Customer Reviews

Preservation Act 2

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's important to remember that Ray Davies wasn't just making albums during the Kinks' early 70s concept period. "Preservation," "Soap Opera" and "Schoolboys in Disgrace" all toured as fully developed (if rather low-budget) stage musicals, and Ray, always the most charming and zestful of rock showmen, really outdid himself playing the heroes. "Preservation" truly came alive when I saw it in NYC in 1974; I wish there was a video of the performance, which was the best of the 20 or so Kinks shows I've seen. If memory serves, the character of the Tramp got cut from the stage show, so two of the most memorable songs on the albums, "One of the Survivors" and "Sweet Lady Genevieve," weren't even played. Still, it was magic. One of the neatest devices was live-Ray as Mr. Flash singing to video-Ray as Mr. Black. There have been periodic rumblings about Davies trying to resurrect "Preservation" for the stage in a full-blown West End or Broadway production. If he could recapture what happened that night, it would be wonderful, though realistically a younger actor would have to play the parts; no rocker, especially one pushing 60, could do it night after night through an extended run. The theme of the principled ideological fanatic (Mr. Black) being far more dangerous than the corrupt but recognizably human scoundrel(Mr. Flash)remains pertinent in an age of religious and political extremism. As album experiences, the songs of "Preservation," "Soap Opera" and "Schoolboys in Disgrace" are hit and miss, often geared more toward theatricality than melodic loveliness and rock n roll pithiness ("Schoolboys" comes closest to being a solid rock album). They clearly do not rank with the Kinks' best. But I think the goal from 72-76 was to create terrific, full-fledged stage musicals, rather than to make regular albums. "I'm not like everybody else," indeed. I think the Kinks succeeded, but you simply had to be there to understand how well. That said, I'm glad that, having proved they could pull off the stage shows, they got back to being a rock band rather than a self-contained rock n roll theater troupe. No other rock band can claim such a chapter in its career.

I don't usually write reviews, after all musical tastes are subjective and my opinion is just that - my opinion. However, I feel so strongly about this particular work that I feel compelled to add my two cents.

I heard this music for years before I really began to listen to it. A friend had a copy and liked it. He played it often. I love the Kinks, hated this record. But I'm one of those annoying persons who has to have everything an artist records if I really like that artists work. I bought a copy of Preservation, but not Preservation 2. It was the exception. I rarely listened to Preservation and never thought about Act 2.

One day many years later I found a copy of Act 2 in a used record bin. I figured I would buy it just to complete my collection. When at home and listening to it, badly scratched and in generally poor condition, I was completely blown away. Here was the same music I'd heard before and hated. Somewhere between then and now I found my way to this work and it found it's way to me. I made a cassette copy of that crappy old record and wore it out before Act 2 was finally re-released on CD. Hearing a pristine copy, even if cd format, made for a good day.

Each and every listen to this album is a reinforcement of it's timelessness, it's joy and pathos, and it's relevence. No, timelessness is incorrect -- this music's time is right now. Any major corporate CEO could be a stand-in for Flash and any Fundamentalist pundit could stand in for Mr. Black. It's as if Ray Davies' "...dream I can't forget..." was really a prophetic dream of our own times.

So what if the announcements are a drag. So what if every song isn't perfect. Read between the lines. Insert personal experience here. Isn't that what one does with art?

I wish someone would write a book and stage this. It realy is a musical play at heart.

I'll admit I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this album, after reading several negative reviews, but I figured "Hey, it's the Kinks, how bad can it be?" Funny thing, but it's not at all bad. Yes, it's got a more 70s sound (this ain't no "Something Else") but I'm not sure why some people bash this album. It's got Ray Davies' stamp all over it, the same concern about the future, the same characterizations, the same love of melody. True, the announcements tend to interupt the flow of the album, but they're short, and they help fill in the gaps of what might be an otherwise incomprehensible story. Story be damned! This is good music; who cares about the story? If you're a recent Kinks fan and are hesitant to pick up this album because of negative reviews, stop worrying and pick it up. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Having read the other reviews, good, bad or indifferent, all I can tell anyone who cares is that on a chilly March night in '74 at the Music Hall in Boston, 4 buddies and I sat in awe of one of the greatest rock and roll bands ever - Dave Davies came out and said "1st, we're gonna prove we're still The Kinks" and proceeded to rock like nobody's business; then after a short break, out came "THE KINKS" in all la glory and gave us an elaborate, finely tuned night of rock and roll theater like only Ray can do. The music, costumes, choreography were all brillant and it endeared these albums to me forever. Please give them the time and respect they deserve - it's friggin' Ray Davies and the Kinks at their peak!

