110. The Kinks - The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society

Artist: The Kinks
Album: The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society
Year: 1968

Finally! A Kinks album that delivers on the promise of the earlier Face to Face and Something Else! The Village Green Preservation Society features The Kinks at their absolute best. It's an album that fully embraces quaint English tradition and it's a remarkably assured and varied set of songs. It is one of my favorite albums to appear among the 1001 so far.

The title track leads things off and plays as a statement of intent. It's a rolling pop song with impassioned vocals and lyrics reciting off all the worthy English traditions that the band wishes to preserve. Here are the lyrics:

We are the Village Green Preservation Society
God save Donald Duck, Vaudeville and Variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties
Preserving the old ways from being abused
Protecting the new ways for me and for you
What more can we do?
We are the Draught Beer Preservation Society
God save Mrs. Mopp and good Old Mother Riley
We are the Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium
God save the George Cross and all those who were awarded them
We are the Sherlock Holmes English Speaking Vernacular
Help save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula
We are the Office Block Persecution Affinity
God save little shops, china cups and virginity
We are the Skyscraper Condemnation Affiliate
God save Tudor houses, antique tables and billiards
Preserving the old ways from being abused
Protecting the new ways for me and for you
What more can we do?

This song sets the stage perfectly for an album that is reliant on memories and ruing the loss of the way things used to be. "Do You Remember Walter?" is a character study like those the band essayed so well on their earlier releases. The driving "Picture Book" is probably the most famous song in this set, featuring recently in a Kodak commercial. The flamenco-tinged "Monica" is a highlight, as is the woozy music hall anthem "All of My Friends Were There."

Village Green is the first great Kinks album. While everyone else was tripping on acid, The Kinks were making this quaint little pop album full of absolute gems, and the world is better for it. God save The Kinks!

Rating: Indispensable