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Ignored by virtually everyone upon its release in November 1968, 'The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society' is now seen as one of the best British albums ever recorded. Here, Andy Miller traces the perilous circumstances surrounding its creation, and celebrates the timeless, perfectly crafted songs pieced together by a band who were on the verge of disintegration and who refused to follow fashion. EXCERPT 'Big Sky' contains some of the most beautiful, thunderous music The Kinks ever recorded, aligned to a vulnerability and warmth no other group - and I mean no other group - could ever hope to equal. It is a perfectly balanced production. On the one hand, the mesh of clattering drums and electric guitar never threatens to overwhelm the melody; on the other, the gossamer-light harmonies, Ray and Dave's vocal line traced by Rasa Davies' wordless falsetto, are bursting with emotion. When most of the instruments drop away at 1.20, the effect is effortlessly vivid - two lines where Davies' performance is both nonchalant and impassioned. The result is wonderfully, enchantingly sad, made more so perhaps by the knowledge that The Kinks will never again sound so refined or so right.
Author
I believe books represent the best that human beings are capable of; if anything, books are superior to the human beings who create them. I hope that eventually books will become sentient and rise up like some robot army to eliminate their frail human masters. I see the e-book as the crucial first step toward that goal. I am the author of the following: * The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books (and Two Not-So-Great Ones) Saved My Life (Fourth Estate) * 33 1/3: The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society (Continuum) * Tilting at Windmills: How I Tried to Stop Worrying and Love Sport (Penguin) In addition I have edited a lot of books by other people [full list to follow]. I have also written stuff for the Times, the Telegraph, the Guardian, the Independent, Esquire, Mojo, Loops, The Second Pass and more. I live in Kent, where I am being held against my will. Please note, I am not any of the following Andy Millers: Andrew Miller, bestselling novelist, winner of the IMPAC and Costa awards, author of Pure, Ingenious Pain, Oxygen, etc. etc. Andy Miller, poet, winner of the Yeovil Literary Prize for poetry, author of While Giants Sleep Andy Miller, television script writer and actor, author of Friday Night Lights A.D. Miller, novelist, author of Booker-shortlisted thriller Snowdrops, whose Christian name is Andrew Andrew Miller, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, whatever that is Andy Miller, guitarist in Britpop band Dodgy, co-author of ‘Staying Out For The Summer’ Andrew Miller, Labour M.P. for Ellesmere Port and Neston Andrea Miller, founder of Brooklyn’s Gallim Dance company ‘Andy Miller’, concert pianist played by Gene Kelly in Jacques Demy’s 1967 film musical Les Demoiselles de Rochefort The Andy Miller on Facebook who counts “Women bringing me sandwiches” amongst his activities and interests. I am not on Facebook. I make my own sandwiches. Other Andy Millers are available.
