Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) was released in October 1969. Kinks frontman Ray Davies constructed the concept album as the soundtrack to a Granada Television play and developed the storyline with novelist Julian Mitchell; however, the television programme was cancelled and never produced. The rough plot revolved around Arthur Morgan, a carpet-layer, who was based on Ray Davies’ brother-in-law Arthur Anning. Arthur was met with almost unanimous acclaim upon release. It received generous coverage in the US rock press, with articles running in underground magazines such as Fusion and The Village Voice. It garnered back-to-back reviews by Mike Daly…
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…and Greil Marcus in Rolling Stone magazine’s lead section; Daly rated it as “the Kinks’ finest hour”, and Marcus went so far as to call it “the best British album of 1969?. Reviews in the UK were also positive. Although it received a mixed review in New Musical Express, Disc & Music Echo praised the album’s musical integrity, and Melody Maker called it “Ray Davies’ finest hour … beautifully British to the core”.
The album, although not very successful commercially, was a return to the charts in the US for The Kinks. Their critically well-received previous effort, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, failed to chart in any country upon its release in 1968, with total US sales estimated at under 25,000 copies. The Kinks returned to the Billboard charts in 1969 after a two year absence, with the lead single from the record, “Victoria”, peaking at number 62.
Despite its moderate sales, Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) paved the way for the massive success of their 1970 comeback album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part OneLola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One and its accompanying US and UK Top 5 hit “Lola”.
This 2-CD expanded edition comes with deluxe packaging containing Mono and Stereo mixes as well as unreleased material, alternative versions, BBC sessions and short interviews, all re-mastered from original tapes by well-known Kinks archivist Andrew Sandoval. The booklet was designed by award winning art director Phil Smee, comes packed with rare and unreleased images from the era.
CD1:
1. Victoria
2. Yes Sir, No Sir
3. Some Mother’s Son
4. Drivin’
5. Brainwashed
6. Australia
7. Shangri-La
8. Mr Churchill Says
9. She’s Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina
10. Young And Innocent Days
11. Nothing To Say
12. Arthur
13. Plastic Man
14. This Man He Weeps Tonight
15. Mindless Child Of Motherhood
16. Creeping Jean
17. Lincoln County
18. Hold My Hand
19. Victoria [BBC Version]
20. Mr Churchill Says [BBC Version]
21. Arthur [BBC Version]
CD2
1. Victoria
2. Yes Sir, No Sir
3. Some Mother’s Son
4. Drivin’
5. Brainwashed
6. Australia
7. Shangri-La
8. Mr Churchill Says
9. She’s Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina
10. Young And Innocent Days
11. Nothing To Say
12. Arthur
13. Plastic Man [Stereo Mix]
14. This Man He Weeps Tonight [Stereo Mix]
15. Drivin’ [Alternate Mix]
16. Mindless Child Of Motherhood [Stereo Mix]
17. Hold My Hand [Stereo Mix]
18. Lincoln County [Stereo Mix]
19. Mr Shoemaker’s Daughter
20. Mr Reporter [Stereo Mix]
21. Shangri La [Backing Track]
