First listen to The Kinks - The Village Green Preservation Society (REACTION)

[@santiagoalvareztabares3598]

they manage to be sincere and "tongue in cheek" at the same time, they are expressing a true feeling of nostalgia with bits of self-deprecating humour, as if knowing in advance how many people in the musical scene of the day will react to this song

[@h00liganismo1]

Simply one of the most stunning albums melodically ever written

[@Yaktahbay]

Is he serious or not? Welcome to the oeuvre of Raymond Douglas Davies. This album, steeped in nostalgia and wistfulness, has probably the lowest snark-to-sincerity ratio of any in the Kinks' catalog. Still, it occasionally uses humor so poignantly your jaw will drop; a prime example is "People Take Pictures Of Each Other". There's a reason fans cherish VGPS, and I hope you will too someday.

[@gabrieleflannery6504]

Yea !! Love the lesser known Kinks songs. This wasn't meant to be sarcastic, Ray Davies was a quirky guy, he really didn't like technology. I thought it odd when he married Chrissy Hynde which naturally didn't last long. A truly sarcastic song of theirs would be Mr. Pleasant or Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon. I don't believe he actually even drove a car. You should try Waterloo Sunset if you like pretty, gorgeous vocals. 🎶

[@russallert]

The whole album has to be listened to in order to get the whole picture. Ray Davies once referred to this song as the national anthem of the Village Green. The rest of the album consists of songs about the various characters who inhabit the Village Green (Walter, Johnny Thunder, Phenomenal Cat, Monica, Wicked Annabella, etc.) or about various aspects of the place (Village Green, Animal Farm, Sitting By The Riverside). Commercially, the album went over like a lead balloon in the UK, but it became a central part of the fanatical cult following the band had in the US. Some hippies even saw it as a kind of English counterpart to the Get Back To The Land phenomenon of the late 60s/early 70s. Many musicians were blown away by the album, and it inspired The Turtles to hire Ray Davies to produce their album Turtle Soup.

[@daveking9393]

Thanks for sharing that info.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

I love the Kinks. This is such a wonderful album. They always had a wry sense of humor. It’s sometimes hard to tell the satire from the sentimental in their songs, because they can be so intertwined. Great reaction. Their song “Waterloo Sunset” is a great song by any measure.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@troyshilanski380 you were a lucky kid.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@troyshilanski380 it’s a miracle we survived.

[@lauri4887]

I'd say this song is more sincere than tongue-in-cheek. There's another song on the album just titled "Village Green" that I think would clear that up. Ray is a nostalgic person and has a real love for the olden days. This whole album is brilliant and definitely one of their best.

[@dagmar.6954]

I grew up with all the music from the British Invasion & The Mersybeat. The Kinks were huge & had a lot of hits. I especially love their music from the 60's & 70's. "You Really Got Me", "Set Me Free", "Tired of Waiting for You", "A Well Respected Man", "Dedicated Follower of Fashion", "Sunny Afternoon", "Dead End Street", "Waterloo Sunset", "Autumn Almanac" & "Lola".

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Autumn almanac is a favorite of mine.

[@foxandscout]

Yes!

[@grahamboffey457]

This bloke never wrote a bad tune. Wrote some bangers. The lyrical coupling on this song is sublime and very British.

[@NerdologyUK]

Great choice! Waterloo Sunset and Victoria are firm favourites.

[@DavidB-2268]

FYI, draught beer is pronounced "draft beer"

[@guitgas]

Listening to the Kinks is educational. God save the Kinks.

[@philt1771]

The Kinks were great! Denied touring the US market for almost 4 years they perservered and embraced their Englishness, writing songs about cups of tea, Queen Victoria and village greens. Despite ups and downs they continued as a band until 1996 proving you can't keep a great group down.

[@neonpark1874]

If you want to hear yet another type of sound from the Kinks, try something from their excellent (but underappreciated) Muswell Hillbillies album released in 1971. Perhaps start with one of: 20th Century Man, Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues, Skin and Bone, or Complicated Life.

[@Yaktahbay]

My favorite Kinks album for many years. It still might be if I chose to think about it.

[@LoganAlbright73]

It really doesn't get enough love. It's my favorite Kinks album and one of my favorite albums of all time.

[@TTM9691]

This album came out the same day as The White Album! Imagine that. You go to the record store, pick up the new Beatles double album.....with a side of Kinks! "Beggars Banquet" came out a couple of weeks later. The first Zeppelin album came out a month after that. Not a bad time for music!!!! ("Electric Ladyland" had also just come out a couple of months before, let me not leave out that masterpiece! And lots and lots of other great albums/singles)

[@frugalseverin2282]

The Kinks were the most British band of the Invasion back in the '60s. They're unfairly ignored mostly by today's listeners and reactors who only play 'You Really Got Me' and maybe 'Lola'. If they'd had a producer like George Martin they'd be just as famous as the Beatles now. "Soap Opera" is a favorite of mine, even fans ignore it but it has some great melodies. Ray Davies is a genius.

[@kevindehulsters]

Great reaction. Would highly recommend listening to their album 'Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire', a satirical album about English history and the world wars and imo perhaps their best work

[@sidecardog5244]

I had a couple of their albums when I was a kid. They were like a more snarky Beatles. Songs that are my favorites are Tired of Waiting for You and A Dedicated Follower of Fashion.

[@rhwinner]

Unlike other British invasion bands, the Kinks did not disguise their englishness on record...

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

The beatles didn't either. Maybe at first with their most generic stuff but the later more acclaimed stuff is incredibly british.

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

The who didn't disguise it much either.

[@dellafenton2417]

Or The Small Faces

[@stevenwetherbee7573]

I can understand why you might suspect the Kinks of being sarcastic but the song comes across as pretty sincere given the overall bucolic vibe of the entire album. There are some other great songs on this album that you should check out (Picture Book, Animal Farm, Wicked Annabella)

[@starrynight1657]

The whole album is great.

[@gabrieleflannery6504]

Suprised that no one suggested Celluloid Heros, pretty well known in its time but apparently forgotten. Some beautiful guitar work on that one, I would suggest a listen even if it's not for a video.

[@Yaktahbay]

Absolutely; a magnificent song. I've noticed, however, that many of the videos for CH on You Tube - including the otherwise awesome "One For The Road" live performance - are missing the "George Saunders" verse. To hear the full song, Daniel should find a studio version upload that's 6 minutes plus in length.

[@karencrookshank4971]

I love this song! It’s just so English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧It was used as the signature tune for the wonderful, and vastly underrated, Jam and Jerusalem, a programme written by Jennifer Saunders, about the Womens Institute!

[@sallac8243]

I had one of those drought beers the other day, there was sod all in the glass.

[@brianfisher6165]

Fantastic album!!!🎶👌🎼👍🎵✌️😁

[@elunedlaine8661]

The Davies brothers (Ray and Dave) lived in Muswell Hill, as did I. We went to the same schools, junior and secondary, although they were a few years older. Funnily enough, Muswell Hill although could be considered a London village, didn't have a village green, as such. Bit of trivia - this song was used as the theme tune to a series called 'Jam and Jerusalem'

[@FleagleSangria]

The Kinks are my favorite british invasion group. And VGPS is definitely my favorite Kinks album. I never have quite put my finger on why a very very British themed album would appeal so much to me as a yankee. It has this dreamy fun feel to it. And I am a history buff so maybe its that. It has a circus feel to it also. Toast and strawberry jam is my favorite late night dessert, so maybe its that, ha. Most consider Sgt Peppers the definitive british society album. But for me, its VGPS. "Waterloo Sunset" is one of the most beautiful songs youll ever hear. I second the request to react and explore Waterloo Sunset.

[@garlooroztox]

Waterloo Sunset

[@murdockreviews]

Awesome band, fantastic album!! The follow-up to this, 'Arthur', is my fave Kinks album of all time. The band had to go through several years of being banned from touring in the USA and concentrated on more 'pastoral' or whimsical, English songwriting which led to a change in style and a bunch of critically acclaimed (yet originally not so successful) albums. Would love you to also check out sth by The Move and The Pretty Things....oh yes, and The Jam.

[@emdiar6588]

Draught = Draft in American English. It means tapped beer

[@troyshilanski380]

Appreciate breaking it down.

[@mark-be9mq]

Waterloo Sunset, Better Things, also great. But so is Ape Man, A dedicated Follower of Fashion Low Budget, Catch me now I'm falling, Destroyer.

[@davidrauh8118]

If you haven't reacted to their song Waterloo Sunset, then it should be on your list.

[@commentingonly7337]

I gotta say I agree with Kinks > Beatles. From the albums Face to Face to Muswell Hillbillies they released nothing but gold

[@Rob-eo5ql]

Check out The Road by the Kinks. It’s autobiographical.

[@starrynight1657]

When I saw the title I thought it was the full album. It's best looked at as a whole, it's like a concept album.

[@matthewrobinson7379]

The Kinks are sarcastic, ironic, somewhat bitter, and yet there is true love for the subjects they are ridiculing. Whatever they are, it's always whimsical and without hatred. I recommend "Celluloid Heroes", " Lola", "Top of the Pops", and especially "Ape Man". Also, "Sunny Afternoon". Dozens more.

[@timcardona9962]

This song is really meant as an introduction to the rest of the album and it should be heard in that context. It's not as strong as a stand alone track but hopefully it'll inspire you to dig deeper since its such a brilliant record

[@joseybryant7577]

Fantastic album! Honestly their peak.

[@timothyharwood1941]

Thank you for you're videos.

[@DiconDissectionalReactions]

My pleasure!

[@ronbock8291]

God save the Kinks!

[@Bill_Jones.]

Daniel, I’m sure you’d heard of the the suicide of Chester Bennington of Linkin Park , but this is a reason for his to departure from the earth. He was molested as a child and it stayed with him all his life. This is basically a reason for his departure. It’s a great rocker, but you definitely need to read the lyrics to get what he’s trying to express. It’s definitely woRth a listen, just to understand what was going inside his head.

[@georgewodicka4839]

This☝☝☝ Still such a tragedy.

[@IllumeEltanin]

Oh, wow. I don't know anyone else who listens to this.

[@gabrieleflannery6504]

You do now 🎶

[@jamesgabbert9375]

Gotta do "Well Respected Man" now.

[@troyshilanski380]

Its a classic kinks from my childhood

[@cherylreichardt]

Interesting. God save Donald Duck. Other than that it was a groovy sound from them.

[@jeffretipton6887]

cool song try rock and roll fantacy by them Aloha

[@Yaktahbay]

Such a great song, and so much better than the hit of the same name released by Foreigner a few months afterward.

[@TPBS1]

@5:15 release '68, recorded '76-'78 huh

[@blackwatch1062]

Daniel , What happend to Rag N Bone Man , Huh ? .......... : > P

[@hifijohn]

Kate Rusby does a great cover.

[@jefffinn1105]

Yes, Ray is absolutely one of the 2-3 best songwriters of his era but "Village Green.." isn't one of his top songs really, a very good album tho. (Did you already do "Waterloo Sunset"?) "Well Respected Man" "Stop Your Sobbing" "Come Dancing" "Lola" "Sunny Afternoon" "Better Things" & others are all better imho.

[@sonyavincent7450]

First! Love from New Zealand 🇳🇿 ❤

[@Rootle2]

This chap looks a bit like Ray Davies

[@triciasomogyi5431]

❤️❤️❤️❤️👍

[@robbiewall4586]

Great review PS Bram Stoker was Irish ☘️

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

English book tho

[@robbiewall4586]

⁠@@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek 800 hundred years of the English in Ireland….not content with that…now you wanna hitch your horse to our literature as well 🎉

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

​@@robbiewall4586 he moved to england, wrote it in england and based the book in england. Just accept he wasn't interested in his place of birth. Also 800 years is false.

[@robbiewall4586]

😂

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

@@robbiewall4586 indeed, it was humorous how easily i dismantled your silly comments😂

[@grahamboffey457]

A songwriting apogee.

[@robertmills8640]

For a Bubble-Gum band they did have a couple of great tunes with some serious social commentary including this and Randy Souce Git

[@Yosef1952]

Hmm. Don't know this one. This was OK. Snarky, as most Kinks numbers were. Kinks over the Beatles? I think not.

[@georgewodicka4839]

Spot on.

[@gabrieleflannery6504]

Wow, how dismissive. If you're not familiar with this one you're probably not acquainted with most of their work. I personally don't like to compare any of the arts, as they're meant to stand alone. Some of their songs were satirical, this was not one of them.

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

Maybe not critically or sales wise but I'd argue for Davies being a better writer than any of the Beatles just not a bigger innovator