What I’m hearing is not the “inferior” sound of vinyl, but a record player with some severe speed control issues and a plasticy sound that reminds me of cheap players like those from Crosley.
Preservation Act I This was another one that I borrowed from the university record library back in the mid-80s. Didn't like it at all - it just seemed like another example of the 70s music that I was finding so dull and lifeless. Even the two most obvious classic Kinks tunes passed me by on this listen. The track that stuck in my head most over the years as being particularly awful was "Cricket". Such is the extent to which I had it in my head that this was a terrible album, that I passed up the chance to buy a copy when it appeared in a local record shop at the end of last year. It was only after this thread started that I thought to try sampling a few tracks, and it didn't take long to realise that maybe I should have bought that copy. Of course, now I couldn't find one anywhere despite looking in many shops and record fairs, and had to resort to buying one from Discogs a couple of months ago. Now of course I can hear that Ray's gift for melody is all over this album. There are two songs which can stand alone from the album alongside any of the recognised Klassics. As for the rest of it - well, these are show tunes. Lots of pastiche and parody, and these are the elements that would have most put me off in the 80s. But now it sounds like an album that by many other bands might be considered a masterpiece. What strikes me most when listening to it, is that whereas the last album was looking forward to the kind of sound that The Kinks would be making later in the 70s, this album sounds more like it belongs in the 1968-70 period. There is no proto-US rock here. As for the "plot", you could quite happily listen to side one without realising there is supposed to be one, while side two seems to be building towards some kind of conflict, which apparently required an entire subsequent double album to resolve. When I was buying the "missing" four albums, I acquired Act II before Act I, so it actually took a few plays of each to realise that musical phrases and ideas from Act I were reprised in Act II. So now I think this is a very good and enjoyable album to listen to. Who gets to be the lucky person that has to unravel the terminology in "Cricket" to the uninitiated?? P.S. Having read Mark's introductory post, I've never considered the idea that Johnny Thunder becomes Flash. He just sounds like an aging teddy boy who likes riding his motorcycle and listening to rock 'n' roll records. I'm standing by my theory that Frankie Simes from "Holloway Jail" could have become Flash.
I always liked this album, thought it was full of tuneful songs and a few real strong keepers. It sent me on a years-long quest for Act 2, which ended up with a guy from a record convention selling it to me through the post. This resulted in profound disappointment. Act 1 doesn't really try to tell a story, only introduce several characters and the idea of tearing down quaint old stuff and replacing them with "identical boxes," a term we are familiar with from Muswell, for "treble the profits." Still, these breezy tunes are quite nice; Genevieve even a great song. One of the Survivors, resurrecting Johnny Thunders is great fun, as is the riff in Here Comes Flash. The line "Oh God, how I understand" in Money and Corruption is a great Ray Davies moment. With the rollicking Demolition closer, I had high hopes for the resolution of the story Act 2. Alas . . .
Like @ARL, I’ve had a reversed experience with the Preservation project. In the early 1990’s, I found and bought (and loved) Act 2 before Act 1 and listened to it extensively. So in a way, when I ultimately got the first act, it felt like an afterthought, almost too light and too straightforward for its own good, compared to the shambolic, gargantuan double mammoth of a record that followed. Furthermore, my Kinks Bible at the time was a long piece in a now defunct French magazine, in which the guy wrote a discography and underlined the best lesser-known songs along the way (he wrote “contains Too Much on My Mind” for Face to Face, or “contains Oklahoma USA” for Muswell Hillbillies – that kind of guy). For Preservation Act 1, he’d written “contains Sweet Lady Genevieve and Sitting in the Midday Sun”. So in a way, when I did get the record, I had this user’s guide singling out the greatest tunes, which was certainly not the best way to approach such a complex project, where the individual songs are not supposed to be taken out of context (or out of concept), and need the overall arch to be fully appreciated. I’ll admit I’ve never been able to encapsulate this record as a complete piece, probably because, as a first act, it is indeed not complete. I can do it for Soap Opera, I can do it for Schoolboys in Disgrace, I can even do it for Act 2 (because of its length, the announcements, the different characters being specified, the different singers, the big finale etc.), but I never got a proper handle on this one, because it’s not really presented as a real stand-alone record nor could I ever appreciate the complete Preservation picture, working backwards as I did. So I confess I sort of applied the @Zeki’s playlist treatment to it by default, which is unusual in my Kinks adventures. What I know: the best songs are supreme, the rest sits easily in a top 3 hardest rocking Kinks LP but is a bit hit & miss – when you look for playlist material, that is. But if you try to see the big picture Ray Davies had in mind and complete the Preservation puzzle, it must be quite a different experience. I suspect I’ll finally get a better sense of this in the next few weeks, in this thread’s distinguished kompany…
Johnny Thunder is not Flash, he's an aging non-conformist rebel. The Tramp is also a non-conformist, though in a different way, but both have basically dropped out of modern society, is how I see it As for the album, I prefer it to "Everybody's in Showbiz". They've mostly ditched the Dixieland/ Americana trappings - an experiment which was worth trying for one album but two was pushing it - and gone back to sounding like the Kinks. One thing I'd say about this album is the nearer it gets to the eventual Preservation concept the less good it is. The best things on it have nothing to do with the Flash/ Mr. Black nonsense.
