The Kinks: Their 10 Greatest Songs

8. Victoria

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TraFxjPyDns Taken from the album: Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (1969) Released in December 1969, "Victoria" is a satirical song which neatly juxtaposes the grim realities of growing up in post war Britain with the romanticised notion of Queen Victoria and her British Empire, a time which has clearly long since passed and yet remains ingrained as the glory years of English culture and expansion. Built around an effective, simple blues riff, "Victoria" also incorporates a patriotic cavalcade of noise; rock and blues licks combining joyously with the pomp and bluster of brass instruments ably supported by raucous background vocals from Dave Davies who cackles and shrieks in agreement. Forward thinking and yet rooted in the past, "Victoria" is another sublime song in The Kinks repertoire.
 
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I love Heavy Metal, and generally anything that involves a guitar and loud noises, so I figured it was about time I put all the useless information in my head to good use and start writing a few things. Most of the time I'll be writing nonsense but occasionally I may surprise myself and appear half-way knowledgable.....but you can be the judge of that. Thanks for your fleeting attention!