Description
The Kinks – Something Else – 180 Gram Vinyl Record
Released on September 15, 1967, Something Else by The Kinks is often considered one of the great hidden gems of the British Invasion era. Coming at a time when The Beatles were reshaping rock with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Rolling Stones were diving into psychedelia, The Kinks took a different path, embracing introspective songwriting, delicate arrangements, and a uniquely English sensibility. While the album wasn’t a commercial smash at the time, it has since become one of the band’s most beloved works, showcasing Ray Davies at the peak of his lyrical wit and storytelling ability while giving his brother Dave Davies a larger creative role than ever before.
Something Else moves away from the raw, garage-rock energy of The Kinks’ early hits and leans into baroque pop, music hall influences, and melancholic balladry, creating a sound that is both nostalgic and deeply personal. The album’s most famous track, Waterloo Sunset, is widely regarded as one of the greatest songs ever written. A dreamy, wistful ballad about two lovers in London, Ray Davies’ poetic lyrics and the song’s hauntingly beautiful melody capture a sense of urban loneliness and quiet beauty in a way few songs ever have.
But Something Else is far from a one-hit record. David Watts opens the album with a sarcastic, upbeat anthem about envy and admiration, later covered by The Jam. Death of a Clown, sung by Dave Davies, was a surprise hit single, a melancholic folk-rock number that showed Dave’s emerging songwriting talents. Other highlights include Two Sisters, which contrasts the lives of a rebellious younger woman and a settled housewife, and Afternoon Tea, a charming, bittersweet tune about lost love wrapped in a quintessentially British image.
The album is full of sharp observations, nostalgia, and satirical wit. Harry Rag is a boisterous, accordion-driven song about working-class life and cigarettes, while Situation Vacant tells the story of a struggling couple under the pressure of an overbearing mother-in-law. Lazy Old Sun flirts with psychedelic textures, while Love Me Till the Sun Shines adds a rougher edge, hinting at the heavier rock sounds The Kinks would explore later in their career.
At the time of its release, Something Else failed to make a major commercial impact, largely due to poor promotion and The Kinks’ ongoing ban from touring the U.S. However, critics and musicians have since hailed it as one of the defining albums of the era, influencing later artists from Blur and Oasis to Elliott Smith and The Decemberists.
Something Else by The Kinks stands as one of the most beautifully crafted and emotionally rich albums of the 1960s, filled with elegant melodies, wry humor, and a deep sense of longing. It’s a record that rewards repeated listens, revealing new layers of warmth, melancholy, and storytelling brilliance each time. If The Village Green Preservation Society (1968) was Ray Davies’ grand statement on English life, Something Else was the perfect prelude—a deeply personal and endlessly charming collection of songs that remains one of The Kinks’ finest achievements.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
David Watts
Death Of A Clown
Two Sisters
No Return
Harry Rag
Tin Soldier Man
Situation Vacant
Love Me Till The Sun Shines
Lazy Old Sun
Afternoon Tea
Funny Face
End Of The Season
Waterloo Sunset
