Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) is making a comeback in celebration of its 50th anniversary.
The Kinks are commemorating their innovative 1969 LP with a massive four-disc deluxe edition box set that includes new mono and stereo mixes of Arthur, bonus tracks, demo, and rehearsal recordings, and the long-lost solo album from guitarist Dave Davies that he made amid the studio sessions for Arthur. The box set will also contain a book with essays about The Kinks, new interviews with members of the group, photos from the time period and the script for a proposed Arthur play.
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) was a groundbreaking concept album about a British carpet-layer, who moves to Australia after World War II. It followed The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, which also told a story across an entire album.
As for a possible tour, Dave Davies told Rolling Stone, “I really don’t know. I think it’s possible. It’s not out of the question. But at this stage, it’s far too early to say. It would be fun though, wouldn’t it?”
