Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) . Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) is the seventh studio album by the English rock band the Kinks (pictured), released 10 October 1969. Kinks frontman Ray Davies constructed the concept album as the soundtrack to a Granada Television play with Julian Mitchell, but the television programme was cancelled and never produced. The plot revolves around Arthur Morgan, a carpet-layer based on Arthur Anning, the brother-in-law of Ray and guitarist Dave Davies. The album received generally positive reviews and generous coverage in the US rock press. The lead single, "Victoria", peaked at number 62 on the Billboard charts in 1969, the Kinks' highest position there since "Sunny Afternoon" in 1966. The album itself reached number 50 in the US on the Record World charts, and number 105 on Billboard. Arthur paved the way for the success of the Kinks' 1970 album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneyg...