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

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Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) cover
Studio album by The Kinks
Released October 10, 1969
Recorded Pye Studios, 1969
Genre Rock
Length 49:18
Label Pye Records (UK),
Reprise Records (US),
Sanctuary Records (2004 reissue)
Producer(s) Ray Davies
Professional reviews
The Kinks chronology
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
(1968)		 Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
(1969)		 Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One
(1970)


Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) is a concept album by English rock band The Kinks, released in late 1969. The album followed a rough period for the band, with the commercial failure of the critically acclaimed concept album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, its follow up single "Plastic Man", and the departure of founding member Pete Quaife. Songwriter Ray Davies constructed the album as the soundtrack to a planned television play, which was never produced but whose storyline had been developed in collaboration with Julian Mitchell. Mitchell recently recalled: "Arthur had a most unhappy history...we got as far as casting (excellent director and actors) and finding locations and were about to go when the producer went to a production meeting without a proper budget, tried to flannel his way through it, was immediately sussed and the production pulled. I have never been able to forgive the man."

The story is based on Davies' brother-in-law Arthur, who emigrated from England to Australia with his wife Rose (Ray and Dave's older sister) in the early 1960s. The lead character Arthur is a carpet layer, and he and his family's plight in the opportunity-poor setting of post-war England is depicted. The songs describe the England that Arthur once knew, the promise of life in Australia for one of his sons, the emptiness of his superficially comfortable life in his home "Shangri-La", the resolve of the British people in World War II and the death of his brother in World War I, among other things. Many of the songs (such as "Victoria" and "Brainwashed") represent a strong return to Rock and Roll by the Kinks, which they had largely forgone during the 1966-1968 period.

The album was critically acclaimed at the time of release, especially in the US rock press. It was very favorably compared to Tommy by The Who, the highly successful rock opera released earlier in the year. Arthur was a moderate commercial success, and was seen as something of a turnaround from The Kinks' commercial failures of 1968. It also set the stage for their return to touring the US in late 1969 (after a five year absence), and for even greater commercial success with the hit song "Lola" the following year. In their special issue commemorating the year 1969, Guitar World magazine ranked it as one of the greatest albums of the year.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Ray Davies, except as noted.

  1. "Victoria" – 3:40
  2. "Yes Sir, No Sir" – 3:46
  3. "Some Mother's Son" – 3:25
  4. "Drivin'" – 3:21
  5. "Brainwashed" – 2:34
  6. "Australia" – 6:46
  7. "Shangri-La" – 5:20
  8. "Mr. Churchill Says" – 4:42
  9. "She Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina" – 3:07
  10. "Young And Innocent Days" – 3:21
  11. "Nothing To Say" – 3:08
  12. "Arthur" – 5:27

[edit] Bonus tracks on CD reissues

  1. "Plastic Man (Mono Version)" – 3:04
  2. "King Kong (Mono Version" – 3:23
  3. "Drivin' (Mono Version)" – 3:12
  4. "Mindless Child of Motherhood (Mono Version)" (Dave Davies) – 3:16
  5. "This Man He Weeps Tonight (Mono Version)" (Dave Davies) – 2:42
  6. "Plastic Man (Stereo Version)" – 3:04
  7. "Mindless Child of Motherhood (Stereo Version)" (Dave Davies) – 3:16
  8. "This Man He Weeps Tonight (Stereo Version)" (Dave Davies) – 2:42
  9. "She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina (Mono Version)" – 3:07
  10. "Mr. Shoemaker's Daughter" – 3:08

[edit] Song Notes

  • Dave Davies has stated in interviews that he feels "Shangri-La" to be one of the best songs ever written by Ray Davies.
  • The single version of "Victoria" failed to crack the top 40 on the American Billboard Pop Singles chart, but was a top 40 hit in both the UK and Canada, and charted in the top ten in Sweden.

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Production

  • Ray Davies - Producer
  • Lew Warburton - Conductor
  • Andrew Hendriksen - Engineer
  • Brian Humphries - Engineer on "Drivin'"
  • Bob Lawrie - Album art
  • Recorded at Pye Studios, London
The Kinks
Ray Davies – Dave Davies – Bob Henrit – Pete Quaife – Ian Gibbons – Mick Avory – Jim Rodford
John Gosling – John Dalton – Andy Pyle – Gordon Edwards
Discography
Albums: The Kinks (1964) - Kinda Kinks (1965) - The Kink Kontroversy (1966) - Face to Face (1966) - Something Else by the Kinks (1967) - The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968) - Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (1969) - Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One (1970) - Muswell Hillbillies (1971) - Everybody's in Show-Biz (1972) - Sleepwalker (1977) - Misfits (1978) - Low Budget (1979) - Give the People What They Want (1981) - State of Confusion (1983)
Songs: "You Really Got Me" – "Waterloo Sunset" – "Lola"
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