Description
1 Announcement - 0:41
2 Introduction to Solution - 2:43
3 When a Solution Comes - 3:40
4 Money Talks - 3:44
5 Announcement 2. - 0:55
6 Shepherds of the Nation - 4:17
7 Scum of the Earth - 2:45
8 Second-Hand Car Spiv - 4:01
9 He's Evil - 4:25
10 Mirror of Love - 3:26
11 Announcement 3. - 0:34
12 Nobody Gives - 6:33
13 Oh Where Oh Where Is Love? - 3:40
14 Flash's Dream (The Final Elbow) - 4:17
15 Flash's Confession - 4:06
16 Nothing Lasts Forever - 3:42
17 Announcement 4 - 0:20
18 Artificial Man - 5:30
19 Scrapheap City - 3:16
20 Announcement 5 - 1:05
21 Salvation Road - 3:20
22 Mirror of Love [*] - 3:29
23 Slum Kids (Take 1) - 6:26
More info
Certainly not the worst Kinks album, as many have called this. No, that honor goes to Soap Opera. Preservation Act 2, though sprawling and stretched, is a fantastic piece of music hall send-up with numerous lost gems. One of the most obvious differences between this and other Kinks albums is the seeming lack of singles. Not every band feels the need to create singles, and obviously Ray realized he had more than filled his hit single quota in the sixties. And so he created an album-oriented rock opus, a collection of beautiful pop songs under the guise of a gaudy rock opera. Ray's shattered genius shines through on tracks like 'He's Evil,' the epic 'Nobody Gives,' and the ironic closer 'Salvation Road,' among others. And one certainly can't forget Davies' bandmates. Dave Davies, Mick Avory, John Dalton, and John Gosling all turn in a stellar performance, and certainly deserve kudos for sticking with Ray even as he collapsed into a series of nervous breakdowns on tour. The only thing pulling this down is the inclusion of the annoying 'Announcements' sprinkled throughout.