The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society - 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Now Confirmed!

My order from Music Glue arrived in Canberra, Australia today. Only a little ding on one corner, but packaged really well in a custom cardboard box with a neat sticker informing that the Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society.

The Time Song bonus 45rpm was in the package too, in a white cardboard sealed mailer. Managed to squeeze it into one of the slots in the box dedicated to the 45rpm singles.

Whoa, it’s a whopper of a box: 1.5 kg according to the customs declaration.

 

Thanks I shall try that. For the moment the 5 cds are kept plastic sleeves which is fine as I am still slowly playing through everything.

 

I’m waiting till Xmas to ingest this box so I can’t comment on how wafflingly synchophantic or not the essays are, but surely the point is after 50 years that this is much more than pop music (arguably it was never functional pop music anyway, as the album wasn’t a hit in the day) and it can now be viewed a wider, grander historical context as a career defining artistic statement which would naturally attract such written accolades? It may not be comparable to Wittgenstein, but switch that high falutin name from literature to George Orwell, and suddenly the comparison isn’t so ludicrous.

 

I'd agree with you if the "essays" in the book were even vaguely analytical! But I guess that there's a snowball's chance in hell that Ray Davies would invite Johnny Rogan to comment on VGPS.

BTW Wittgenstein isn't a high falutin' name from literature (try philosophy). And comparisons between Orwell and Ray Davies are like comparing apples and Krispy Kremes: Ray Davies isn't a great thinker (vide Preservation Acts 1 & 2).

 

Strange to relate, Mr Townshend.

 

I studied Philosophy (inc Wittgenstein) for 4 years in University (a joint honours with Theatre Studies: talk about a double whammy of uselessness for a working career!) so I'm aware of his area of the dartboard, even if I can't honestly recall anything about his ideas. (yes I'm a liberal arts degree cliche). While I appreciate 'literature' first and foremost suggests works of fiction, the primary online dictionary definition is just 'written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit' so I thought I'd be safe mangling Wittgenstein and Orwell under the same umbrella to make my overall point, and I think I still am despite any immediate connotations of the term 'literature'.

Ray Davies and Orwell (in particular VGPS and Coming Up For Air) have been compared many times in the past, starting I think with Andy Miller's VGPS book. I personally don't think it's too much of a stretch or a besmirching of Orwell's standing, but YMMV.

 

Good question....any thoughts?

 

"I've got pristine needledrops of original UK first pressings, both in mono and stereo, and the DR numbers are very similar to what's on this set."

You say that but these figures suggest otherwise: Album list - Dynamic Range Database

 

Those aren't my rips. Those aren't original pressings, either. Also, we don't know if clicks, pops and surface noise are contributing to higher DR values, not failing to mention picking up mechanical vibration from the turntable, itself. I rarely trust vinyl numbers that aren't my own.

 

I do realise that this is pop music and not a philosophical proposal. However that does not mean that it cannot be discussed. It is not making statements on the meaning of life, but it is. This is akin to eavesdropping on someone's private thoughts about day-to-day observations. At some time we have probably all said to ourselves that it would be nice to preserve some snapshot in time. Not that it is necessarily important in the scheme of things but it resonates with someone at a particular moment. A sunset or gazing out of a car window as you drive through a desert. It does not really have to have any great meaning, but is important at that point in time.

I don't actually think that this is 'pop music' in the same way that You Really Got Me is. I'm not trying to elevate this to art but I'm sure Ray would have sold more records with a less eccentric production if he merely wanted to sell records to the masses. It think that this album allows a glimpse into Ray's mindset at that period in his life. I don't think that this is the best way to add to a pension plan in reality. I think that this is here with exactly the same philosophy that inspired the original release.

I haven't read the essays yet so I can't comment but I don't have a problem with reading what a fellow contemporary musician thinks of the album. Seems like a valid thing to add to a book accompanying the set. I somehow can't envisage Pete Townsend as being a 'fanboy' but the proposition is amusing!

 

Just picked my copy up. Surprised nobody has yet mentioned the pizza box style box - sealed with a "Kinks" sticker - this little monster came in. Or are not all copies like this?

 

After opening my set I have to admit that I'm a bit underwhelmed by the presentation. Records without polyliners, a "poster" that isn't even worth to be called a "poster", a folder that holds singles, CDs and memorabilia (... and a CD booklet? Really?) but doesn't seem especially robust. Oh.. and one glossy photo is awol. The one with the signatures. That's a deal breaker in a 100€+ set. I'm seriously considering a return.

 

Checked the vinyl and it has fingerprints and slight blemishes. Excuse me? Will bring this back to the store this afternoon. And probably not ask for a replacement. Sorry.....

 

Seems extreme

 

Sound like he’s already made up his mind this set isn’t for him.
Can’t wait to get mine hopefully this week@!

 

Well... hairlines and fingerprints are not what I'm expecting from a deluxe set.

Aha. So you're OK with paying a premium for something incomplete and faulty? Nice! Modern record companies love you!

 

I haven't even got my set yet how do you know it's already faulty?

 

Well.. maybe you are lucky with yours. But I've seen more than enough in my copy. I also cancelled the set I wanted to give a friend as present. Not taking any chances with a luxury item like this

 

I really like this box set. I’m hoping we see one for Arthur next year

 

My Amazon order came with the 'pizza box' inside the standard Amazon box. I've cut the 'The Kinks' sticker carefully with a craft knife to get the SDE box itself out. And there I've had to leave it. The SDE will be a part-present for my birthday from my wife in a couple of week's time. Will have to read up on here to get my VGPS kicks in the meanwhile...

 

You did say slight blemishes, initially, which then became hairlines.

 

My guess is that it's an isolated incident. I'm sure wherever you bought it would exchange it. But if you don't feel that it's worth the money then I would return it too

 

When I go to a restaurant and they undercook or overcook my food, I send it back. I don’t walk out. But that’s just me.

 

"When I go to a restaurant and they undercook or overcook my food, I send it back."
Wouldn't do that if I were you. You may get your food back with foreign "fluids" included...I won't elaborate, but you've heard the stories.

 

I'm just listening to them side by side at the moment via CDs ripped to Itunes. I'm not hearing a tremendous difference. And I'm actually leaning towards the 2004 (which has more tracks). I think the extras in the box are what makes this new release special, which I know I didn't need.