Best Kinks album: Muswell Hillbillies?

Wow what a great album!

I'd been hankering after some original albums by the Kinks instead of those compilations that everyone (inc. me) has... and bought:

Kinks Kontroversy
Village Green Preservation Society
Lola vs Powerman
Preservation Act 1
Scoolboys in disgrace
Everybody's in Showbiz
Muswell Hillbillies

All very good albums, maybe Schoolboys in disgrace is a bit thin, but Muswell Hillbillies is simply fantastic, funny, brilliant....and what's more I'd never previously heard any of the songs on it! There's even one about dropping carbohydrate out of your diet and ending up like skin and bone - years before the Atkins diet hit the headlines...!!

I've always thought that the Kinks have been a bit underrated despite being a popular band, their observations and take on English life is marvellously insightful .... I rate their songwriting up there with the absolute best.

Any thoughts?

 

I found it difficult to find genuine albums too, I was very pleasantly surprised by The village green preservation society after having a couple of compilation cd's with the well known tracks on.

Thanks for the recomendations will check them out when the budget allows.

 

There are lots of reissues and remastered versions of original Kinks albums on CD on ebay (as well as hundreds of comps), the problem I have is that there are just so many that I don't know which one to go for next....but right now I'm quite tempted by 'Something Else by The Kinks' which does have a lot of classic tracks.

If I buy it I'll update this thread as and when..

 

Just bought a rather nice triple LP reissue of Village Green for Auntie's birthday (she's been after it for years, but always put off by the prices of originals). Its ace

The second two LPs are various rarities, some of them real corkers like Misty Water (until now I've only had the rather good cover of this that Billy Childish did a few years back).

 

If you've bought "Village Green Preservation Society" then you've got THE best Kink albums made.Get the 3 cd version,it's fantastic.
One of the most underrated 60s albums made.

 

Its very good indeed. I think the copy I have is an LP version of the CD you refer to. On the Look out for Muswell Hillbillies now.

 

coincidentally ... driving home yesterday, radio 2, sunny afternoon comes over, thinks me, i dont have any kinks, not even a compilation.
asda £4.97 later, double cd compilation on sanctuary, 44 songs, only a dozen of which i recognise.

 

lola vs powerman is the clear best, do not defy me

 

just do it

 

You're all wrong. Something Else is their best LP, by some distance.

-- Ian

 

It's great, but now I have 8 original albums (on CD) including 'Something Else...' I'm not so sure I could pick a winner. 'Muswell Hillbillies' is still up there, but sneaking up in my own personal ranking is 'Everybodys in Showbiz'.

Maybe when I've bought the remaining 20 or so albums and have carefully considered and cogitated for another 10 years I could come up with a firm decision!