Come on, it's just a make believe game. And not without its own little logic. We know Ray considered making it a double at some point. We know he hesitated between many options and track-listings. We know he almost released a complete different record (Four More Respected Gentlemen) using five Village Green tunes, which would've meant scrapping the project pure and simple, at least in some countries. Then, two widely different LP's were released in different countries bearing the Village Green Preservation Society title ; the single Days from five months earlier indeed was part of the one first released in some parts of the world ; the centerpiece track of the whole thing (Village Green) had been released (albeit only on a french EP) no less than two years before ; we know Pye was thinking everything in terms of hit driven compilations, even planning to release a solo Dave LP driven by a 15 months old song that had been included in a Kinks LP !! All of this is enough to allow ourselves to play this little game about what could've been (not should've been, mind you). I'm pretty sure no one here thinks the record would've been better (or could've been bettered). I know I don't. But I still enjoyed putting together my imaginary double set and looking at the others.
I think you're getting a bit over excited about nothing. This idea was put forward weeks ago, and it's just a bit of fun. This is my last word on it. Sorry it pissed you off so much. Not the intent
It could and should have been better. It could and should have been a major hit album. And it's worth wondering why, at this very point, the Kinks didn't make the transition from being a great singles band to being a great album band.
I can’t find the post but someone observed that it’s a big commitment to listen to an entire double album no matter how good it is. I don’t think the White Album or Exile on Main St would have been better had they been single albums. However, I wouldn’t have listened to VGPS as much as I have over the years had it not been a single LP.
On this I agree totally. This should be looked upon in a very similar light to Pepper, Let It Bleed, Days Of Future Passed . ... and other highly influential and acclaimed and successful albums. From my perspective the Kinks are one of the great overlooked bands of the sixties. Remembered for several big singles, and bewilderingly the albums never had the impact that they rightfully should have. So many factors working against the band. The US ban is huge in that, but of course without it, we may not have gotten the magic that we did. The whole sixties period has been revelatory for me, and I easily consider these albums, particularly from Face To Face onward to be up with the best of anyone.
12-15 tracks is a good album length, I think. Anything more does seem like a bit of a commitment. For example, Tommy has some great stuff on it, but it gets bogged down after "Underture," in my opinion, and songs like "Sensation" and "Welcome" don't do anything for me or seem redundant. Oddly, it seems like a lot of bands today are releasing albums with only 8-11 songs, even though there are virtually no time constraints. Also, it's rare for a band to release an album every year (or even every other year). Radiohead, for instance, have released two albums in the last decade (one in 2011 and one in 2016). The 2011 album had 8 songs and the 2016 album had 11. The 2016 album clocked in at 52 minutes, so it is long, but the 2011 one is only 37 minutes. The reason why it's so tantalizing to make a double-album version of TVGPS is because The Kinks circa 1968 had so much good material. And, of course, Ray lobbied to have a 20-track double-album version. They had more than enough tracks. And none of them were throwaways (besides maybe the odd instrumental, like "Spotty Grotty Anna," which were probably just studio jams and not really intended for anything else). I consider "Days" and "Mr. Songbird" to be TVGPS tracks since Ray/the band apparently did (these tracks appeared on the 12-track version, of course). So we really only need 3 more songs. But what songs? There are about a dozen to choose from. In some ways, the 20-track version of TVGPS is a lot like Lifehouse to me. We have an amazing, classic album. But the leftover tracks that could have been included to realize the main songwriters' visions are just as good as the album tracks on both respective releases.
Thanks to all who took time out of their busy lives to conceive of something 'better' or think of what that lost double album might sound like. All I know is that when I see what people picked out, I agree with everyone. LOL. Ray was on fire around this time period. You can't go wrong. God save the Kinks
I think this is a correction away from the unwieldy, 60+ minute cd albums that everyone was releasing for quite a time. As someone mentioned upthread...38 to 44. The sweet spot for a single album. Yes, though, as a quibble tied to album length, essentially they were releasing 1 1/2 to 2 albums every release. (And, rare, indeed, but Drive-by Truckers released two last year (2020).
