The Kinks greatest LP (IHMO) when the world was filled with incense and peppermints, Ray Davies was writing songs about village greens, wicked witches and bygone days.
Another very good example of the 33 1/2 books, this one about a less-remembered masterpiece from the late 60s, Ray Davies's catchy but enduring set of pop hooks both celebrating and satirizing the English nostalgia for/recreation of the rural picturesque.
And in contrast to the 33 1/3 book on Sign O' The Times, we have an account of a brilliant album that reduces it to a strictly clinical affair. Learning about the Kinks from this book is like learning about sex from a Physicist.
I'm not sure why I keep reading books from this 33 1/3 series. The section where the author goes track by track was interesting, but it could easily be on a Kinks fan web site instead of a chapter of a book.
My favourite of the 33 1/3 series combining personal and contextualize information while talking about all the music the Kinks were writing during the year 1966.
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A labor of love that will be essential reading to anyone who loved this much maligned and underrated band.
made me feel sad and awesome at the same time. I'd rather listen to the album.
A great behind-the-scenes of a great band's great flop of an album.
LOVE this album. LOVE this band. LOVE this book.
CT + RD 4 EVA.
CT + RD 4 EVA.
A vital document of the creation of a classic album.
For huge Kinks fans only.
Melissa
marked it as to-read
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