Ray Davies
released the "song" songs from
Preservation
-- the character sketches, the wry observations, the lovely ballads -- on the first record (or "Act") of the musical drama, leaving the narrative for
Preservation, Act 2
, a double album released six months after its companion. Simply put, the record is a mess, an impenetrable jumble of story, theater, instrumentals, "announcements," unfinished ideas, guest singers, and, on occasion, a song or two. There may have been a workable theatrical production hidden somewhere in
, but it was utterly lost on record (reportedly it was better live), due in no small part to how it was unevenly divided, a practice that revealed
Davies
' lack of realized songs for the project, plus his unfinished story. It was later revealed that
Ray
was at the end of his rope during the making of
-- he would have a breakdown during its supporting tour -- so, perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that the album doesn't work on its own. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that he was in such a fog, that he didn't realize that
"Slum Kids,"
a staple in the
shows and a concert favorite throughout the '70s, was the best rocker he penned for the project and left it off both records. Thankfully, it was added as a bonus track to
VelVel
's 1999 reissue of the album, improving the quality of the album considerably. The single version of
"Mirror of Love"
was added as a second bonus track to this edition, as well. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine