Something Else By The Kinks

Release info:

Produced by: Shel Talmy/Ray Davies
Release date: Jan 1968
Record label & catalog #: Reprise R 6279
Country: USA
Format: 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM
Release type: Regular release
Description/Notes: mono mix

Tracks:

Side 1
1. David Watts   mono mix (2:29), recorded probably May-Jun 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
2. Death Of A Clown   mono mix (3:01), recorded Jun 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
3. Two Sisters   mono mix (2:01), recorded 24, 25 Nov, 1966 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
4. No Return   mono mix (2:00), recorded Jan-Feb 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
5. Harry Rag   mono mix (2:17), recorded Feb 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
6. Tin Soldier Man   mono mix (first two notes missing, no backing vocals) (2:47), recorded early-to-mid 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
7. Situation Vacant   mono mix (3:11), recorded early-to-mid 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
   
Side 2
1. Love Me Till The Sun Shines   mono mix (3:15), recorded Jun 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
2. Lazy Old Sun   mono mix (2:46), recorded Jun 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
3. Afternoon Tea   mono mix (3:26), recorded May-Jun 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
4. Funny Face   mono mix (2:17), recorded May-Jun 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
5. End Of The Season   mono mix (3:00), recorded 13-15 Apr, 1966, possible rerecorded early 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
6. Waterloo Sunset   mono mix (3:14), recorded Apr 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London


Liner Notes:

Welcome to Daviesland, Where all the little kinklings in the magic Kinkdom wear tiny black bowlers, rugby boots, soldier suits, drink half pints of bitter, carry cricket bats and ride in little Tube trains. Here all the little lady kinklings wear curlers in their hair, own fridges and washing machines, fry bacon and eggs, and take afternoon tea.

Gulliver-like Ray Davies stoops to pluck a small mortal from his musical World -- turns him upside down to see where he was made -- and replaces him gently but firmly in that great class society where all men are equal but some are more equal than others.

Many of the songs on this album are the tails of those mini-people who keep rolling across his yesterday-mind and so we find Terry and Julie in "Waterloo Sunset" and "David Watts," who has not known that abominable golden school-boy? For his musical conjuring tricks Ray reaches into his stream of life and extracts a rusty Irish jig -- there were a few spokes missing and the saddle torn -- but with a few dabs of "Kinko," the wonder song ingredient, the handlebars are reversed and you have 'moonshine music' as good as himself could have asked. Further down the waters, and a soggy bossa nova, well-worn but still serviceable, is dragged from the river-bed but re-upholstered and tempered with a Ray of gentleness it becomes the beautiful "No Return."

Somewhere in the deeper waters down-stream he finds a water-logged show-tune, sung during the battle of 'Desert Song,' but renovated and re-equipped it becomes the jaunty little sloop "Tin Soldier Man." And finally another worn-out hulk rotting from the Vaudeville era is re-manned pushed, afloat to become the saddest comedy song of all -- "End Of The Season."

This album is important for another reason -- it showcases the song writing development of younger brother Dave whose "Death Of A Clown" proved so successful, and includes two other compositions here -- "Love Me Till The Sun Shines" and "Funny Face" on which he sounds like a wicked choir-boy. Neither should we forget the stalwart contributions of bass-Kink Pete Quaife or drum-Kink Mick Avory who combine to produce the solid root sounds which hall-mark the group.

One further word of advice on listening to these tracks -- never, never take a Davies composition at face value for so much goes on behind the words in the Wondrous World of the Brothers 'D' where a corner of the Kinkdom is forever England!

Ourthankstomacirishdavenickykeith

Design and Art Direction: Pye Records Studios/Photography: Mike Leale/Clareville Studios


Related Releases:

Something Else By The Kinks 15 Sep, 1967 UK Pye NPL 18193 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM
Something Else By The Kinks 15 Sep, 1967 UK Pye NSPL 18193 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM
Something Else By The Kinks Dec 1967 Germany Pye/Hitton HTSLP 340044 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM
Something Else By The Kinks Jan 1968 USA Reprise RS 6279 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM
Something Else By The Kinks Feb, 1968 Canada Pye NPL 30111 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM
Something Else By The Kinks 1969 Brazil Musidisc HI-FI 2173 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM
Something Else By The Kinks 1969 Brazil Musidisc HI-FI 2173 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM
Something Else By The Kinks Dec 1987 UK PRT PYL 6007 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM
Something Else By The Kinks Jan 1988 Germany PRT/TELDEC 8.26674 ZR CD
Something Else By The Kinks 18 Dec, 1989 UK Castle Communications CLACD 189 CD
Something Else By The Kinks 15 May, 1990 USA Reprise RS 6279-2 CD
Something Else By The Kinks 30 Mar, 1998 UK Essential/Castle Communications ESM CD 480 CD
Something Else By The Kinks 20 Aug, 2001 UK Castle Music/Sanctuary CMTCD303 CD
Something Else By The Kinks 26 Apr, 2004 UK Sanctuary Midline SMRCD029 CD
Something Else By The Kinks (Deluxe Edition) 20 Jun, 2011 UK Sanctuary Records/Universal Music 273 214-1 2 CD set


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