Preserve your dignity and give all your money to charity by clicking here... Gestation Act 1 Overall Album Score: 6.8 out of 10 If you call yourself a rock-and-roll fan, you cannot ignore the Kinks. They have few superiors. However, Preservation Act 1 is a Kinks album that can be ignored! Ever since The Kinks started making concept albums with Face to Face, they have been charming, tuneful, and highly entertaining. Preservation Act 1 is the first Kinks album that has none of these qualities. Of course, Ray Davies' songwriting talent didn't go completely into the crapper ... there are still a few pretty good tunes on here. But I'll be darned if I find a moment on here that has even a lick of entertainment The Kinks had only an album ago. They used to be so entertaining so often! And this album is really just dull. I'll just consider this one a mistake and move on. I'm too depressed to really want to talk about this. The Kinks, which I was pretty sure were akin to Superman of the music industry, finally proved to me that even they are mortal! ... This is one of the worst albums they've ever done. Insipid and uninspired. Blah! Overall Album Score: 6.8 out of 10 (As someone who usually considers himself to be a great Kinks fan, I think it would be the wisest decision for me just to ignore this.) Average Song Score: 7.3 (Dis-a-point-ing!) Album Tilt: 6.5 (Boring! Of all things, I can't believe that "boring" is a word to describe a Kinks album ... especially just after that great run of albums they'd been having!) Artist Rating: 6.5 (Pathetic! ... The concept isn't even that good! ... Albeit, I realize that there is another part to it.) Track Reviews Preservation 7/10 The tune is all right! It might not be up to The Kinks' usual standards, but compared to the rest of the music industry, it's still pretty dang good! Unfortunately, the instrumentation comes off as a bit sloppy ... and the song seems a bit hollow to me. Morning Song 7/10 A bit of a goofy operatic thing ... Uhhhhh ... is this supposed to be a comedy? ... Whatever. I think it deserves some credit, at least, but it means absolutely nothing! Daylight 8/10 Whew! ... As far as the melody writing goes, Ray Davies still has it together! ... I can't help but be totally disappointed with everything else about the song. It seems thrown together! In most of their previous albums, The Kinks were so precise about everything! Sweet Lady Genevieve 8.5/10 One of the album's better melodies ... again, it seems that it was put together a bit hastily. It might have been made 'priceless' ... it's dispensable the way it is. But the melody is really good, so there's nothing really to complain about here. There's a Change in the Weather 6.5/10 Oh, wow! ... Now, I won't pretend that this song isn't listenable, but ... crap! In parts, there isn't even much of a melody to speak of! And, during the song's melodic moments, it's too caught up in cheap theatrics to mean anything. This should be a wee bit embarrassing for the band. Where Are They Now? 8/10 Much better ... At least it doesn't seem too hastily thrown together! The melody is really good, and the song is rather enjoyable. It ain't special, though ... there's no Kinks Klassics residing around this joint. One of the Survivors 7.5/10 This is a fairly punchy (and crunchy) little number that revisits good old Johnny Thunder! ...... Eh ... This is supposed to be a concept album, isn't it? Excuse me if I can't get excited about the concept when I can't get excited over the music! Bah! Cricket 6.5/10 Even the ragtime (which seems leftover from Muswell Hillbillies) is less-than-exhilarating. The tune isn't that catchy, and the song's plodding is dull. Total blah. Money and Corruption/I Am Your Man 7/10 Again, the melody is pretty good, but the song itself isn't great whatsoever ... it's so danged unfocused. The harmonies are usually quite peculiar ... that and the instrumentation also sound very ill put together. This is another relative disappointment. But, again, the melody saves this one. Here Comes Flash 6.5/10 The melody is good (clearly theatric with strong elements of Gilbert & Sullivan) ... But!!!! ARRRRRGH!!!!! Why couldn't they have just spent a little more time with it? This isn't very enjoyable. This all is just frustrating! Sitting in the Midday Sun 8.5/10 Certainly, this is one of the best songs on the album ... it doesn't even seem that hastily put together! It would have fit rather well with The Kinks' The Village Green Preservation Society ... this is actually nearly excellent! Woohoo! Demolition 6/10 Ever since Kinda Kinks, I have never been this bored through a Kinks album! And, "Demolition," the last song on the album, is as bad as any of them! The song's placing is absolutely plodding. The melody isn't that great. And I'm just left to be bored. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORED!!!!!!!!!!!! You bore me, Ray. Seriously. Preserve your thoughts on the 'Net forever by sending me a comment about this album here! Mastertrunks3000@aol.com (Hunter) received Dec. 4, 2004 you suck! I'm sorry that you don't appreciate Ray Davies rock opera. I honestly think I'm the only one in this world that likes the album! It is strange but that does not change how good it is! Don Ignacio responds: ...I liked all those other Ray Davies concept albums/rock operas. This is the only one I don't like! ... My eye-lids are filling with tears.

All reviews are copyrighted by Michael Lawrence. He's in search of new dreams.