Preservation Act 2

Preservation Act 2 is a 1974 concept album by British rock band The Kinks. It was not well received by critics and sold poorly (peaking on the Billboard 200 at #114), 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, many Kinks' fans welcomed the imaginative concept and cite the two albums as extremely creative and some of Davies' best work.[citation needed]
The 1991 CD reissue on Rhino was a 2-CD set combining Preservation: Act 2 with its 1973 predecessor Preservation: Act 1, but with no bonus tracks.
The 1998 CD reissue of Act 2 on Velvel featured the outtake "Slum Kids", a popular live piece for The Kinks.