The Village Green Preservation Society

15 tracks
	Side one "The Village Green Preservation Society"; "Do You Remember Walter?"; "Picture Book"; "Johnny Thunder"; "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains"; "Big Sky"; "Sitting by the Riverside"; Side two "Animal Farm"; "Village Green"; "Starstruck"; "Phenomenal Cat"; "All of My Friends Were There"; "Wicked Annabella"; "Monica"; "People Take Pictures of Each Other";

"The Village Green Preservation Society"
	File:The Village Green Preservation Society Single.jpg
Single by The Kinks
from the album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
B-side	"Do You Remember Walter?" (US); "Picture Book" (Denmark)
Released	November 1968
Recorded	August 1968
Genre	Folk rock
Length	2:49
Label	Reprise
Writer(s)	Ray Davies
Producer(s)	Ray Davies
The Kinks singles chronology
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society track listing
15 tracks
	Side one "The Village Green Preservation Society"; "Do You Remember Walter?"; "Picture Book"; "Johnny Thunder"; "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains"; "Big Sky"; "Sitting by the Riverside"; Side two "Animal Farm"; "Village Green"; "Starstruck"; "Phenomenal Cat"; "All of My Friends Were There"; "Wicked Annabella"; "Monica"; "People Take Pictures of Each Other";

"The Village Green Preservation Society" is a single by the British rock group The Kinks. Written by Ray Davies, the song is a nostalgic reflection on cultural English "village green", country, and hamlet lifestyle, and references many different characteristics and features of it, such as Tudor houses and draught beer. At the same time, it speaks negatively of modern, industrial traits, such as office blocks and skyscrapers.

As the opening track of The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, it sets the theme for the majority of the rest of the album. It is also, according to AllMusic, the best-known track from the album.^[1]

The song has been part of the Kinks' live setlist. The song inspired the band's slogan, "God Save the Kinks".^[1]

Reception

"The Village Green Preservation Society" generally received positive reviews. Rolling Stone magazine praised the songs vocals and stated that "the tune, the rhythm, are more of a delight with each verse".^[2] AllMusic's Stewart Mason felt that the song was "one of Davies' sweetest creations", but felt that it is overrated and not as successful lyrically as 1967's "Autumn Almanac".^[1]

The song was the second single released in America from The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (the first being "Starstruck"), but it did not chart.

Album appearances

Studio albums

The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society

Live albums

The Kinks at the BBC
To the Bone
Live in London: 1973–1977

Compilation albums

The Kink Kronikles
Picture Book

Personnel

Ray Davies – lead vocals, guitar, keyboard^[3]
Dave Davies – acoustic guitar, backing vocals^[3]
Pete Quaife – bass guitar, backing vocals ^[3]
Mick Avory – drums^[3]

References

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[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e The Kinks
Ray Davies Dave Davies Mick Avory Pete Quaife John Dalton Gordon Edwards Ian Gibbons John Gosling Mark Haley Bob Henrit Andy Pyle Jim Rodford Nicky Hopkins Shel Talmy
Studio albums	Kinks Kinda Kinks The Kink Kontroversy Face to Face Something Else by The Kinks The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One Muswell Hillbillies Everybody's in Show-Biz Preservation Act 1 Preservation Act 2 Soap Opera Schoolboys in Disgrace Sleepwalker Misfits Low Budget Give the People What They Want State of Confusion Word of Mouth Think Visual UK Jive Phobia
Live albums	Live at Kelvin Hall One for the Road Live: The Road To the Bone
EPs	Kinksize Session Kwyet Kinks
Compilations	Kinks-Size Kinkdom Greatest Hits! Well Respected Kinks Sunny Afternoon The Kink Kronikles The Great Lost Kinks Album The Kinks Are Well Respected Men Lost & Found (1986–1989) The Ultimate Collection Picture Book
Unreleased projects	Four More Respected Gentlemen A Hole in the Sock of (Dave Davies)
Stage	Sunny Afternoon (musical)
Related articles	Discography Band members Konk The Kast Off Kinks Argent X-Ray Percy Do It Again Give the People What We Want: Songs of The Kinks
Book Category Portal WikiProject

v t e The Kinks singles discography
UK and US singles 1960s	1964 "Long Tall Sally" "You Still Want Me" "You Really Got Me" "All Day and All of the Night" 1965 "Tired of Waiting for You" "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy" "Set Me Free" "See My Friends" "Who'll Be the Next in Line" "A Well Respected Man" "Till the End of the Day" 1966 "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" "Sunny Afternoon" "Dead End Street" 1967 "Mister Pleasant" "Waterloo Sunset" "Death of a Clown" (Dave Davies solo) "Autumn Almanac" "Susannah's Still Alive" (Dave Davies solo) 1968 "Wonderboy" "Days" "Lincoln County" (Dave Davies solo) 1969 "Starstruck" "Hold My Hand" (Dave Davies solo) "Plastic Man" "Drivin'" "The Village Green Preservation Society" "Shangri-La" "Victoria"
UK and US singles 1970s	1970 "Lola" "Apeman" 1971 "God's Children" "20th Century Man" 1972 "Supersonic Rocket Ship" "Celluloid Heroes" 1973 "One of the Survivors" "Sitting in the Midday Sun" "Sweet Lady Genevieve" "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" 1974 "Money Talks" "Mirror of Love" "Mirror of Love" (Band Version) "Holiday Romance" "Preservation" 1975 "Everybody's a Star (Starmaker)" "Ducks on the Wall" "You Can't Stop the Music" 1976 "I'm in Disgrace" "No More Looking Back" 1977 "Sleepwalker" "Juke Box Music" "Father Christmas" 1978 "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" "Live Life" "Black Messiah" 1979 "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" "A Gallon of Gas" "Catch Me Now I'm Falling" "Moving Pictures" "Pressure"
UK and US singles 1980s	1980 "Lola" (live) "You Really Got Me" (live) 1981 "Better Things" "Destroyer" "Predictable" 1982 "Come Dancing" 1983 "Don't Forget to Dance" 1984 "Good Day" "Do It Again" 1985 "Living on a Thin Line" (Radio Promo only) "Summer's Gone" 1986 "Rock 'n' Roll Cities" "How Are You" 1987 "Lost and Found" 1988 "The Road" 1989 "Down All the Days (Till 1992)"
UK and US singles 1990s	1990 "How Do I Get Close" 1993 "Only a Dream" "Scattered"
Notable Non-UK/US Singles	1966 "Dandy" (Europe) 1969 "Picture Book" (Australia) "Australia" (Australia) 1983 "State of Confusion" (Germany) 1991 "Did Ya" (Europe)
Other Selected Songs	"Bald Headed Woman" "Stop Your Sobbing" "I Need You" "I Go to Sleep" "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" "Big Black Smoke" "Party Line" "Rosie Won't You Please Come Home" "Love Me Till the Sun Shines" "David Watts" "Two Sisters" "Polly" "She's Got Everything" "Do You Remember Walter?" "Johnny Thunder" "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains" "Big Sky" "Sitting by the Riverside" "Animal Farm" "Village Green" "Phenomenal Cat" "All of My Friends Were There" "Wicked Annabella" "Monica" "People Take Pictures of Each Other" "Berkeley Mews" "Mr. Churchill Says" "Strangers" "This Time Tomorrow" "Rats" "Got to Be Free" "Have a Cuppa Tea" "Oklahoma U.S.A." "Muswell Hillbilly" "Sitting in My Hotel" "The Hard Way" "Life Goes On" "Misfits" "Attitude" "Low Budget" "Give the People What They Want" "Heart of Gold" "Long Distance"

The Village Green Preservation Society

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Reception

Album appearances

Personnel

References

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