Album Project update - I've listened to 'Preservation Act 1' (1973) and 'Preservation Act 2' (1974). I've listened to them quite a few times, once with the CD inlays to try and understand exactly what's going on! The thing about these albums, you see, is that they're basically one very long rock opera. Ray Davies wrote it to create a musical extravaganza with some of the same themes as 'Village Green', though it's much darker. It was originally supposed to be released as a double album but due to various problems it was released in two 'Acts', one of which (the second) contains most of the storyline. Without knowing who's singing the songs and what the scene is, some of it doesn't make sense. It would be brilliant to see the whole thing performed. But due to its length, they never played all the songs in concert, just a cut down version. I'd have loved to have seen them in costume as Mr Flash and his cronies, though.

I will try to explain what's going on...

1. Morning Song (CHORUS) - an opening with no words.
2. Daylight (CHORUS) - sets the scene - there's the village green, the sun rising, everyone getting up and going to work...
3. Sweet Lady Genevieve (TRAMP) - a drunken tramp full of regret longs for his Genevieve.
4. There's A Change In The Weather (WORKING CLASS MAN, MIDDLE CLASS MAN, UPPER CLASS MAN) - some sort of change is on the way - will it be a change for the better or a terrible calamity?
5. Where Are They Now? (TRAMP) - a song about change, basically.
6. One Of The Survivors (JOHNNY THUNDER & CHORUS) - one of the characters from 'Village Green', he stays the same though the world changes around him.
7. Cricket (THE VICAR) - we see the traditional sermonising of the vicar, old fashioned and somewhat comforting.
8. Money & Corruption/I Am Your Man (CHORUS & MR BLACK) - there's unrest as people grow fed up of crooked politicians. Mr Black steps in and says he can put things right.
9. Here Comes Flash (CHORUS & SCARED HOUSEWIVES) - oh no, the evil Mr Flash is on the way! He is the personification of the evil that Mr Black is so against...
10. Sitting In The Midday Sun (TRAMP) - still cheerful, the Tramp sings that things aren't so bad as long as you can sit in the sunshine.
11. Demolition (FLASH & HIS CRONIES) - they're knocking everything down and building cheap houses to line their pockets. Boo!
12. Announcement - Mr Black has formed a People's Army to overthrow Mr Flash.
13. Introduction to Solution (TRAMP) - Mr Black is waiting for the right moment to strike, Mr Flash is in his den drinking. A battle is looming!
14. When A Solution Comes (MR BLACK) - in his attic, Mr Black bides his time. He plans to change the world!
15. Money Talks (FLASH, FLOOSIES & SPIVS) - Mr Flash sings about how you can corrupt anyone with money.
16. Announcement - Mr Black is to address the people.
17. Shepherds Of The Nation (MR BLACK & THE DO-GOODERS) - Mr Black tells the people of the puritanical moral standards that are needed to fix things.
18. Scum Of The Earth (FLASH, FLOOSIES & SPIVS) - Mr Flash sings about how he's only human... Good and evil exist in all of us.
19. Secondhand Car Spiv (FLASH, FLOOSIES & SPIVS) - Mr Flash came up from the gutter and now he's in charge of the country.
20. He's Evil (MR BLACK & FOLLOWERS) - a party political broadcast about how Mr Flash is evil!
21. Mirror Of Love (BELLE) - a song by Flash's special floosie. She loves him even though he's cruel.
22. Announcement - Mr Black and the People's Army have won a major victory.
23. Nobody Gives (TRAMP) - the normally cheerful tramp despairs. People never give unless they get something in return.
24. Oh Where Oh Where Is Love? (TRAMP & THE DO-GOODERS) - what happened to love, hope, sympathy and trust, faith, joy in simplicity, regard and respect? Why's the world become so BAD?
25. Flash's Dream (FLASH) - after a hard day campaigning, with Mr Black and his army closing in on him, Flash dreams that he is visited by his soul. It warns him that his end is nigh...
26. Flash's Confession (FLASH) - following the dream, Flash confesses all the evil he's done, all his cruelty, ego and conceit.
27. Nothing Lasts Forever (FLASH & BELLE) - on the run, Flash turns to Belle for help. They agree to go their separate ways.
28. Announcement - Mr Flash is captured by Mr Black and the People's Army!
29. Artificial Man (FLASH, MR BLACK & MAD SCIENTIST) - Mr Flash is taken to a secret hideout to have his brain cleansed and his mind conditioned. If the only way to make the world perfect is to mess with everyone's minds then it doesn't sound like such a perfect world...
30. Scrapheap City (BELLE & THE FLOOSIES) - Mr Black's new world is featureless and, ultimately, less appealing than Mr Flash's corrupt old world.
31. Announcement - a state of emergency is declared, with curfews, rationing, the closure of places of public entertainment, TV and radio stations.
32. Salvation Road (EVERYBODY) - the people got what they wanted. There's an end to corruption. Everyone's the same. But there's no freedom, only fear...

So there you go. I haven't done it justice in this brief summary. The basis of the story is that to start with you think Flash is evil, Mr Black is good. But gradually you see that Mr Black is more evil than Flash was! It probably would have worked a bit better if it hadn't been released as two Acts, since it is fairly disjointed, but, well, it's amazing. :)

Labels: 1973, 1974, Album Project, Preservation Act 1, Preservation Act 2, The Kinks

posted by Fiery Fred @ 3:16 PM