The Kinks
Something Else By The Kinks

THE REVIEW

Year of grace 1967: the year in which several masterworks of pop-rock come to light. Music that over these forty years has captivated millions and has revolutionized customs and trends. The band I am reviewing here is certainly one of those groups that deserved better fate.

In my opinion, the Kinks are, along with a few other bands, among the best of what popular music produced in the latter half of the iconic '60s. After releasing two albums of good quality (especially the previous "Face To Face") in which they demonstrated their ability to create excellent singles like "You Really Got Me" (later covered by Van Halen) and "Sunny Afternoon", the Kinks released this "Something Else By The Kinks", a pivotal album between their early career and the later phase where they would even tackle the concept album. Surprising is the ability that leader Ray Davies now has in telling stories and characters. Emblematic is the poignant "Death Of A Clown" (Doesn't it remind you of Chaplin's "Limelight"?) which I consider the peak of the album in terms of pathos, but which is also interesting from a musical standpoint.

The opening track "David Watts" with its piano setting the pace shouldn't be forgotten, nor should the psychedelic "Lazy Old Sun" that seems to draw from the Beatles of those years; but also the splendid melody of "Waterloo Sunset" and the surprising "Harry Rag" with its military rhythm.

With this album, the Kinks start getting really serious and soon after they would produce two masterpieces like "The Village Green Preservation Society" and "Arthur" which immortalized English society of those years. Unable to decide whether to give it 4 or 5 stars, in the end, I decided to give it one less considering the two great subsequent albums. If you love the Beatles, Stones, and Who, you'll certainly appreciate it.