Tommy or Arthur?

I don't know Arthur......so I voted Tommy.

fuxi wrote: I agree. Unfortunately, I have never heard ARTHUR in its entirety, so I cannot vote in your poll. However, the tracks I HAVE heard (i.e. those included in the PICTUREBOOK box set, which came out a few years ago) fully justify the Kinks' status as a proto-prog band.

There is much merit in this opinion but I guess that the Kinks have been considered and rejected for proto-prog umpteen times before?

BTW Although Arthur is clearly a bona fide concept album, it ain't a very good one even by Kinks standards:
Lola versus Powerman, Village Green Preservation Society or Muswell Hillbillies are the best collections of thematically linked Kinks songs IMO

^ take it away Snowdog...

Preserving the old ways from being abused
Protecting the new ways for me and for you

never heard the kinks, so i guess i wont vote, anyway, the blind deaf and mute boy seems to be leading (where to?. we'll never now) anyway

I would happily accept The Kinks on the site. Having said that, Arthur is not one of their better efforts.

Tommy, on the other hand, is a seminal piece of work.

lazland wrote: I would happily accept The Kinks on the site. Having said that, Arthur is not one of their better efforts. Tommy, on the other hand, is a seminal piece of work.

Actually a lot of critics over the years have agreed that they kinda stole the idea from The Pretty Things S.F. Sorrow.

Many of those who have not heard the Kinks, may hate them. The old saying is "You either love them or hate them"....which is explained why in the booklet for the Kinks Kronikles. It is not possible to justify to proggies and rockers as to why I have always liked them or what in particular I like about them. As I have met people that love early Prog or early British Blues bands and in the same breath love Neil Young. They expect me to understand and except for a song titled "The Loner" and a few others, I really don't. So, I should say that The Kinks are to me what Neil Young is to you. The annoying basic chord structures that annoy proggies and jazzers and many music fans that are annoyed with the voice of Ray Davies. It's just one of those deals where all the things that annoy people about Kinks music, are the things that I love. They are a strange listening experience though on a cold snowy winter's night. Especially...Arthur, Muswell Hillbillies, and Percy. There is hardly an in-between. You either love them or hate them.

Tommy is good, Arthur is a masterpiece. 

Love both albums, but Tommy gets my vote.  I actually like the Arthur tracks that Raymond Douglas has performed on his recent tours.....every song on the original seems to be in the same key and in the same timing.  His solo renditions add a subtlety that was missing on the LP.

Unquesyionably Arthur. What a brilliant record. I don't like the Who that much.