Album #14 : The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks

Are The Village Green Preservation Society (1968)

I've always thought of The Kinks as a band that could only really produce hit songs, and it's certainly true that they've produced plenty of those: You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset, Sunny Afternoon, Dedicated Follower of Fashion, All Day and All Of The Night, A Well Respected Man.....

There was, however, a period in the late 60s where songwriter and band leader Ray Davies turned his hand to more thematic works. The end of the 1960s saw The Kinks produce their two most acclaimed albums that both drew on themes and concepts. One, Arthur (Or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire) was a deliberate attempt to create a concept album. The other, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, was accidental, acting as a reflection of Davies' nostalgic sensibilities at the time. 

The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society was a flop when it was released, selling only 100 000 copies. It didn't have a 'hit' song to recommend it, and although American critics loved the work, in the band's home nation it was released almost unnoticed (ironic, given the album's quintessentially British flavour). Yet today, it is the band's highest selling non-compilation release, as all those years of critical acclaim (as well as people's own growing sense of British nostalgia) see the album's popularity go through the roof.

So I decided to find out what all the fuss was about.

The Album

Opening track The Village Green Preservation Society makes the themes of the album clear; this is a collection of songs about English village life and the people living it. This song is an ode to traditionally English things (strawberry jam, billiards, Tudor houses and china cups, just to name a few). It's one of the poppier moments sonically, harmonies floating over percussion and acoustic guitars. It also features a clever set of lyrics; check out Davies's wry observation of the British foible for making groups for everything with overly complicated names (the Office Block Persecution Affinity and the Skyscraper Condemnation Affiliate being my favourites).

From there, we explore those themes and topics of village life. Do You Remember Walter? and Picture Book both deal with the idea of memories and reminiscing. The former has a somewhat sarcastic view on meeting those from your past and finding that they aren't like they used to be ("People often change/But memories of people will remain"). The latter is a typical Kinks pop tune with a really catchy, hooky walking bass line. The album also tackles the thorny topic of the social outcast, the person in the village who is different, and the mistrust and suspicion that accompanies them, through the songs Johnny Thunder and Wicked Annabella. The latter is the most interesting song on the album - thematically very dark, dissonant in melody, Davies sings about a woman who, it is clearly inferred, is presumed to be a witch. The guitar is very dark and dirty and Davies sings with the right amount of dread. It also contains some very sharp drumming from Mick Avory, who I must say is (based on this album) a very talented stickman.

Last of the Steam-Powered Trains is a cool bluesy number, written and sung from the point of view of the last 'steamie', decrying his growing uselessness. Big Sky could almost be about a God or lack thereof, although it's not a particularly good song - the talking verses are rubbish. Great drumming on this track though. Sitting By The Riverside is a dreamy tale of whiling away the day, sitting in the sun, watching the world go by; the clever use of double-tracked vocals, where one track is slightly delayed, provides that dreamy, peaceful echo, while the music hall style piano is a nice touch. Animal Farm paints a romanticised picture of being a farmer, presenting farm life as an idyllic escape from the city. It's another example of this album showing Davies' idealised view of country living.

The song Village Green fascinated me, to the point where I listened to it again at the end of the album. Lyrically, it describes how much the narrator misses the beautiful simplicity of village life, and is quite affirming. However, musically, the song is morose and baroque in nature. The choruses in particular sound quite sad, even when the narrator is pointing out that he will return to the village green. I got the sense that perhaps the narrator will never actually return, hence the sadness...but maybe I'm overthinking it.

There's a few less interesting tracks as the album comes to a close. Starstruck has a good lyric about the simultaneous attraction and danger of the city for simple country folk, but musically it isn't particularly exciting. Phenomenal Cat sounds like an early Pink Floyd B-side, lyrics about a cat that travels the world eating; the choruses are recorded to sound like a child singing (really it's just Davies sped up) so perhaps the song is meant to be a piece of childish escapism....I don't know. All of My Friends Were There is about public embarrassment and dealing with the aftermath, and is basically a poor soundalike of The Beatles' Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite. Monica has an almost Latin feel due to the percussion work of Avory.

The final track, People Take Pictures Of Each Other, seems particularly interesting in light of our modern 'selfie' and picture-obsessed culture. On the surface, this piano, bass and vocal dominated tune seems to be celebrating the use of photography to preserve memories. However, the lyrics reveal a more depressing interpretation of photos. Firstly, that they are used by people to prove that they were not always alone and as documentation of their existence:

People take pictures of each other,
Just to prove that they really existed,
Just to prove that they really existed.
People take pictures of each other,
And the moment to last them for ever,
Of the time when they mattered to someone.

Secondly, they remind people of a better time, and the photos cause some personal anguish because they don't want to remember that the past was better, or that the present is terrible. 

It's an interesting take on the photos as memories aspect, and one that the album's earlier song, Picture Book, didn't deal with.

The Verdict

The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society is an idealised reminiscence of a way of life that, even in 1968, was under threat; that of the idyllic English hamlet, tucked far away from the towns and the ever-expanding cities, populated by a simpler folk. It manages to address different aspects of the lives of those hamlet folk, as well as provide a glimpse into village life for the listener.

There's no denying the songwriting is first rate and the music is mostly very pleasant (Mick Avory though is a terrific drummer). In fact, often the music does a terrific job supporting the lyrics to convey the mood of the songs. As a vehicle for expressing Davies' nostalgia and whimsy, the album works really well.

As a piece of music, it's inconsistent; several fine, catchy English guitar pop songs along with some unexpected and interesting sonic adventures are worth your time, while other songs will leave you reaching for the skip button. 

Yes, this album is worth listening to, if only to hear the work of one of Britain's finest songwriters. But if you were looking for something that represents everything that the 1960s Kinks were capable of, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society is probably not quite it.

My rating: ***

Standout Tracks

The Village Green Preservation Society

Wicked Annabella

Sitting By The Riverside

Tomorrow, we enter the world of electric blues, and review an album by a legendary Irish blues guitarist whose solo work may not be known by casual music lovers, but I bet everybody knows some of his earlier band work....