Lyrics UK

The Album:

Preservation: Act 1 and Preservation: Act 2 are a 1973 concept released as separate albums in 1973 and 1974 by the English rock group, The Kinks.

The Preservation albums were not well-received by critics and sold poorly (the first one peaking on the Billboard 200 at #177), though the live performances of the material were much better received. Many hardcore Kinks fans were alienated by Ray Davies' melodramatic songwriting during the Preservation project era, resulting in albums that played more like the soundtracks to a piece of musical theatre than rock albums.

However, more recent reviews of Preservation: Act 1 have been more sympathetic to its ambitions. In particular, All Music's Stephen Thomas Erlewine has declared "Sweet Lady Genevieve" to be the "real candidate for Davies' forgotten masterpiece".

The CD reissue of Preservation: Act 1 includes the single versions of "Preservation" and "One of the Survivors", neither of which are available on the original vinyl release. The latter briefly charted on the Billboard Pop Singles chart peaking at #108.

Lyrics:

Once upon a time
In a faraway land
Lived a villain called Flash
He was such a wicked man
He terrorized the people
He broke arms and crushed hands
He ruled with a fist and he purchased all the land

Then he plowed up the fields and cut down the trees
For property speculation
And he did it all for a pot of gold
And for his own preservation

The people were scared
They didn't know where to turn
They couldn't see any salvation
From the hoods and the spivs
And the crooked politicians
Who were cheating and lying to the nation

Save the fields and the trees
And give them back to the nation
Bring the government down
A new leader must be found
For the sake of preservation

He said he did it to help us all
And did it for the good of the nation
But he did it for a pot of gold
And for his own preservation

When money is evil
And power is corrupt
The devil moves in and takes over
Mr. Flash broke his word
And now he's got to pay
For his crimes and his lies and his evil ways

And it's gonna get rough
And it's gonna get rough
It's a crime and a sin that no one can win
In a story of self preservation

Stream the entire album here: http://www.myspace.com/sydtribute

Syd Barrett's singular vision has influenced countless musicians across the globe. His slightly cracked songwriting, in both in his solo work and his short-lived time as the driving force behind Pink Floyd, gave birth to an entire generation of progressive and cutting edge artists. That generation influenced the next, which in turn influenced the next, and so on. Now, on this album, over four decade's worth of some of the biggest names in avant-garde metal and rock have come together to pay tribute to this madcap genius. Featuring some of the most influential players in the history of heavy music (including Justin Broadrick, Jarboe and Pentagram, as well as members of Voivod), Like Black Holes in the Sky: The Tribute to Syd Barrett is a hard-rocking, psychedelic trip through the mind of a musician the likes of which will never be heard again.

Songs:
1. Kosmos Vegetable Man
2. Kylesa Interstellar Overdrive
3. Intronaut Arnold Layne
4. Stinking Lizaveta Matilda Mother
5. Jarboe Late Night
6. Pentagram Flaming
7. Giant Squid Octopus
8. Yakuza Lucifer Sam
9. Jesu Chapter 24
10. Unearthly Trance Long Gone
11. Dredg Astronomy Domine
12. Circle Rats
13. Zodiak See Emily Play