Artist: The Kinks
Album: Something Else by The Kinks
Year: 1967
It's time for another album from The Kinks. This one's a lot like the last one, Face to Face, but Something Else features a stronger set of songs. I'm still not totally crazy about it, but you can hear the band rounding into form as songwriters, and there are some real stunners here.
The Kinks once again buck the popular trend and go for something relatively old-timey. Instead of embracing the psychedelic era, The Kinks look to the traditions of the English music halls and a simpler rock and roll sound. Their music is bookish and whimsical, some might say clever. Others might say wussy.
Something Else is an uneven album. Sooooo many of these songs are just flat-out throwaways in my opinion. "Lazy Old Sun" is a meandering, turgid bore, "Tin Soldier Man" is instantly forgettable, and "No Return" is a tuneless attempt at something approximating bossa nova. The best songs here are little vignettes and character studies like "David Watts" and especially "Two Sisters." The biggest winner here has to be "Waterloo Sunset," a great pop song that hints at what the band would achieve on their next album--a far better one than this one.
I cannot really recommend this album. For someone who likes The Kinks already and hasn't heard this album, it's probably essential listening, but this is not the kind of album that will make any new fans. I consider myself a fan of The Kinks, own this album, and never listen to it. But for all the negative things I've said about this album, I really have to give it to The Kinks for sticking to their guns and making the music they wanted to make. It would eventually pay off for them on their next album The Village Green Preservation Society, an album that takes the ethos of Face to Face and Something Else and finally surrounds it with a great set of songs.
Rating: Not worth a listen
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