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The Kinks - Something Else (reissue)
- The Kinks’ 1967 album, “Something Else,” helped define the band’s music. While the majority of other pop bands were cashing in on what was popular by “going psychedelic,” the Kinks found a different way to expand the minds of their audience. Instead of relying on echoed guitar and reverb-drenched keyboards to make their music unique, the Kinks found a way to simultaneously lampoon and celebrate English culture with their music. “Something Else” turns the minutiae of English culture into an absurd spectacle . . . and some catchy, wondrous tunes to boot. The expanded version includes many tracks, recorded during that phase of the Kinks’ career, that were left out of the album as well as singles. While the album is truly a piece of its own time, it doesn’t seem outdated or cheesy from a modern perspective.
“David Watts,” a catchy opener, explores idealized British masculinity. “Two Sisters” explores jealousy between two siblings (and is very likely a metaphor for the dynamic between the Davies brothers, who formed the band) in full English style, complete with harpsichords. “No Return” is dreamy, tropicalia bliss. “Harry Rag” is a playful song about the simple joy of a cigarette. “Tin Soldier Man” is reminiscent of a nursery rhyme with catchy horn lines. “Afternoon Tea” is quite simply a celebration of tea, adding to the English-ness of the album. “End of the Season” is a piano track with loungy vocals about London and sounds like it could have been the theme song to a television sitcom. “Waterloo Sunset” is the album’s best track, and one of the Kink’s most beloved songs about the simplicity of love. “Autumn Almanac” is a classic description of a lifetime spent in middle class England, and features a deceptively complex suite of different sections and some silky smooth vocal harmonies.
“Something Else” is a playful pop album that manages to combine catchy rock and roll tunes with numerous statements about life in mid-'60s England. The whole album truly sounds as if it could only have come out of Britain. It didn’t sell well in its day because it didn’t follow the trends of its contemporaries, but the sheer quality and quaintness of the songs make it more memorable than many of its “cutting edge” psychedelic counterparts.
Reviewer: Kris Lorenz
new
Reviewer's Rating: 9
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
Added: 29-Jun-2009
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