September 15: The Kinks released Something Else in 1967

Something Else by The Kinks, often called just Something Else, is their fifth UK studio album. Two hit singles are included: “Waterloo Sunset” and “Death of a Clown”. In 2003, the album was ranked #288 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Something Else is sentimental (of course), sarcastic and hip but at the same time lush and romantic, it has some of the best songs Kinks ever recorded.

The Kinks – Waterloo Sunset:

 “A celebration of old and new trends in British music, Something Else incorporates bossa nova, dance hall, Mod, and folksy rock sounds in a seamless manner. There is the piano-driven story of the golden schoolboy “David Watts”; the Dylan-influenced tragicomedy “Death of a Clown”; the reflective chamber pop tale of “Two Sisters”; the lounge ambience of “No Return”; the old-time numbers “Harry Rag,” “Tin Soldier Man,” and “End of the Season”; the Mod marriage fable “Situation Vacant”; the grungy rock of “Love Me Till the Sun Shines”; and the sentimental, dreamy pop tunes “Lazy Old Sun,” “Afternoon Tea,” “Funny Face,” and “Waterloo Sunset.” Ray Davies reached the pinnacle of his songwriting career with Something Else, but his brother Dave turned out some of his finest material on this album as well.”
– Charlotte Robinson (Popmatters.com)

The Kinks – Death of a Clown:

The “archetypical Britishness” of this album makes it a classical Britpop record, we hear so clearly where many of the british bands of the “Britpop wave” got their main influence. I love all incarnations of Kinks, this is one of the mellow albums. Mixing styles and not very aggressive, but really rather good! Actually one of their best. What impressive me most is the emergence of Dave Davies as a songwriter, all his three songs are brilliant.

Face to Face was a remarkable record, but its follow-up, Something Else, expands its accomplishments, offering 13 classic British pop songs. As Ray Davies’ songwriting becomes more refined, he becomes more nostalgic and sentimental, retreating from the psychedelic and mod posturings that had dominated the rock world. Indeed, Something Else sounds like nothing else from 1967. The Kinks never rock very hard on the album, preferring acoustic ballads, music hall numbers, and tempered R&B to full-out guitar attacks. Part of the album’s power lies in its calm music, since it provides an elegant support for Davies’ character portraits and vignettes.
– Stephen Thomas Erlewine (Allmusic) 5/5

Something Else by The Kinks on Spotify:

– Hallgeir