Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

A concept album about an ordinary man and the empire he outlived, written for a television play that never aired.
The Kinks, 1969

Released: 10 October 1969
Recorded: May to July 1969
Studio: Pye Studios, London
Label: Pye (UK), Reprise (US)
Producer: Ray Davies
Length: 49:17

The songs were first meant as the soundtrack to a Granada Television play written with Julian Mitchell, but the play was never produced. Arthur was modelled on Ray's brother-in-law Arthur, and his sister Rose had emigrated to Australia in 1964. Recording began on 1 May 1969, with a trip to Beirut in the middle of May. It was the first Kinks album with John Dalton on bass and the last released in mono.

It reached 105 on Billboard but did not chart in Britain. The lead single "Victoria" reached number 62 in America and also reached the British chart. Rolling Stone's Mike Daly called the album Ray Davies' finest hour. Louder wrote that it was pipped to the rock opera post by the Who's Tommy.

Track listing

Victoria3:40
Yes Sir, No Sir3:46
Some Mother's Son3:25
Drivin'3:21
Brainwashed2:34
Australia6:46
Shangri-La5:20
Mr. Churchill Says4:42
She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina3:07
Young and Innocent Days3:21
Nothing to Say3:08
Arthur5:27

Personnel

Ray Davies vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
Dave Davies lead guitar, vocals
John Dalton bass
Mick Avory drums
Lew Warburton string and horn arrangements
Andrew Hendriksen engineer
Brian Humphries engineer on Drivin'

More from The Kinks

Kinks (1964), The Kink Kontroversy (1965), Kinda Kinks (1965), Face to Face (1966), Something Else by the Kinks (1967), The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968), Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One (1970), Muswell Hillbillies (1971), Low Budget (1979), State of Confusion (1983)

Sources

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), Wikipedia
Kinks Arthur comes of age, Louder
The Kinks Arthur, master release, Discogs