Originally released in 1968 The Village Green Preservation Society is now seen as The Kinks finest individual release. In retrospect it's easy to see why it sold so poorly as its cosy nostalgic songs were well out of place in a time when rock was just beginning to get heavy. It's only with the passing of time than one can admire the albums brilliance.

The album is all Ray Davies originals and the themes of the songs are sepia toned to a time which probably never existed, but should have. What really makes the album work is the punchy production, which is at once rhythmic and melodic, and prevents the atmosphere from being twee. The subject matter of the tracks tell stories of lost childhood friends ('Do You Remember Walter?'), old photographs ('Picture Book', 'People Take Pictures Of Each Other') cartoon characters ('Johnny Thunder'), witches(!)('Wicked Annabella') as well as snapshots of an England of old ('Village Green') being overtaken by the American tourists! Much musical ground is covered throughout from Calypso ('Monica') to rhythm and blues ('Last of the Steam Powered Train'). Each track is organically created so that you can picture in your mind each individual subject matter. It's hard to pick any stand out tracks as the standard is so high throughout, but my personal favourites are 'Picture Book' (recently featured on a Kodak advert) 'Walter' and 'Sitting by the Riverside'. You will probably find everybody who listens to the album has a different favourite!

This CD features the original UK release in mono and a shorter continental 12 track version in stereo. The stereo version includes two tracks which were not present on the UK release ('Mr Songbird' and the classic 'Days', also included in the mono single mix).

Probably the one thing missing from the original UK edition of the album was a bona fide Kinks classic, although this CD does include the aforementioned 'Days' as a bonus track. However don't let the lack of familiar song titles put you off. This CD is an essential purchase and the one original Kinks album to own!

Quite agree with all the previous reviews that this is an excellent album, one of the high spots of the Kinks career and containing some of Ray Davies's finest songs.

But I have always seen the "nostalgia" for an old England in the lyrics as intended to be ironic. The title track, with its references to "God Save Mrs Mopp, vaudeville and variety" is gently parodying the British obsession with the "Good Old Days",as is the song "Last of the Steam Powered Trains" with lines like "I live in a museum". Ray continued this theme with more bitterness in the next Kinks album "Arthur".

The song "Village Green" is virtually a spoof folk song, not too far removed from the Bonzo Dog Band, and to suggest that this album is out of step with its contemporaries just seems wrong (remember that one of the most popular stage musicals at this time was "Oh What a Lovely War" and it just precedes films like "If")

There are the songs which document the passing of time without irony, usually the more personal ones such as the magnificent "Do you remember Walter?" - again a theme Ray Davies has continued in more recent lyrics.

So enjoy the gentle humour and affectionate parody of this fantastic album, but don't believe that there ever was an idyllic "Village Green".

'The Village Green Preservation Society' was released in July 1968-the same year as The Beatles' 'White Album' and The Rolling Stones' 'Beggars Banquet'.It may have been overshadowed by those two pieces of work but 'The Village Green Preservation Society' is an essential and refreshing album in British pop music.The Beatles and Stones may have conquered the USA by 1968 but with 'The Village Green....' Ray Davies and The Kinks were writing about subjects a little closer to home and preserving and appreciating all things British such as draught beer,strawberry jam,Desperate Dan,Sherlock Holmes and sunny holidays in Southend!
The music is lovely,relaxing and takes the listener back to a much missed era.Every song is a gem but personal favourites are the catchy 'Picture Book','Johnny Thunder'(the former New York Dolls singer was a fan of this album incidentally),'Animal Farm' and the old time dancehall styled 'Sitting By The Riverside'.
'The Village Green Preservation Society' revisits a bygone age and with it's themes of romance,family holidays,picnics,sitting by the riverside and the innocent,good old days,it's a treasure which I keep returning to.It's a warm,gentle,uncomplicated album which should be a part of every true music lovers' collection.

I cant believe this album only has three reviews! Any music fan who listnes to mainstream indy music should listen to any Kinks album and see how much of a huge influence they still have on the music scene today. It amazes me how a band so timeless can still be pretty much egnored by the music buying public. There is alot more to the kinks than waterloo sunset! I have decided to buy every kinks album due to the strength of The village green preservation society,something else and arthur or the deline and fall of the british empire. These three albums kick the crap out of the beatles!! Just buy them and listen. You wil not be dissapointed. Dont get me wrong i love the beatles aswell but this is just far more raw and honest music.

Wow, this thing completely took me by surprise. '60s pop has always let me down, yet I ended up listening to this obsessively when I was in New York; something about it just hit me hard. Ironically, it made me value the traditional aspects of England a bit more, as well as invoking strong feelings of nostalgia. Village Green Preservation Society just runs deep with memories, whether it's the physical ("Picture Book") or just recalling those who drifted away ("Do You Remember Walter?"). Despite being near-perfect pop, I'm greatly surprised that this album has so many fans, as it's just so English. This isn't even the England I'm used to either, as The Kinks are strictly down with the Sunday games of cricket, tea, crumpets and churches. These are areas of my culture that I've only had glimpses of when I've left the bright lights and violent streets of Manchester, yet, oddly enough, feel I know all too well.

It's all very quaint, yet extremely and subtly powerful. Not bad for a pop album, eh?