Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rock 'N Roll Monument, August 6, 2004
Customer reviews are certainly no place for bickering and personalized debate, but I really must dispute the astounding assertions of a few reviews below. There can be no question that this album serves as both a fantastic starting place for novices as well as one of the top 20 rock albums of all time. Never mind the defining single, "Lola." This album also features the fullest sound The Kinks yet achieved with blistering rockers like Dave's "Rats" or Ray's "Top of the Pops" and "Powerman." It is also the band's most varied album; one of the rare moments at which both Dave and Ray were at the top of their games as songwriters and musicians. Equally as engaging as the rockers are Dave's enchantingly fragile "Strangers" -- the best song he ever wrote -- and Ray's striking and forgotten piano ballad, "A Long Way From Home" or the slightly more aggressive "Get Back Into The Line." "Lola Versus Powerman and the Money-go-Round" is the one Kinks album that comprises every aspect of the band's well-deserved reputation: both the rough edges and the gentle heart, the ability of Dave to write with just as much poignancy as his prolific older brother, and Ray's knack for writing an album whose music is not compromised by its focus on a linear narrative. "Schoolboys in Disgrace" and the Preservation Act albums would demonstrate just how delicate a line Ray toted when he gave in to his artistic craving for plot rock: the albums betrayed musicianship in favor of the characters and stories it adorned. But "Lola . . ." and the equally intense "Muswell Hillbillies" extended the unique accomplishments of prior concept albums, "Village Green" and "Arthur." This 1970 landmark is every bit the rock 'n roll destination that so many critics and mature listeners claim it is, and suggestions to the contrary derive only from those who weren't there or fail to connect with the distinctly literary rock Ray and Dave cranked out over the decades.
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Yes, it's number 1, it's Top of the Pops", March 6, 2000
When Ray Davies decided to write albums (starting with Face to Face), the Kinks began a run of amazing albums that ended with this album (Muswell Hillbillies was good, but didn't hold a candle to this). As a "concept" album, there's none better, but, forget the concept and just appreciate some of the finest songwriting you're ever likely to hear. Great melodies, great themes, humor, pathos, love...Davies proves his mastery of the art of songwriting. It's useless to compare these guys to anyone else - they are so totally unique. Sure, its got Lola, simply one of the coolest songs ever written, but that's only a teaser. A Long Way From Home, Strangers, This Time Tomorrow, etc., are poignant, wonderful songs. If you want love songs, you'll need to look elsewhere. These songs concern themselves with the hypocracy of the music business and the travel, pressure and lonliness that goes with it. Never has been a more poignant commentary, and probably more true today than then.It's also worth noting that this Ray Davies produced album is sonically very fine, and the band is never tighter. I don't know how anyone could really expect more from a pop album than this one delivers.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great music but also a great story, December 12, 2001
By A Customer
The music here is pretty much exellent which you can tell from most of the other reviews. The one thing that I had trouble finding out about when i was thinking about buying this was the story told w/ in the album. There is a great story here. The basic story is a follows:A group or artist is trying to make it big in the music buisness because he/they are frustrated w/ all of the other options and wants to "get out of this world" (intro/contenders). He then meets either other members of the band or a girlfriend when he comes to the city to try to make it big (Strangers). After this he tries to get a publisher where is amazed by the lack of intrist by them and they way they don't care about music at all (Denmark Street). Now, he tries to make a hit but keeps getting knocked down by the high ups in the buisness (Get Back In Line). Then one day he his down and goes to a bar where he gets his insperation for his big hit, a cross dresser named lola (Lola). Lola becomes a hit and the song climbs the charts w/ other normal hit makers (Top Of The Pops). He/they is/are now rich. This causes more problems as everyone from old friends to soliciters are bugging him for money (moneygoround). He now worries about what will happen to him and the pressure that the music buis is putting on him (this time tomorrow). he realizes that he is actually a long war away from his original goal (lonh way from home) now he becomes very cynical and sees all of the horrible people in the world as well as the horrible record execs trying to make him only make pop music and nothing creative(rats) he wants to get away from all of civilazation w/ his girl and live happily ever after (apeman) he tries to get out of his contract but gets knocked down by his publisher (powerman) he now realizes that he all he wants is to be free and will try anything to get it (got to be free) we are not shown if and how he will achieve his gola but the end of the song has a line from the first songs saying "got to get out of this life...got to be free" This story amazed me when i first heard it (it sounds a lot better from the songs then from my words)the music is amazing the story is entertaining and this goes up as one of the best concept albums every made...enjoy this for its variety and its smart use of imagination
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by The Kinks 
