prolly Animal Farm, but i have a soft spot for Monica. and Walter's pretty great too. so's the rest of it. If we lived in a Castle and counted 'Days' then that would trounce everyting
― Stormy Davis, Wednesday, 3 October 2007 04:48 (sixteen years ago) link
no idea how anyone could profess to love the kinks yet not this album (and arthur!!)
― J.D., Wednesday, 3 October 2007 05:01 (sixteen years ago) link
Quite difficult choice.
― roxymuzak, Wednesday, 3 October 2007 05:37 (sixteen years ago) link
had excellent LSD experience listening to it in a farmhouse in Kentucky some years ago. my vote was for "Johnny Thunder."
There should be a thread on what's the best music you've ever heard on LSD; my bet is that it wouldn't be the classic psychedelic albums that most people might expect - but more idiosyncratic albums like this.
That said, acid's blown your mind dude - Johnny Thunder is pants.
― Bob Six, Wednesday, 3 October 2007 07:27 (sixteen years ago) link
This album blows my mind.
― aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Wednesday, 3 October 2007 08:24 (sixteen years ago) link
...no narcotics needed, I should add.
― aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Wednesday, 3 October 2007 08:33 (sixteen years ago) link
Where's all the love for Starstruck?
It is out there. My second choice, matter of fact.
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 3 October 2007 12:17 (sixteen years ago) link
Wicked Annabella, 'cause it's scary!
― dlp9001, Wednesday, 3 October 2007 13:11 (sixteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― ILX System, Thursday, 4 October 2007 23:01 (sixteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― ILX System, Friday, 5 October 2007 23:01 (sixteen years ago) link
what
― ciderpress, Saturday, 6 October 2007 03:00 (sixteen years ago) link
As always, the lurkers vote for the hit.
― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 6 October 2007 17:33 (sixteen years ago) link
that's because the hit is the fuckin bomb
― roxymuzak, Sunday, 7 October 2007 12:52 (sixteen years ago) link
Well, it's OK. There are better tracks though.
― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 7 October 2007 12:56 (sixteen years ago) link
3 people voted for "Phenomenal Cat."
― da croupier, Sunday, 7 October 2007 13:16 (sixteen years ago) link
Yay!
― dlp9001, Sunday, 7 October 2007 14:41 (sixteen years ago) link
― da croupier, Sunday, October 7, 2007 9:16 AM (2 years ago) Bookmark
i heart ILM sometimes
(not that i would've voted for "phenomenal cat")
― I have nine Carmine Lupertazzis under my subspecies (Eisbaer), Saturday, 23 January 2010 07:08 (fourteen years ago) link
Write-in for single-around-the-time-of-the-album: "Days" blows this whole record out of the water. And that takes some doing.
― Did you say you were going to mangle the light? (staggerlee), Saturday, 23 January 2010 16:32 (fourteen years ago) link
"People Take Pictures of Each Other" – 2:10 1
I'm surprised, and surprised that no-one else was.
― Mark G, Monday, 15 February 2010 14:41 (fourteen years ago) link
That's probly my fav. It pops into my head all of the time. I hate people who think that just b/c they have a digital camera they've suddenly been appointed documenter(documentarian?) of every goddamn social event.
Also, did anyone else notice this?:
This is really difficult, but I ended up voting for "Village Green".― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, October 2, 2007 4:49 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark
― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, October 2, 2007 4:49 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark
As always, the lurkers vote for the hit.― Geir Hongro, Saturday, October 6, 2007 12:33 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalinkthat's because the hit is the fuckin bomb― roxymuzak, Sunday, October 7, 2007 7:52 AM (2 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban PermalinkWell, it's OK. There are better tracks though.― Geir Hongro, Sunday, October 7, 2007 7:56 AM (2 years ago) Bookmark
― Geir Hongro, Saturday, October 6, 2007 12:33 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
― roxymuzak, Sunday, October 7, 2007 7:52 AM (2 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
― Geir Hongro, Sunday, October 7, 2007 7:56 AM (2 years ago) Bookmark
― Fetchboy, Monday, 15 February 2010 14:55 (fourteen years ago) link
"Village Green" came seventh.
