Preservation: The Kinks' Music 1964-1974 Paperback – February 11, 2018

Well researched and fair assessment of the Kinks. Andrew Hickey has done a great job. I recommend the book along with his podcast “A History of Rock n Roll in 500 Songs” which is fantastic.

I wasn't an immediate fan of this book, but it has grown on me. In particular giving some insight into "Preservation", which a record store clerk, back in the 90's, savaged and scared me away from it for 30 years! But is there a part 2?? Can't find it...KINKS FOREVER!

Excellent and insightful review of the Kink’s prime years. Great if these are long familiar albums or if you are just being introduced to the corpus.

Because the book follows the track order of the albums, it was fun to plug my iPod into the stereo while reading Hickey's song-by-song commentary.Hickey combines informed musical analysis with snippets of information about each song, such as its origins, lyrics and analogues. The result is an informative text in which even a long-term Kompletist such as I can find a lot of interesting new material. He can be a wee bit PC (almost Queer Theorist) at times, but that's offset by the fact that he is the first commentator who has dared to suggest that Celluloid Heroes is a woeful song (comparing it - quite rightly - to Candle In The Wind).

Some valuable musical analysis in this book but the author’s judgmental tut-tutting about perceived cultural appropriation, trans-sexual insensitivity and “reactionary” worldview (please!) is boring. The insightful Rogan bio of Ray Davies is a better aid in understanding the albums and songs.

While this review did make me go back and listen to some albums I hadn't heard in a long time there was nothing new. Didn't really dig into the subject. Also am curious about the decision (other than just capping the book at a decade) not to include the last album in the Preservation Acts, Schoolboys In Disgrace.

Just expected more...worth the read for the opinions only...