The Kinks - The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society (1968) [5CD 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition 2018] (Rep.)

This 50th Anniversary edition trumps them all by offering three LPs, three 7" singles, and five CDs, all offering a different avenue for exploration of the Village Green. The first two discs look very similar to the 2004 triple-CD set, containing new remasters of the stereo and mono versions of the album, along with their accompanying non-LP tracks, singles, and B-sides, plus songs from the sessions that later appeared on The Great Lost Kinks Album. The third disc concentrates on the Village Green sessions, featuring a ton of alternate mixes, studio chatter, and backing tracks, including the much-bootlegged "Mick Avory's Underpants." The fourth disc features Village Green at the BBC, including interviews and live sessions performed between 1968 and 1969; among the highlights here are "Where Did My Spring Go?" and "When I Turn Off the Living Room Light," which wound up on The Great Lost Kinks Album. Finally, the fifth disc is devoted to Preservation, Sessions, Live, and Demos, which find Ray Davies and the Kinks exploring Preservation themes in the '70s and beyond. "Time Song," which is the lone previously unreleased song presented here, dates from this era, and there are also recent live recordings from Ray Davies, presenting the classic Village Green material with a symphony and vocals. This latter disc has the most exclusive material out of any of the other four discs, suggesting that the vault has already been pretty well tapped of the major material many years ago, but the lavish, heavy set is a beauty to behold. Given how it contains every known session and iteration of Village Green Preservation Society - including the edited "Swedish" version on vinyl, which is odd and interesting for any hardcore fan - along with a handsome hardcover book and extras, it's hard not to imagine Kinks' fanatics finding this a treasure trove.

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 Ray Davies 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 a 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 The Village Green Preservation Society, and its defiantly British sensibilities became the foundation of generations of British guitar pop.

CD 1 Tracklist (Original Stereo Album 2018 Remaster + Bonus Tracks):
01. The Village Green Preservation Society
02. Do You Remember Walter?
03. Picture Book
04. Johnny Thunder
05. Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains
06. Big Sky
07. Sitting By The Riverside
08. Animal Farm
09. Village Green
10. Starstruck
11. Phenomenal Cat
12. All Of My Friends Were There
13. Wicked Annabella
14. Monica
15. People Take Pictures Of Each Other

Bonus Tracks:
16. Days (Original Stereo Mix)
17. She’s Got Everything (Original Stereo Mix)
18. Mr. Songbird (Original Stereo Mix)
19. Wonderboy (Original Stereo Mix)
20. Polly (Original Stereo Mix)
21. Berkeley Mews (Original Stereo Mix)
22. Rosemary Rose (Stereo Mix)
23. Misty Water (Original Stereo Mix)
24. Did You See His Name? (Original Stereo Mix)
25. Do You Remember Walter? (European Stereo Mix Without Tambourine)
26. Animal Farm (Alternate Stereo Mix)
27. People Take Pictures Of Each Other (European Stereo Mix With Big Band Coda)

Total time: 01:11:57

CD 2 Tracklist (Original Mono Album 2018 Remaster + Bonus Tracks):
01. The Village Green Preservation Society
02. Do You Remember Walter?
03. Picture Book
04. Johnny Thunder
05. Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains
06. Big Sky
07. Sitting By The Riverside
08. Animal Farm
09. Village Green
10. Starstruck
11. Phenomenal Cat
12. All Of My Friends Were There
13. Wicked Annabella
14. Monica
15. People Take Pictures Of Each Other

Bonus Tracks:
16. Days (Mono Single Mix)
17. She’s Got Everything (Single Mix)
18. Mr. Songbird
19. Wonderboy (Mono Single Mix)
20. Polly (Single Mix)
21. Till Death Us Do Part (Mono Mix)
22. Berkeley Mews (Single Mix)
23. Village Green (Alternate Vocal)
24. Lavender Hill
25. Rosemary Rose
26. Pictures In The Sand
27. Misty Water
28. Did You See His Name?
29. Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains (With Alternate Ending)

