The Kinks - Village Green Preservation Society

[buffcoat]

Too long, music nerds!

[Christina]

"Steam Powered Trains" and "Big Sky" for me. I agree totally w/what a few of you said about their awesome run of albums - but that Arthur is sorta a bad sign of the things to come. It's the same thing that sinks Sgt Pepper on songs like Mr Kite ... the British fascination with old timey dance hall shit. (Did the Stones fall prey to this? Can't remember now. I know Mick Jagger liked to pretend he was Southern.) What's weird is I think one of the first things I clued into on the Kinks was their 80s comeback Come Dancing stuff, and then I put that together with what I heard on the radio like Lola, All Day, & You Really Got Me.

Also, I don't think alternate personae really works ever in the crazy rock and roll music. 

[DennisFromHalifax]

I agree with the dance hall comment...I wonder if Ray Davies and John Lennon or whoever even listened to old timey dance hall tunes....i dont get it myself, i like it in small doses, but thats about it. Im really getting into Muswell Hillbillies now that a few of you have mentioned it here, alot of a great tunes but once again, a few old timey tunes i can do without. That being said, thats part of The Kinks sound i suppose and what makes them unique.

[cavorting with nudists]

Yes!  Glad somebody finally said it: British music hall was one strain that never should have been hoovered up by rock eclecticism. I have a hard time forgiving Paul McCartney for this. While the Kinks did it pretty well because Ray and Dave were geniuses, my idea of the Kinks really is still "You Really Got Me" and "Til the End of the Day." I can think of only one time the Stones succumbed to it: "Something Happened to Me Yesterday," which I kinda like anyway.

[Lawrence Orbach]

I've been playing Muswell Hillbillies a bit lately. I appreciate it, but can't get behind it like VGPS. To me it sounds like an entitrely different band. It's def. a super-boozy record, you can smell the whiskey on those songs. VGPS smells like Earl Grey tea!

Oh, and Dolenz WISHES he could do the opening fill on the title track.

[NJL]

Did the Stones fall prey to this? Can't remember now.

On with the show - THE ROLLING STONES - Their satanic majesties request

Does this count?

[cavorting with nudists]

I thought of that, but it's like they wrote it with a British music hall in mind and then Brian Jones said "hey, let's make this sound like it's in a Moroccan souk" or something.

[daveB from Oakland]

"Between the Buttons" is great and "Satanic Majesties" definitely has some cool moments ("Citadel" and "2000 Light Years from Home" get a little bit proto-metal).

Keef is kinda dismissive of this era in his autobio, but what does he know?

But anyway, I guess y'all were talking about the Kinks, so carry on ...

Oh wait, you know what though? It'd be kinda cool if the Stones decided to re-invent themselves as a corny-ass Music Hall band at this late stage in the game. Just write a bunch of new songs in the  Vaudeville/Music Hall mode and refuse to play any of the hits.
(It'd be a nice contrast to Mick's pathetic compulsion to tell interviewers that he's been getting into dubstep, or whatever).

But anyway, I guess y'all were talking about the Kinks ...

[DennisFromHalifax]

Seriously though, what do the Stones have to lose by doing that?? The worst thing that could happen would be another bad review haha They could do pretty much anything at this point and no one would care. We'd laugh but wouldnt care. That new "supergroup" that Jagger is doing now is the worst thing hes ever done i think.

But back to the Kinks...The Great Lost Kinks Album is amazing btw...shouldve been a proper album if you ask me..not a bad tune on it.