I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Admittedly, I was expecting it to be kind of boring, but every song on here is genuinely fresh and enjoyable.

best metal album of the 60s

Gotta agree with hairymarx. Doesn't matter whether you enjoy pop or not, Ray Davies was the best at what he did - pop songs.

I'm not going to pretend I'm a fan of this kind of whimsical lightweight, albeit catchy and well written/arranged pop music. But for what it is, objectively speaking, it is relatively far superior to almost anything the Beatles ever did and, moreover, Ray Davies was a far greater talent than either Lennon/McCartney.

It's time to break down and replace that beat up LP. The digital version will be a treat.

This album makes me want to move to a small English country town. Clever lyrics, underrated melodies.

This is actually a comment to the deluxe version of the album!

When I heard about the deluxe version of this great album I was really thrilled. Finally all those great songs that never found their way onto the original album would see the light of day, in the right context on an official Kinks release.

The original album is a classic in itself and it is featured in versions with their different tracklistings - mono and stereo versions. These great songs have never sounded better.

Real excitement for me, though, comes with the extensive list of the bonus tracks and rarities. Many of the well-known songs are found in previously unreleased versions, and quite a few have never been released on CD or even vinyl before.

In early 1968 the Kinks had an album ready for the American market called "Four More Respected Gentlemen". The album was cancelled, and some of these songs were never released on an official Kinks album. Now they are here. Great songs like "Berkely Mews", "Mr Songbird", "Rosemary Rose", "Misty Water", "Did You See His Name" etc.

Some rarities come from TV-series, Dave Davies' unreleased album or singles; and a few are simply outtakes that have never been finished for release. Most of these gems are of the same high standards as the original "Village Green" songs. It`s incredible how Ray Davies managed to write such an amount of great songs over such a short period of time, and that the Kinks managed to arrange and record them.

There is a fine informative booklet with recent interview-comments from the Kinks and notes to all the bonus tracks.

This is not meant as a negative comment, but there are still quite a few Kinks rarities that have not yet been released; some of them would have fitted in nicely on this release. Maybe some day there will be another Kinks deluxe edition, where songs like "Pictures in the Sand", "Till Death Do Us Part", "When I Turn Off the Living Room Light" and the unreleased Dave Davies songs would fit in.

Anyway, this is a timeless classic at any rate.

@Donald Discoboy: I don’t disagree that The Kinks are very much about Ray Davis song writing, catching tunes, fun rock and roll, and not really much else. But think it's ridiculous to rate music based on a certain criteria, especially one as vague as "musical arrangements". I'm never really impressed by the band's performance on Bob Dylan's album, but should that stop them from getting a 10/10? Hell no.

"Village Green Preservation Society" is the Kinks' masterwork. Described as "a concept album lamenting the passing of old-fashioned English traditions". The creative processes was against the prevailing musical climate in 1968. Opening with the title track, the tone of the album is set. A whimsical album containing catchy songs with stunning arrangements and clever lyrics. There's a cozy warmth to this album. A collection of wistful tunes. This charming album reflects a time of innocence and optimism that was soon to erode away. The Kinks at their creative height.

Best Tracks: Picture book, The Village green preservation society.