This is one of those concept albums The Kinks, and in particualar Ray Davies, made in the 70's. They are mostly regarded as "over-ambitious"; the sales were very low, and these albums are usually ranked among the "worst" in the Kinks' catalogue. Whatever you think about these albums, you must admit that Ray Davies was at his most creative point here. 'Preservation act 1' was out in 1973, and the same year the recordings for this follow-up began. The result was a double LP with many different musical styles and massive, well-written lyrics, spinning around a story of a political contest between the 'good' Mr Black and the 'evil' Mr Flash. A speaker voice helps us to follow the scenario with so-called "Announcement" tracks between the songs. There are several characters involved in this story, but most vocals are by Ray himself. Although there are female singers on the album, Ray sings the character of Belle himself in the song "Mirror of love", which I find a bit weird. In for example "Scrapheap City", the same Belle is sung by a woman. The music of this theatratical piece is of wide range, and because of that it leaves the impression of being un-even. Some numbers, like "Second-hand car spiv", are, in my opinion, too much "theatre". But there are of course a handful of highlights too: the much Stones-like rocker "Money talks"; the sad "Scum of the earth" with its affecting melody and touching lyrics; the lovely duets "Where oh where is love?", a nice "circus" tune, and "Nothing lasts forever", more mellow; "He's evil" with its groovy electric piano, chorus vocals, brass and characteristic guitar playing from Dave.

To sum it up, this is an album that should be listened to in its entirety. It is the concept that is interesting, and the lyrics get the most attention, as they have complicated story to tell. Well-written, well-composed and well-performed. If you are already a Kinks fan, you will certainly like it. It probably takes a bit longer to appreciate an album like this, than the "ordinary" ones. When I listened to it the first time (the original LP release), I thought it was crap! I haven't heard the CD reissue yet, but I will buy it in the near future.

"Before you condemn me my friends, I suggest that you look deep inside you. For good and evil, Exist in all of us, And no man is a saint, And each creates his heaven and his hell." ("Scum of the earth")

Although savaged as positively the WORST album to come out of The Kinks up to that point in time, "Preservation Act 2" is still an intriguing effort from the Davies brothers. Yes, it shares many things in common with other bloated rock-operas of the early 70s: a tendency to put plot over music, copious amounts of filler, a certain rushed quality and a tendency for overdramatic statement. However, the narrative at least makes sense and expands on the themes that had troubled Ray since the Village Green days of '68. I agree with those who claim that Preservation Acts I and II should have been combined into a lengthy single album, for its best songs are those which define the characters and continue the plot, while its worst are those which seem to declaim the obvious to a background of tired melodies and over-orchestration.

The best songs on the album are the hard rockers like "When A Solution Comes", "He's Evil", the superb and climactic "Flash's Confession" (with some great wah-wah guitar work by Dave), "Money Talks" and the spirited closing anthem "Salvation Road". The best ballads are the jug-band "Mirror Of Love" and the lilting "Nothing Ever Lasts". When combined with tracks like "Morning", "Sweet Lady Genevieve" and "Demolition" from Preservation Act I, one can construct a fine album. It was only because of the dilemmas of setting up Konk studios and the presence of one of Ray's frequent nervous breakdowns which made the project much more bloated than it should've been; he clearly had the talent to create some of the finest works in the rock-opera genre (as evidenced not only by the best cuts here but in "Arthur", "Lola" and "Schoolboys In Disgrace"), but alas
in this case the project seemed to get kind of ahead of itself.
Still, it's never sounded better than on the remastered CD and
the bonus track, "Slum Kids" is a fine tune that should have easily made the cut on the original album but somehow didn't.

I actually prefer Act 2 of "Preservation" to Act 1. Sure, the songwriting is wildly inconsistent, but at least the band sounds like they're having a good time. The playing is a lot sharper and the vocals more engaged than on the often listless Act 1. And Ray is so far out on a limb with the concept and theatrical delivery, the failures are fascinatingly bizarre. Give me an oddity like "Scum of the Earth" over a boring song like "Daylight" any day.

There's at least an LP's worth of quality material here, from the doomy "When a Solution Comes" to the epic "Nobody Gives" to ballads "Mirror of Love," "Where Oh Where is Love?", and "Nothing Lasts Forever." The band even rocks out convincingly on "He's Evil" and "Money Talks."

