Classic Kinks album gets yet another face lift
Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 07/26/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The impact of Arthur wasn't felt in America. Recorded before Tommy but released after it, critics failed to appreciate Ray Davies' conceptual masterpiece for what it was--the first true rock opera. Ray's narrative is a bit clearer than Townshend's (since he had written a television script for the album at the same time he was composing the music).The advantages of this Japanese import are many as are the disadvantages. The packaging is faithful to the original LP down to the pull out lyric sheet and graphics. The sound quality is actually better than the British import (The Japanese pressing uses 20bit K2 superencoding to deliver the best sound). This version isn't as thin sounding, has an improved range, sounds warmer and has sharper details. Kudos to Victor in Japan for putting so much work into this masterpiece.The disadvantages are also apparent. There are no bonus tracks (unlike the British version which has a number of fine Dave Davies' b sides and mono mixes of some of the album's best tracks). The booklet for the British edition puts the album into its context and is enjoyable reading. It's kind of cool to know what the album was like to record for those involved.So it's a trade off. Better sound (although not dramatically better when compared to the Brit version) and a faithful reproducing of the original packaging make this well worth owning for Kinks fans. In a pinch the British edition is fine I'd suggest convincing a friend to purchase this and then check it out prior to purchasing it."