Many of the songs were not old released singles. They were unreleased songs. Also, Wonderboy was recorded in March 1968 and several of the Village Green songs were recorded in April 1968. You could say it was the beginning of songs possibly intended for The Village Green Preservation Society. Most of the unreleased songs I believe were recorded in 1967 so I don't know what their original purpose was, but they sound of the same period as The Village Green songs.
There was a period when CDs were at their zenith - in the 1990s and early 2000s - when artists tried to fill out the space offered by the format. Inevitably the quality suffered. I can think of several albums that would have been outstanding, and maybe even classics, had they been restricted to 40 minutes instead of 60 minutes or longer
I think you've got it. FMRG adds Polly, Misty and Berkeley makes 20. All in finished (released) form, all stereo.
And I’m going to contradict my previous post: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (worth checking out if you’re into psychedelia) just released their third album since November.
I agree. But as much as I love “Misty Water,” is there room for two witchy songs? Maybe replace that with “Lavender Hill”? Either song is great and would fit, but “Misty Water” makes “Wicked Annabella” seem redundant, in my opinion.
Look them up, if you’re so inclined! I recommend their album Fishing For Fishes to start with. An eccentric new rock band on the cusp of more mainstream success.
I haven't been able to spend as much time with these songs as I'd hoped, and I don't have a proposed alternate version of the album (although I would include "Autumn Almanac" on my compilation since it seems to fit thematically). But currently these would be added to my Kinks playlist: The Village Green Preservation Society Do You Remember Walter? Picture Book Last of the Steam-Powered Trains Big Sky Sitting by the Riverside Animal Farm Village Green All of My Friends Were There Monica People Take Pictures of Each Other Bonus tracks: Days (was on my "broken heart" mixtape along with "No More Looking Back," upon the breakup of my first serious love affair at age 20) Mr. Songbird Berkeley Mews Till Death Us Do Part Pictures in the Sand Where Did My Spring Go? Polly I'm not including the 1973 tracks in this list, though I like them. Going into our discussion of Something Else, Face to Face was my favorite Kinks album, then SE took 1st place with its maturity and musical diversity. TKATVGPS may have taken its place...
My 20 track version: Side 1: The Village Green Preservation Society Do You Remember Walter Picture Book Johnny Thunder Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains Side 2 Big Sky Sitting By The Riverside Animal Farm Village Green Starstruck Side 3 Phenomenal Cat All Of My Friends Were There Wicked Annabella Monica People Take Pictures Of Each Other Side 4 Berkeley Mews Mr. Songbird Lavender Hill Polly Days I struggled with my final three songs. "Polly" had already been released as a b-side but it's directly inspired by and name drops a character from Under Milk Wood, which greatly inspired TVGPS project, so I feel it should be included. "Rosemary Rose" seems more like a character sketch/study and almost not a fully fleshed out song. Great song though. I didn't include "Misty Water" because it's thematically fairly similar to "Wicked Annabella" (although they don't sound anything alike). I like "Misty Water," don't get me wrong, but it just seems thematically redundant. So maybe in the reality where this 20-track version is released, "Misty Water" was released as a non-album single with "Rosemary Rose" as the b-side. I know that they actually considered "Lavender Hill" as an A-side at one point, but I feel it flows better with the running order I made up than "Rosemary Rose" does. I also didn't include "Pictures in the Sand" because there are two other "picture" songs on the album already. Note: I didn't time my sides at all.
Fun fact about "There Is No Life Without Love"--Dave revealed last year that it's Pete Quaife doing the deep vocals. He also said it's Ray on lead guitar in that one.
New? Maybe in years, but King Gizz has released 18 studio albums in a decade! I have eight of them sitting immediately the left of my horde of Kinks albums. Their latest song is as catchy as anything - with a pretty weird accompanying film clip.
By "new" I meant not The Kinks' age. The members of this band are under 30 years old. I know that they've been around for 10 years and have put out a ridiculous number of albums. And all 18 of their albums are good too! Anyway, here's "Fishing for Fishies," which would probably be palatable to many Kinks fans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beIDKFwXam0
Has anybody here considered that it might be easier to turn "Something Else" into a double album with five songs on each side? It contains 13 songs which leaves room for seven more. I believe these are all eligible: Mr. Pleasant Big Black Smoke Dead End Street Rosemary Rose Lavender Hill Act Nice And Gentle Suzanah's Still Alive
