Wired has assembled the best concept albums of all time.
6 thoughts on “The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society should top this list”
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Beach Boys Pet SoundsReport
Second on “Village Green.” Also: “Arthur, or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire.”Report
The Kinks’ best concept album was Muswell Hillbillies. My favorite of their albums, too, right before they tanked.Report
Lev, They NEVER, EVER tanked. I suggest you go back and listen to the rest of the concept albums done by the Kinks in the 1970s. The songs are truly beautiful. And their arena era albums after that were also excellent — Misfits, Sleepwalker…amazing rock music that still holds up well to this day. Ray Davies’ songwriting belongs on a short list along with Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Bob Dylan and very few others. God Save The Kinks!!Report
I know a lot of people who disagree, and I definitely love Ziggy Stardust, but as far as Bowie concept albums go, I think Diamond Dogs coheres just as well and is a bit weirder/darker. It’s got a bit of that cocaine paranoia vibe that disturbs me, but it’s hard to beat line after line like “Her face is sans feature but she wears a Dali broach”.Report
Village Green Preservation Society is wonderful, though the concept gets lost towards the end. (Wicked Anabella? Monica?) To its discredit, it spawned both the interesting failure Preservation Act 1 and the horrific botch Act 2.
And when discussing concept albums that fizzle out, we should not neglect the hilarious The Who Sell Out. Was there ever a cheesier (or funnier) PSA than “Radio London reminds you ‘Go to the church of your choice.'”?Report