The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society Poll

"God's Children" is an incredible song, was a long time before I heard it

Wikip has Percy coming after "Lola" i.e. it's the last Pye album

― Mark G, Friday, November 10, 2017 10:32 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

D'oh, you are correct! I probably misread your post as "Kontroversy through Muswell Hillbillies," which is often pointed to as The Flawless Run.

That wasn't me.

the Kink Kronikles compilation that covers this period is insanely good as well

and the great lost kinks album, which came out a year later and is every bit as good, compiling b-sides, unreleased miscellany, etc., from the same insanely good era.

I'd say The Kinks and Small Faces are my two favourite '60s bands from the UK. Just so much great music, a lot of which has still not been overplayed to death.

(I'd put The Zombies in third place for Odessey and Oracle alone)

Highly recommend y'all grab this 1969 performance: http://bbchron.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/kinks-1969-11-27-san-francisco-fillmore.html

Big Box Set Coming: https://www.musicglue.com/the-kinks/browse/the-kinks-usa/products/the-kinks-are-the-village-green-preservation-society-super-deluxe-box-set

one of my favorite albums ever but man, I've already got the 3 disc version and the 180g vinyl, what else do you need

From what I've read, there's maybe 1-2 unreleased songs. Here's one of them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOBjwkaW-T0

It sounds like this was recorded in 1973, as was (supposedly) the other unreleased song. I think they re-recorded some of the VGPS stuff then, to be used as part of a Preservation production. Most of the "unreleased" material on this set is in the form of backing tracks, alternate mixes, and radio/tv appearances.

This also has some Ray solo 2010 live recordings, for some reason. So basically, this is pretty barrel-scrapey, but comes with all sorts of vinyl doodads and posters and things.

this thread reminded me to listen to this beautiful album again, good job guys

― bodak horseman (voodoo chili), Thursday, November 9, 2017 11:08 AM (one year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Oh hey I’m listening again. When I’m thinking about this album, and not listening, I often focus on the lyrics and forget about how hard it rocks.

It fucking rocks.

Thunder and liiightning!!

I always think that Wicked Annabella gets very Beatlesque at the end, in an I Am The Walrus/Yer Blues kinda way, until I remember that the Kinks were contemporaries of the Beatles, and that Village Green probably predates some of the Beatles stuff it reminds me of...

It probably doesn't, though. That was why it wasn't the big hit at the time, being 6 months too late

Title: ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION
Artist: KINKS
Label: BMG
Cat no: BMGAA09CD
First charted: 08.11.2018
Peak Position: 47

Yo how's the Swedish version?

pretty cool that every song got at least one vote

"Time Song" slays

This album is 9 for me.
-1 for the production.
Davies had no experience in the area and it shows imo.

Ha. I like the production a lot. I’m just not really into the songs.

Imagine this album with the sharper, cleaner sound of Arthur. Perfect.

The production on "Arthur" is far from perfect.

Kinks records in general not known for their immaculate production tho tbh.

To say the least.

Far from peefecy indeed but so much better compared to Village
Xxpost

*perfect*

actually think Muswell Hillbillies is the worst produced Kinks LP

VGPS doesn't sound good but I think that fits the pastoral/return to simpler times theme of the album

actually think Muswell Hillbillies is the worst produced Kinks LP

totally agree

Is hard to pick a worst one!

imo there's a difference between albums that sound grungey and lo-fi and those where you suspect the engineer or producer actually fucked something up and Muswell crosses that line. I actually looked up my copy on Discogs and there are a bunch of comments about whether or not Dynaflex pressings just suck along with responses that say "no it actually just sounds like that"

I think it was the first one they recorded at Konk Studios?

... strike that, "Preservation Act" was the first Konk album.

xps I dunno, VGPS sounds fine to me in the sense that it's not unlike most British rock LP's I listen to from the '60s (a tube recording, usually mixed to mono with tons of compression). There is the stereo mix, but the band was focused more on the mono mix and that's what I listen to. I haven't heard the stereo mix in ages because I had an immediate preference for the mono mix.

Arthur is the first album where they really focused on the stereo mix, and it shows - it's an excellent stereo mix. (There is a mono mix, but IIRC it's just a fold down for promos.)

I think the mix on Village Green Preservation Society might suffer from the era of switching from mono to stereo. The mono version of the record sounds fine, except for the songs recorded late in the process like "Big Sky", which have a cramped feel from trying to cram in too many separate sounds. Meanwhile, the stereo mix has a lot of eccentric decisions about panning that would get smoothed out only a year later, as "the rules" of stereo sound were codified.
Apparently "Johnny Thunder" is the only multi-track tape still left from the sessions; there seem to be at least two later remixes, as this one does not sound like the one I have on the deluxe reissue, but see how you feel about the sound on this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw-ARA3LdjM

actually think Muswell Hillbillies is the worst produced Kinks LP

Ray insisted they record with vintage microphones for that dusty feeling.

xps I dunno, VGPS sounds fine to me in the sense that it's not unlike most British rock LP's I listen to from the '60s (a tube recording, usually mixed to mono with tons of compression).

Yeah, and it reminds me of S.F. Sorrow just in terms of sonics; it’s definitely of its time. It sounds like there were a few bounce-downs from one 4-track to another, resulting in a lack of top end most noticeably on the drums. I know the Beatles used that technique too without it sounding like VGPS, but they were exponentially more concerned with, and involved in, the production of their records than anyone in the Kinks, Ray included.

Production always seemed to be an afterthought with Ray, and I can’t think of another band of their era that would’ve benefited more from an outside producer. The only Kinks record where the production stands out (in a good way) is Give The People What They Want, which was apparently the blueprint for Albini’s approach to miking drums.

Reminds me that I am thinking of ponying up and Patreoning Andrew Hickey for the SF Sorrow bonus episode.

The Beatles were allowed as much time and money as they wanted to record their music, that certainly was not the case for the Kinks.

That’s a good point, but other bands of roughly the Kinks’ stature at the time — say, the Zombies, or Manfred Mann — made much clearer-sounding records than VGPS.

I blame Shel Talmy

(I love this record and have never noticed anything weird sounding abt it)

(original US stereo LP version with the killer "Wicked Annabella")

can't really compare anyone to the Beatles, particularly when it comes to records made before 1968 or so, they kinda all sound shitty but that may or may not be part of the charm

yeah all those early Beatles albums should all be remixed by Steve Wilson

honestly I wouldn't mind seeing him give it a go

I blame Shel Talmy

haha probably something about the mic placement

I can’t think of another band of their era that would’ve benefited more from an outside producer.

so otm, as are the preceding posts re: production. this has always bothered me, even though i've learned to love the records dearly in my own way. it's a shame, such a shame

I got the ridiculously big "Muswell/Showbiz" box for ridiculously cheap from the official kinks website.

I don't hear any production issues, although there must have been some as "Rays Remixes" are all over it.

VGPS is definitely a murky sounding album. They did all their early albums at Pye (Downtown, In the Summertime). When they switched studios for Lola Vs Powerman.... holy shit, what a quantum leap in sound quality.

Totally agree that VGPS shares sonics with SF Sorrow (done at Abbey Road, though...)

(done at Abbey Road, though...)

And produced by Norman Smith! Leaving aside his Beatles track record, Sorrow doesn’t even have the clarity of Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.