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

I love the Kinks!

This was ok, but I'm just so bored of old records

Loved the energy on this one. At some point I was thinking it can be a 5, but a few days later it didn't stick as much. I need to listen again though.

Knotty and witty social commentary and musical gem. More messy than the Beatles, less bougie and pretentious than the Stones (amazing middle ground). Blueprint for so many Bands I love (GBV for example). Sprawling psychedelic pop marvels that don’t shy away from gritty textures. Nods to the bygone Victorian age - not only by virtue of the lyrics (perks and fall of the Empire and post-war England) but also when it comes to the feathery instrumentation (cembalo). Fades in urgency towards the end of the record; maybe it would have benefitted from a different sequencing (such as a somewhat more uptempo song to close the collection). Incredible and versatile record.

Nothing entirely memorable along the lines of a "Waterloo Sunset" or "Lola", but the whole album flowed together nicely, great compositions, great harmonies, and Ray Davies is just a great songwriter

Drivin' is horrendous every time it hits the chorus. I wanted that to end as quickly as possible. Music just doesn't click with me, found getting through this album a slog. 2/5.

4.5/5.0: Excellent

'If he dies we'll send a medal to his wife.' Ray Davies effectually carries on the efforts of World War 1 poets like Wilfred Owen and Isaac Rosenberg, while also telling a story of Australian emigration and composing catchy, blues-heavy songs (check out Dave Davies's guitar work on 'Australia'). I have always found it ironic that the British band that in my opinion most aptly aped American music, w/ classics like 'You Really Got Me,' which did more than copy and paste African American artists, but actually presaged punk, came to export more Britishness than any other B Invasion clique. Conceptual after Sgt. Pepper but before The Wall, Arthur succeeds chiefly b/c, tho it's worlds from mine, you get the sense they really lived this thing.

Some great songs on here but not that consistent.

Very Kinky

Ok puns done. Listened 3 times now over the course of 3 days. I do like it, and I think Ray Davies is a great songwriter, but some of the tracks do seem a bit simplistic and banal. And some are overly long (Australia). [ironically my first listen was straight after spending 3 hours looking for and booking a flight to Oz... spooky],

I don't think it's their best work. Still worth a 3 though

Finishing off the 60s section of the book, it's The Kinks!

Consistent af, also the clearest example of their influence on 90's rock/Britpop. Having similar whimsical stylings to Village Green and Face to Face makes the kitchen sink realism of "Princess Marina" especially stark.
The title track being a country hoedown was unexpected, but a fine ending to an album.

I wouldn't say I love it as much as Village Green, but I also haven't had a decade to think about it either

HL: "Victoria", "Drivin'", "Shangri-La", "Young and Innocent Days"

Oh goody - more late 60s white UK bluesy rock beloved by real ale drinkers with beards.

Concept albums and rock operas are great when appreciated as a whole, but I think they are at their best when they can also be appreciated song by song. This is one of those. This is what Tommy wishes it could be. Just a really great album. The drumming on She Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina is really good. I should get further into their music. Favorites were Victoria, Australia, Shangri-La, Mr. Churchill Says, and Nothing To Say.

2.5

2nd best album....

It's VERY British.

"Australia" is such a banger. Loved the way all these tracks transform into something else halfway through.

Good lyrics, good variety... Overall, I enjoyed this album, but it's not my cup of tea.

Quite a decent outfit

I'm going to have a proper Kinks phase one of these days I tells you.