Five Best...Kinks Albums

#5. Something Else by the Kinks



Released: September, 1967

Best Songs: "Waterloo Sunset," "David Watts" and "Death of a Clown"

"Waterloo Sunset" is one of the finest songs ever written, and quite possibly my favorite song not written by Bob Dylan or one of the Beatles. Its the album closer, and perfectly sets up the next three albums: Village Green, Arthur and Lola.


#4. Face to Face



Released: December, 1966

Best Songs: "Dandy," "Session Man, "Sunny Afternoon" and "Mr. Reporter"

The Kinks first great album, Face to Face began to showcase a new kind of writing from Ray Davies, drifting away from "You Really Got Me"-lyrics to character songs that still haven't been matched.


#3. Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround



Released: November, 1970

Best Songs: "This Time Tomorrow" and "Strangers"

For my write-up of Lola that appeared in the New School Free Press, click here.


#2. Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)



Released: October, 1969

Best Songs: "Victoria," "Mr. Churchill Says" and "Arthur"

Sure, this album has a few hiccups (the guitar solo on "Australia" is kind of lame) but "Victoria" is the best album opener outside of "Like a Rolling Stone," and the album has a perfect mixture of the solemn ("Yes Sir, No Sir") and the rockin' ("Arthur").


#1. The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society



Released: November, 1968

Best Songs: "The Village Green Preservation Society," "Picture Book" and "Village Green"

Pristine, vintage, beautiful. Just three of the many words that could be used to describe Village Green, an album that probably feels as much of a throw-back then as it does now.