Ray Davies
' sentimental, nostalgic streak emerged on
Something Else
, but it developed into a manifesto on
The Village Green Preservation Society
, a concept album lamenting the passing of old-fashioned English traditions. As the opening title song says,
the Kinks
-- meaning
Ray
himself, in this case -- were for preserving "draught beer and virginity," and throughout the rest of the album, he creates a series of stories, sketches, and characters about a picturesque England that never really was. It's a lovely, gentle album, evoking a small British country town, and drawing the listener into its lazy rhythms and sensibilities. Although there is an undercurrent of regret running throughout the album,
Davies
' fondness for the past is warm, making the album feel like a sweet, hazy dream. And considering the subdued performances and the detailed instrumentations, it's not surprising that the record feels more like a
solo project than a
Kinks
album. The bluesy shuffle of
"Last of the Steam-Powered Trains"
is the closest the album comes to
rock & roll
, and
Dave Davies
' cameo on the menacing
"Wicked Annabella"
comes as surprise, since the album is so calm. But calm doesn't mean tame or bland -- there are endless layers of musical and lyrical innovation on
, and its defiantly British sensibilities became the foundation of generations of British
guitar pop
. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine