The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society reflects all of that. After persevering for a little while by writing music that was palatable to Americans (including "Days"), this is Davies turning a complete 180 and making arguably the most aggressively English album ever; certainly up to that point, nobody has done anything like this. But I think it's missing the point a little to just see this as English - it's also anti-American, a spiteful move made in anger and frustration at the situation they'd found themselves in. And in ways, it's also a little spiteful toward England, too. Perhaps constantly being reassured by people talking about his English success had irked him as well; whatever the cause, it's undeniable that there are mocking exaggerations here, coupled with an occasional tone of patronization, that could be quite easily compared with Frank Zappa's We're Only in it For the Money.
Is that just me? Does anybody else listen to "Do You Remember Walter"" and wonder how sincere the lyric is meant to be" Sound to me like the time when everyone knew Walter's name isn't a particularly interesting one. And doesn't anybody else hear the title track and wonder whether Ray Davies really think that strawberry jam, virginity, Mrs. Mopp, and antique tables are really the best things about England" And for that matter, in what way is Donald Duck meant to be English" Even Desperate Dan and Fu Manchu might be English creations, but they're also obvious and lazy parodies of other nations. There's a song called "Animal Farm" that is quite literally about a farm with animals, rather being than an Orwellian anti-Communist rant that would have been in keeping with the political climate in 1960s America. "People Take Pictures of Each Other" could be interpreted as an attack on being having that misty-eyed view of the old England based purely on a few carefully chosen images that ignored the realities of life. And on it goes.
I realize what I've put here might seem like a radical re-positioning of this album in the eyes of many, but in truth, that's the very reason I love it. On first listen I heard a great pop album with a lot of nice ideas about a time long past. On second listen I figured that it had no depth beyond that and wouldn't hold up to repeated listens. And then, I started hearing something else, something darker. It may not strictly be the traditional use of the term, but The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society is one of the all-time great protest albums
Is that just me? Does anybody else listen to "Do You Remember Walter"" and wonder how sincere the lyric is meant to be" Sound to me like the time when everyone knew Walter's name isn't a particularly interesting one. And doesn't anybody else hear the title track and wonder whether Ray Davies really think that strawberry jam, virginity, Mrs. Mopp, and antique tables are really the best things about England" And for that matter, in what way is Donald Duck meant to be English" Even Desperate Dan and Fu Manchu might be English creations, but they're also obvious and lazy parodies of other nations. There's a song called "Animal Farm" that is quite literally about a farm with animals, rather being than an Orwellian anti-Communist rant that would have been in keeping with the political climate in 1960s America. "People Take Pictures of Each Other" could be interpreted as an attack on being having that misty-eyed view of the old England based purely on a few carefully chosen images that ignored the realities of life. And on it goes.
I realize what I've put here might seem like a radical re-positioning of this album in the eyes of many, but in truth, that's the very reason I love it. On first listen I heard a great pop album with a lot of nice ideas about a time long past. On second listen I figured that it had no depth beyond that and wouldn't hold up to repeated listens. And then, I started hearing something else, something darker. It may not strictly be the traditional use of the term, but The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society is one of the all-time great protest albums