After our Waterloo Sunset interlude the other day, the hardwaxing (nostalgic) staff couldn’t get the Kinks out of our mind’s ear. Especially their greatest album, Arthur.

From AllMusic:

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) extends the British-oriented themes of Village Green Preservation Society, telling the story of a London man’s decision to move to Australia during the aftermath of World War II. It’s a detailed and loving song cycle, capturing the minutiae of suburban life, the numbing effect of bureaucracy, and the horrors of war. On paper, Arthur sounds like a pretentious mess, but Ray Davies’ lyrics and insights have rarely been so graceful or deftly executed, and the music is remarkable.

Such as this getaway tune:

Or this getaway-even-farther one:

But this is the one that gets us the most.

Granted, Ray Davies is no Rupert Brooke or Wilfred Owen. But damn, his stuff was good.