Total time: 01:19:00

CD 3 Tracklist (Village Green Sessions):
01. The Village Green Preservation Society (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
02. Do You Remember Walter? (Backing Track)
03. Picture Book (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
04. Johnny Thunder (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
05. Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
06. Big Sky (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
07. Animal Farm (Takes 16 & 17 With Session Chat)
08. Village Green (Unissued Mix from Acetate)
09. Starstruck (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
10. Phenomenal Cat (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
11. Monica (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
12. People Take Pictures Of Each Other (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
13. Egg Stained Pyjamas (Backing Track)
14. Days (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
15. She’s Got Everything (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
16. Misty Water (Alternate Stereo Mix)
17. Mr. Songbird (Alternate Mix)
18. Pictures In The Sand (Backing Track / Stereo Mix)
19. Berkeley Mews (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
20. Easy Come, There You Went (Backing Track / Alternate Mix Stereo)
21. Did You See His Name? (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
22. Mick Avory’s Underpants (Backing Track / Mono Mix)
23. Spotty Grotty Anna (Stereo Backing Track)
24. Lavender Hill (Stereo Backing Track)
25. Village Green (Backing Track / Stereo Mix)

Total time: 01:11:30

CD 4 Tracklist (Village Green At The BBC):
01. Interview: Ray Talks About Working (Recorded July 1968 / Mono)
02. Days (Top Gear, Recorded 1 July 1968 / Mono)
03. Waterloo Sunset (Top Gear, Recorded 1st July 1968)
04. Interview: Ray Talks About Solo Records (Recorded July 1968)
05. Love Me Till The Sun Shines (Top Gear, Recorded 1 July 1968 / Mono)
06. Monica (Top Gear, Recorded 1 July 1968 / Mono)
07. Interview: Ray Talks About Village Green (Recorded November 1968 / Mono)
08. The Village Green Preservation Society (Saturday Club, Recorded 26th November 1968 / Mono)
09. Animal Farm (Live At The BBC, Saturday Club, 26th November 1968 / Mono)
10. Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains (Live At Julie Felix Show, 7 January 1969 / Mono)
11. Picture Book (Live Vocals / Julie Felix Show, Recorded 7 January 1969 / Mono)
12. Interview: Ray And Dave Talks Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains (Recorded January 1969 / Mono)
13. Do You Remember Walter? (BBC Mix / Symonds On Sunday, Recorded 2 April 1968 / Mono)
14. Medley: Dedicated Follower Of Fashion / A Well Respected Man / Death Of A Clown
(TV Pre-Mix Of Uniquely Recorded Medley / Mono / Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968)
15. Sunny Afternoon (TV Pre-Mix Minus Melodica / Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968)
16. Picture Book (Live TV Pre-Mix / Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968)
17. Days (TV Pre-Mix / Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968)
18. Lazy Old Sun (TV Pre-Mix / Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968)
19. Two Sisters (TV Pre-Mix / Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968)
20. Monica (TV Pre-Mix / Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968)
21. Lincoln County (TV Pre-Mix Minus Strings Overdub / Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968 / Mono)
22. Where Did My Spring Go? (Where Was Spring?, Recorded 1969 / Mono)
23. When I Turn Off The Living Room Light (Where Was Spring?, Recorded 1969)

Total time: 57:05

CD 5 Tracklist (Demos, Sessions, Preservation & Live):
01. Home Demos Medley
02. Days (Acoustic Version)
03. Mr. Songbird (Alternate Mix / Stereo)
04. The Village Green Preservation Society (Alternate Mix / Stereo)
05. Johnny Thunder (Backing Track / Stereo)
06. Big Sky (Alternate Mix / Stereo)
07. Phenomenal Cat (Backing Track)
08. Picture Book (Vocals And Guitar / Stereo)
09. Animal Farm (Backing Track / Stereo)
10. Time Song (Monitor Mix / Stereo)
11. The Village Green Preservation Society (Preservation Version / Stereo)
12. Medley: Picture Book / People Take Pictures Of Each Other (Preservation Version / Stereo)
13. Village Green Overture (Preservation Version / Stereo)
14. Days (With The DR Symphony & The DR Vocal Ensemble) / Live - Ray Davies
15. Village Green Suite: Ray Davies Spoken Intro
16. Village Green Suite: Village Green (With The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble) - Ray Davies
17. Village Green Suite: Picture Book (With The DR Symphony & The DR Vocal Ensemble) / Live - Ray Davies
18. Village Green Suite: Big Sky (With The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble) - Ray Davies
19. Village Green Suite: Do You Remember Walter? (With The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble) - Ray Davies
20. Village Green Suite: Johnny Thunder (With The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble) - Ray Davies
21. Village Green Suite: The Village Green Preservation Society (With The DR Symphony & The DR Vocal Ensemble) / Live - Ray Davies
22. The Way Love Used To Be (With The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble) - Ray Davies

Total time: 01:07:09











Thanks to ALLexxess