― Mark G, Monday, 15 February 2010 14:58 (fourteen years ago) link
Ha! Song name mixup! My bad!
― Fetchboy, Monday, 15 February 2010 15:02 (fourteen years ago) link
Title track is easily my least favourite.
― PaulTMA, Monday, 15 February 2010 15:45 (fourteen years ago) link
I like these:"Last of the Steam-Powered Trains" – 4:03 1"Monica" – 2:13 1"People Take Pictures of Each Other" – 2:10 1
more than these: The Village Green Preservation Society" – 2:45 11"Big Sky" – 2:49 8"Animal Farm" – 2:57 7
― iatee, Monday, 15 February 2010 17:22 (fourteen years ago) link
Disgraceful. I've always liked the Fiddler On the Roof vibe of this song.
― Tom D (Tom D.), Tuesday, 16 February 2010 14:53 (fourteen years ago) link
I never reckoned much on this album back in the day, as it was supposed to be all about British Village Life as such.
Yet, line two is "God bless Donald Duck" which is USA, so I got the impression the whole album was sarcasm. Which put me off.
Eventually, I got a nice copy of the mono album (the opening track has an edge warp, which just about plays OK if the turntable is in a good mood), and enjoyed it more.
Then, "People take pictures" was on some ad, and it prompted me to dig it out again. (That track wouls have been a hit single, reckons I)
Then I managed to get the 10CD Kinks boxset for £25 or suchlike (see pollthread)
― Mark G, Tuesday, 16 February 2010 15:23 (fourteen years ago) link
I think Ray Davies what knew about 'British Village Life' would probably have fitted on the back of a postage stamp. Unless Muswell Hill counts as a village.
― Tom D (Tom D.), Tuesday, 16 February 2010 15:27 (fourteen years ago) link
Would have voted for either 'Big Sky' or 'Animal Farm', with 'Monica' and 'People Take Pictures of Each Other' being the two I like but don't love as much as the rest of the album. Superb record though, easily one of the finest albums to come out of the UK in 1968.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Tuesday, 7 November 2017 20:21 (six years ago) link
title trackwalterstarstrucksitting by the riversidesteam powered train
one of these^
― brimstead, Wednesday, 8 November 2017 23:16 (six years ago) link
or village green
― brimstead, Wednesday, 8 November 2017 23:18 (six years ago) link
I love the instrumental break on 'Last of the Steam Powered Trains', and I was surprised to learn that 'Village Green' was recorded a couple of years before the album but yet they didn't do anything with it until '68.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Wednesday, 8 November 2017 23:27 (six years ago) link
I love this album. Definitely one of the best 60s pop albums (up there with Pet Sounds, Revolver...).The flow of fantastic melodies is unstoppable and the sound is warmer and fuller than on their previous output.I'm surprised by the winner of the poll, though.It's a good and fun song but nowhere near many of the other tracks.I would have said "Animal Farm" or "Village Green".
― AlXTC from Paris, Thursday, 9 November 2017 10:43 (six years ago) link
"Walter", definitely.
― Terry Micawber (Tom D.), Thursday, 9 November 2017 10:50 (six years ago) link
Also, "King Kong" from that time is such a prelude to T-Rex !
― AlXTC from Paris, Thursday, 9 November 2017 11:14 (six years ago) link
I'm surprised by the winner of the poll, though.It's a good and fun song but nowhere near many of the other tracks.
I agree - I love the track but see it more as an extended intro to the LP.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Thursday, 9 November 2017 14:43 (six years ago) link
honestly think this is one of the best albums ever made. hard to pick a favorite but "Animal Farm" bounced around in my head for a very very long time.
― frogbs, Thursday, 9 November 2017 14:50 (six years ago) link
this thread reminded me to listen to this beautiful album again, good job guys
― bodak horseman (voodoo chili), Thursday, 9 November 2017 16:08 (six years ago) link
They were on fire from 1966-1971 ... they had an excellent singles discography from 'You Still Want Me' onwards, of course (their cover of 'Long Tall Sally' is a bit meh) but I love pretty much almost everything they put out 1966-1971.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 10 November 2017 07:21 (six years ago) link
The six albums from Kink Kontroversy to Lola are a fantastic run. Who has done better than that besides Frank Sinatra in the 1950s?