I suppose you really had to be there. At the time of release, no one said that the Kinks had fallen off a cliff. Rock bands took weird turns in those days, and no one gave it much thought. There were half-done concept albums (The Who Sell Out) and half-baked concept albums (take your pick) and old albums coming out as new (Let it Be) and bands as dark at the Velvet Underground suddenly turning all poppy (Loaded). I don't think the theatrical concept took anyone aback. We were more concerned about the quality of the songs, and Act 1 was thought of pretty highly. I remember the reviews being good--Steve Simels in Stereo Review gave it a Best of the Month, if memory serves. The songs from the album we consider to be great were recognized as such by many in the rock press. I loved the album, and with the exception of "Cricket," still do. The theatrical setting does not intrude on my enjoyment. I barely notice it. The only thing I considered weird was the cheap look to the cover, the odd fisheye lens stuff. It looked amateurish.
Discussing the themes will be interesting - I've always thought that you would probably mix up the order between Acts 1 and 2 to make it work!
Preservation Act 1 Overview: It appears I threw my album/song notes into the recycle bin so I’m going to have to see what I can recollect. I think I may have listened to the entire record two times so far which kind of indicates my level of interest. Yet again, with low expectations (I mean, the general consensus has to be right sometime, eh?), I ended up being pleasantly surprised and have found a good slate of tunes to add to my 2nd Chapter playlist. In real-time? Would I have liked this and played it repeatedly (during the days when I had maybe 30 albums to my name)? Probably not. I did devour ‘Tommy’ and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, both projects that I was enamored with from the get-go, but this is more…plodding? Not sure. I will see if it strikes a chord as we work our way through. ‘Plodding’: That might not be the word I’m looking for. What I mean is it didn’t reach out and draw me into the storyline. Preliminary selections for The Playlist: 5/12, which ain’t shabby at all. I will say that the one track that gets mentioned all the time did make the list but was a second round pick. As always, look forward to the conversation and am thinking of going dumpster diving to retrieve my notes!
When in Sydney on holiday 15+ years back i purchased new the above CD along with Preservation Act II. Previously i had only read poor or lukewarm reviews before so the $10 each price tag prompted me to take the plunge into the dark unknown. The music was not at all what i expected, from memory i didn't find it as melodic as the Pye material, nor the songs as strong. That said I really wanted to like it and gave it more chances over the coming months and whilst it still hadn't resonated with me I did have a preference for Act 1 & felt very little for Act II. IIRC I found some of Ray's work here too mannered, forced & not particularly pleasing & i guess gave creedence to the reviews i had read. Whilst i normally keep things and was building a Kinks discography I got a good offer on the discs and figured I would put it on music i would more knowingly enjoy so i sold them. Fast forward to 2021 and i obtained an RCA 2LP French compilation with some cuts from Act 1 & recently considered bidding on an original vinyl copy of Act 1. So it appears i am a prime candidate to undertake a complete re evaluation of both Acts, perhaps one of several Mark may have some time ago hoped for, anticipated & welcomed?
I suspect your failure to encapsulate the album is due to the fact that a number of the songs are irrelevant to telling the tale. Tracks 3, 5, 6, and 10 could easily be deleted without loss in terms of driving the plot or setting the scene. Perhaps not surprisingly, the best songs on the album are in this group of inessential tracks.
