Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

by The Kinks

Overview

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. On paper, Arthur sounds like a pretentious mess, but Ray Davies' lyrics and insights have rarely been so graceful or deftly executed, and the music is remarkable. An edgier and harder-rocking affair than Village Green, Arthur is as multi-layered musically as it is lyrically. "Shangri-La" evolves from English folk to hard rock, "Drivin'" has a lazy grace, "Young and Innocent Days" is a lovely, wistful ballad, "Some Mother's Son" is one of the most uncompromising antiwar songs ever recorded, while "Victoria" and "Arthur" rock with simple glee. 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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/25/2019
Label:	Sanctuary / Sanctuary Records
UPC:	4050538513103
Rank:	122838

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Kinks   Primary Artist
Arthur & the Emigrants   Primary Artist
Dave Davies   Harmonica,Keyboards,Lead Guitar,Lead Vocals,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background),Vocals,Guitar
Peter Quaife   Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Mick Avory   Drums,Percussion
John Dalton   Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
John Gosling   Keyboards
Ray Davies   Guitar,Vocals,Harmonica,Keyboards,Lead Vocals,Featured Artist,Guitar (Rhythm)
Dave Davis   Guitar,Vocals

Technical Credits

Dave Davies   Arranger,Composer
Alan MacKenzie   Engineer
Shel Talmy   Producer
Andrew Sandoval   Mixing,Remixing
Mick Avory   Arranger,Studio Personnel
The Kinks   Composer
John Dalton   Arranger
Vic Maile   Engineer
Ray Davies   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Mike Bobak   Engineer
Brian Humphries   Engineer