― Josefa, Friday, 10 November 2017 07:41 (six years ago) link
impossible to choose, really, but i'd have gone with "walter" which always makes me melancholy. prob my favorite album of the decade.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Friday, 10 November 2017 08:31 (six years ago) link
Yeah they were incredible during that period. I must say I don't know much about their post Lola albums.As for the Village Green album, I thought there might be something lacking for all its perfect pop : there's not really an emotional song, like "Waterloo Sunset" or "Don't Talk" or "God Only Knows" for Pet Sounds or "For No One" for Revolver, for instance.It's mostly all pure upbeat pop. "Village Green" might be close to that kind of emotional song but it's not exactly that. There's more distance (in the songwriting and the arrangements).
― AlXTC from Paris, Friday, 10 November 2017 09:03 (six years ago) link
AIXTC - some versions of this album include 'Days', which should be that emotional song you're looking for.
I have this album in mono and stereo edition, all on one disc, which has the original tracks as well as additions like Days. Lots of greatness.
I could go with the winner of the poll, but Last of the Steam-Powered Trains is another of my favourites here.(But if Days would be eligible, it'd be Days!)
― Valentijn, Friday, 10 November 2017 11:02 (six years ago) link
The fact that 'Days' (one of my favourite songs of all time) isn't on the album yet the album is still incredible says a lot about how strong the songwriting is.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 10 November 2017 15:04 (six years ago) link
the Kink Kronikles compilation that covers this period is insanely good as well, and includes a lot of the awesome singles that weren't on the albums
― frogbs, Friday, 10 November 2017 15:08 (six years ago) link
― Josefa, Friday, November 10, 2017 2:41 AM (seven hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
The Percy soundtrack, though...
I mean, it's not awful, but it's hardly on the level of the records that came before and after.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 10 November 2017 15:22 (six years ago) link
Wikip has Percy coming after "Lola" i.e. it's the last Pye album
― Mark G, Friday, 10 November 2017 15:32 (six years ago) link
Percy did have one great song on it though. I think it's called "God's Children". Given that it's a soundtrack and they did do the excellent Muswell Hillbillies the next year I guess I can forgive them for it.
― frogbs, Friday, 10 November 2017 15:35 (six years ago) link
wait, not the next year. the same year. though MH was clearly a different sound that doesn't really jive with the Pye era. it's probably the only great album they did outside it.
― frogbs, Friday, 10 November 2017 15:36 (six years ago) link
"The Way Loved Used to Be", "Moments" and "Dreams" are all excellent too, re: Percy soundtrack
― Terry Micawber (Tom D.), Friday, 10 November 2017 16:13 (six years ago) link
Those three and "God's Children" are better than most of "Muswell Hillbillies".
(I love this record and have never noticed anything weird sounding abt it)
― out-of-print LaserDisc edition (sleeve), Thursday, 17 August 2023 22:27 (nine months ago) link
(original US stereo LP version with the killer "Wicked Annabella")
― out-of-print LaserDisc edition (sleeve), Thursday, 17 August 2023 22:28 (nine months ago) link
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
― frogbs, Thursday, 17 August 2023 22:33 (nine months ago) link
yeah all those early Beatles albums should all be remixed by Steve Wilson
― brimstead, Thursday, 17 August 2023 22:35 (nine months ago) link
honestly I wouldn't mind seeing him give it a go
― frogbs, Thursday, 17 August 2023 22:36 (nine months ago) link
I blame Shel Talmy
― Blecch on Blecch (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 17 August 2023 22:43 (nine months ago) link
haha probably something about the mic placement
― out-of-print LaserDisc edition (sleeve), Thursday, 17 August 2023 22:44 (nine months ago) link
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
― budo jeru, Thursday, 17 August 2023 23:11 (nine months ago) link
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.
― Mark G, Friday, 18 August 2023 05:55 (nine months ago) link
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...)
― Reeves Gabrels' Funko Pop (majorairbro), Friday, 18 August 2023 08:44 (nine months ago) link
(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.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 18 August 2023 12:04 (nine months ago) link
Oh Ray, what would you say?
― Blecch on Blecch (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 18 August 2023 12:50 (nine months ago) link