Ray Davies released the "song" songs from
Preservation -- the character sketches, the wry observations, the lovely ballads -- on the first record (or "Act") of the musical drama, leaving the narrative for
Preservation, Act 2, a double album released six months after its companion. Simply put, the record is a mess, an impenetrable jumble of story, theater, instrumentals, "announcements," unfinished ideas, guest singers, and, on occasion, a song or two. There may have been a workable theatrical production hidden somewhere in
Preservation, but it was utterly lost on record (reportedly it was better live), due in no small part to how it was unevenly divided, a practice that revealed
Davies' lack of realized songs for the project, plus his unfinished story. It was later revealed that
Ray was at the end of his rope during the making of
Preservation -- he would have a breakdown during its supporting tour -- so, perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that the album doesn't work on its own. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that he was in such a fog, that he didn't realize that
"Slum Kids," a staple in the
Preservation shows and a concert favorite throughout the '70s, was the best rocker he penned for the project and left it off both records. Thankfully, it was added as a bonus track to
VelVel's 1999 reissue of the album, improving the quality of the album considerably. The single version of
"Mirror of Love" was added as a second bonus track to this edition, as well. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
