A review by misterjay
The Kinks' The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society by Andy Miller

3.0

My favorite books in the 33 1/3 series introduce me to an album I had previously overlooked from a band or artist I enjoy listening to. The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society does exactly that. Andy Miller chose this record precisely because it has been so often overlooked by fans, both at the time of its release and in the subsequent decades. (Indeed, finding a copy of the record to listen to while reading the book was something of a challenge in and of itself; it is available on CD but not as a download through any of the major Mp3 stores.) Miller uses a tried and true approach and takes us through the initial concept, the recording process, how the band members felt about said process, and finally through each song, showing us how it relates to the album as a whole and how it came to be included on the album.

For myself, this was the first time I had ever heard the album (I've long been a Kinks fan, but mainly through their greatest hits packages) as a whole and having the book to guide me through it was fun and informative and helped me refine my appreciation of Ray Davies songwriting abilities as well as the musical abilities of everyone in the band. And really, you can't ask for more than that.