Arthur (or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

Pretty good, had listened to this previously and enjoyed it a bit more this time around.

Honestly, this felt like a bad copy of the Beatles, and I couldn't really get into it. I can see what The Kinks were going for, but the whole thing just didn't click for me. The melodies and harmonies often felt like they were trying too hard to capture that Beatles-esque sound without bringing much of their own magic to the table. The songwriting has its moments, but nothing really stood out enough to keep me interested. Even when the album tries to be clever or satirical, it doesn't always land the way it should. I also found the whole theatrical, concept-album approach a bit tiresome after a while. There are some decent ideas here, and I can appreciate the ambition behind the project, but the execution left me pretty cold. The production and arrangements didn't do much to change my mind either. Maybe it works better if you're already a big fan of The Kinks, but I just wasn't feeling it. Overall, this was a pretty forgettable listen for me. Not terrible in every aspect, but definitely not an album I'd be in a hurry to revisit.

A 4; I fully understand that it made its mark and was significant at the time, but I found it a bit mundane now! However, I loved “Yes Sir, No Sir,” “Sangri-La,” and a few other tracks - a truly respectable album, but one that, for me, won’t get more than a 4 today

And it’s one more on the list for that question: “Is it really essential to listen to this before I die?” I confess that, in this case, I’m torn :-(

But it’s perfect for clearing my ears of all the crap I’ve heard here. Thank goodness for that :-)

It gave me Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club vibes!

The Good: We are certain that things are going downhill!!!
The Bad: We all love Arthur, that drunken fool...
The Ugly: Realizing the decline and fall refer to the album...

I am not a fan of the Kinks, and this album has not done much to change that.
Sure, there are diddly diddles on this vinyl, yet, somehow, they aren't enough to make me want to listen to this album again...

And what's with the odd German accent song there in the middle? Guess humor has changed a lot since those late '60s

So, let's flip that coin to see if it lands on 2 or 3*...

I would say old school pop-rock. Solid album, but nothing special.

Such a great album, interesting concept, and fantastic all around.

3.75 excellent point in time

Hadde helt glemt hvor mange bangers den plata her har. Tenderer mot prog til tider og selvfølgelig vittig som alltid. Som et mer utviklet Village Green, hvertfall musikalsk

Not a bad thing, just no a thing. Muy simplon.

Really nice album, actually. Wasn't even aware of The Kinks before.

I'm not a fan of concept albums, but this is pretty solid. "Victoria" is an absolute banger of a track but it never really reaches the same heights afterwards. Solid Kinks album, though.

Victoria Victoria

I like this album a lot. Really great, creative songwriting, and the band is cooking. The Kinks don't just "sound British," though, they have constant themes of British nationalism throughout their music. It's definitely more than a bit ironic, though (certainly less creepily earnest than Village Green). Excuse the cliche, but I prefer their earlier stuff. Nonetheless, a really good set of songs.

Who up wearing they hat like Princess Marina? Me fr fr bestie and such.

After sonic youth yesterday, it's refreshing to hear music that sounds like music, and that sounds good.

Pre Listen:
The Kinks :) I have a good number of their songs on my playlist already, mostly from their Lola VS. album. I'm certain I'll recognize some songs from this, and I will enjoy this album overall.

Notable Tracks:
Victoria - Oh yeah, I know this one. Most excellent. May be playlist worthy, excited for the rest of this album.
Yes Sir, No Sir - Another one I know. This one *will* be going on the playlist.
Drivin' - Another one I know, and yet isn't part of my playlist. Will be adding this one too.
Shangri-La - I don't recognize this one, but I absolutely love it. Probably my favorite on here. Another one added to the playlist!

Post Listen:
I stopped putting notable tracks on because I loved basically every song on here. Easy 5!

Some have described the Kinks as Beatles-adjacent, and I get that. They have such a great variety of instruments, sounds, lyrics, etc. Every instrument is well played, every lyric sung in-tune and well done. So great overall, I hummed along to nearly every track.

I needed this. 5/5

It's mind-blowing to me how underrated these guys are

💐💐💐💐💐💐

This is my jam!

Always had a soft spot for the Kinks, but never listened to this as an album before.

It’s a work of genius. Will revisit.

4.5

Ein Konzeptalbum, das mehr Idee als Wirkung hat. Die Kinks erzählen groß, doch viele Songs plätschern eher brav dahin und verlieren sich im Thema statt in starken Melodien. Respekt für den Anspruch, aber emotional bleibt es erstaunlich flach.

I love "Victoria", but maybe that's because I love the Fall version so much. Great kickoff to an album that, although it has its moments of Kinks tweeness, is generally better than the other Kinks albums I had on the list.