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The Kinks: Preservation Act I (RCA LPL1-5002)

Gary Lucas, Zoo World, 28 February 1974

MUCH HAS been written concerning Ray Davies fragile state of mind with all its eccentric manifestations and how it seems to correlate to his songs, which seem to become more magnificent with the attendant possibility of a nervous breakdown. Thus, it is rumored, 'Sunny Afternoon', one of a handful of popular songs that should survive this decade (it's already survived the last) was written in the throes of a despair so pronounced that Ray retired for a while to the serenity of an English rest home.

Total word count of piece: 573

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