Classics from the past…

9 October 2019

50 years ago, on 10 October 1969, British legends THE KINKS released their seventh and one of their most memorable longplayers of their career with ARTHUR (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire). Singer/songwriter Ray Davies constructed the concept album as the soundtrack to a Granada Television play and developed the storyline with novelist Julian Mitchell but in the end the TV production never came about. The whole story’s main character was based on a certain Arthur Morgan, a London carpet-layer, actually, the Davies’ brothers brother-in-law who’s real name was Arthur Anning, who moved to Australia shortly after World War II. Despite being highly praised by the UK
and the US music press the LP was not a commercial success.

AllMusic wrote: “Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) extends the British-oriented themes of Village Green Preservation Society, telling the story of a London man’s decision to move to Australia during the aftermath of World War II… It’s a detailed and loving song cycle, capturing the minutiae of suburban life, the numbing effect of bureaucracy, and the horrors of war… The music makes the words cut deeper, and the songs never stray too far from the album’s subject, making Arthur one of the most effective concept albums in rock history, as well as one of the best and most influential British pop records of its era.”
Full review here. Score: 5/5

You certainly know this key track and single…

Album in full…
(Original tracklist: #1 – #10)

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THE KINKS: All Albums – Facebook

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