Ahh so Ray's need to slavishly follow his storyline did those songs little favour and may well have compromised their quality.
Forgot to comment on the album cover: so-so. I’m not distressed by looking at it and can see myself reaching for it to see what it is all about.
I remember the late web reviewer CapnMarvel comparing the picture of the expanded group on the rear sleeve of the album to the Manson Family!
Preservation Act 1 Started listening to this perhaps 3-4 weeks ago, and I've probably listened to it about 6 or 7 times through. Usually either while driving around or making dinner. I think I might like this better than EISB. There are some GREAT songs here, and I again thank Mark and this thread for introducing me to these different eras of this incredible band. As others have said, it's certainly changing another direction from the Americana/Country-Folk/Rock sound from the previous two albums. I wouldn't quite say they go back to the '68-'70 sound either, but I do hear some echoes of their Music Hall genre in here too, and some absolutely beautiful melodies and vocals. I also hear sounds that remind me of the music I'd hear at a German Oktoberfest celebration -- taking the New Orleans/Preservation Hall horns in a bit of different direction. There is some great variety here, and I'm looking forward to understanding some of the character setup that occurs in the second half the album. That said, I've also spent the last week or two exploring Act 2, but I'll hold off on further discussion there until the time comes. Regarding the album cover art, I actually like it. It shows where the band is at the time, and what kind of sounds would appear on the album. It's not just the 4 of them, they have the brass band and others with them. Regarding the artwork behind them, does anybody know who that is supposed to represent? Doesn't look like a Genevieve... But I like it, it has a political "revolution" type thing to it.
I'm sure in 'X-Ray' Ray says that the tramp represented him and that 'Sweet Lady Genevieve' was written as a last desperate attempt to win back his first wife. Overall, I much prefer Act I to Act II; most of the songs show melodic strengths eventually if not immediately, whereas those of Act II have failed to win me over after twenty-five years (other than maybe, off the top of my head, 'Mirror Of Love'). 'Sitting In The Midday Sun' is a classic for me, with 'Where Are They Now?' up near it. The concept angle is a little strained for me, straying a bit too close to musical theatre at times, although I have a soft spot for the female backing vocals on the 'Money And Corruption' for some reason!
I would think the large face on the Pres Act 1 sleeve is meant to be Mr Black (referencing Communist and Fascist type iconography) contrasted with his adversary Mr Flash on the cover of Act 2 (pictured on a billboard in a salesman like pose: more like Capitalust iconography)
Could you explain your reasoning? To me, Flash is a phony poser while Johnny is explicitly described as having no time for phonies or posers.
BTW, are we going to have a whole day discussing "Morning Song", or will it be combined with "Daylight"?
Jumping in on the Johnny Thunder is Flash idea. We’ll explore thoroughly…but, initially anyway, I don’t think so. Johnny Thunder is representative of rebellion and freedom…just the opposite of Flash. Johnny doesn’t have any ‘heavies’ at his command. His love of old-school rock’n’roll and the freedom of the road…the cowered populace probably watching him roar by are thinking “ah, that’s what life used to be like.”
I first heard & taped Preservation Act I on WBCN circa 1977 on an evening show that highlighted a "classic" album every week. It says a lot that someone in 'BCN thought that it was a classic album about 4 yrs. after it was released. Anyway, later on, I did find a copy in my local library & then I got copies of both Acts from the Record Exchange, which I still have. I have the 1991 Rhino CD fat box w/both acts which I remember getting in a Cambridge record store that was in below ground level (Avid Wondergirl also remembers this place). Anyway, I do like Act I very much. It's no VGPS, but there are a lot of good to great songs on it. I think that the main problem w/Preservation as a concept is that it should have been one two record set instead of the form that it came out as. I think that Ray should have seen the forest for the trees. Also, the material worked better live than in the studio. My friend Jimmy has stated to me that the Preservation tour was the best time that he saw the Kinks live. Also, in the mid late 1990s, the Boston Rock Opera, which was comprised of local musicians, including Kay Hanley of Letters From Cleo, put on Preservation twice, first doing Act 2 & then doing the whole (w/cuts) a few years later. I was privileged to see the latter version & the material did pop out in comparison w/the studio versions. Both versions were taped, but only the Act 2 version is on YouTube, which I'll post when we get to it.