Among the more far-out material, I can't help being entertained by the twangy shuffle of "Scrapheap City," and "Salvation Road" makes a tuneful closer for the whole "Preservation" saga.

There are only a couple of truly terrible songs ("Flash's Dream" and "Second-Hand Car Spiv" spring to mind), and a few things that will just make you scratch your head. Overall though, "Preservation Act 2" is an entertainingly weird ride and Kinks devotees will find it worthwhile to pick out the gems among the sprawl.

Preservation Act 2 is the most neglected album the Kinks have ever constructed in their entire catalog. Certain songs like " Flash's Confession, When a Solution Comes, Money Talks" were way ahead of their time in structure and instrumentation. I will never understand how someone can refer to themselves as a Kinks fan and not enjoy listening to this album. I will give you that after Artifical Man it gets boring. The rest of the tracks from " He's Evil to Nothing Lasts Forever" for me are instantly enjoyable... Give it a try and then read the linear notes to understand the story completely. You never know it could change your life! Imagine that.

This is one of my favorite Kinks albums (others being face to face and VGPS). This and Preservation act 1 is actually a expansion on Villiage Green preservation society using a couple of the characters from the album of about 6 years before. The vaudvillian "scum of the earth" leads perfectly into "2nd hand car spiv" (which is very similar to the chase scenes of Tom and Jerry cartoons of the 7o's) has inncredible horn/ keyboard arrangments is excillerating to listen to. "Mirror of Love" is a tongue in cheek love song song to the main character's one and only; while Shepards of the Nation would make any PC thinking cringe in horror, also based on the VGPS theme. "When a solution comes", and "artifical Man" are personal favorites besides the formentioned. Did Brooks and Dunne (borrow) "Scrapheap city" and rename it "bootscoot boogie"- anyway!!!!!... This is a very fun album to listen to; and it makes you want to boogie and it makes you want to think.. about boogie-ing.

but not necessarily worse, hence my 5-star rating.

Preservation Act 2 definitely feels more serious than Preservation Act 1.

The songwriting is different, the lyrics and the concept is more focused and perhaps better written. The concept that continued from the first Preservation album finally kicked in WAY more strongly here, and the results are that the songs are just... different.

In fact, I can't think of any other Kinks album that shares a similar theatrical style, like this album does. Preservation Act 2 stands apart from every other Kinks albums ever made in a BIG way, but not necessarily in a negative way.

Remember, it's not the concept that's the most important thing here- it's the songwriting, so if you love the Kinks, this album delivers with the highly memorable songs. Also, Preservation Act 2 honestly still contains a ton of honest emotions thanks to Ray Davies, but probably not as much compared to any number of other Kinks albums. It's definitely still *there*.

It DOES feel like Ray Davies took this whole rock opera concept a bit TOO seriously, and it definitely feels like he's showing off at times. Oh well, for one period in time, hey, let the guy flash his stuff. He has a right to do so when you think about it- he's too talented NOT to show off!

Alright, so the songs. What about them? Are they melodic? Yes. Are they memorable? Most of the time.

Even though it's hokey, I love "Oh Where Oh Where is Love?" The vocals that go back and forth between the male and female singers, the brilliant lyrics and the way they were implemented, and the vocal melody... yeah, this is perhaps the cheesiest song the Kinks ever made, but I can't help but love it. The same can be said for "Nothing Lasts Forever" which is more or less the same idea.

"Artificial Man" is a stone cold classic. I love those vocals more than words can possibly describe. It took a few close listen to really appreciate this song, and the female vocals are again suitable and appear in all the right moments.

"Salvation Road" is a continuation of "Demolition" from the first Preservation album. You'll immediately recognize a similar chorus in both songs. I'm not a fan of lifting the same exact ideas straight from other songs and albums, but oh well, I love it all the same. The verse melody actually sounds a lot like Mott the Hoople.

"Nobody Gives" does a solid job indicating the state of the world thanks to these lyrics doing a fine job explaining a major problem we all experience. This is yet another song that really gives the album a theatrical sound. I love it, but others may not (which is quite understandable).

"Flash's Confession" is flat-out AWESOME, "Mirror of Love" reminds me of Marc Bolan of T-Rex, "Second-Hand Car Spiv" has some weird, jazzy vocals that eventually make sense, and the rest of the album contains more or less the same kind of strong songwriting quality.

Hey, not everyone likes the whole rock opera thing rock bands were doing at the time, but when the Kinks are the ones attempting it, you mine as well give it a chance.