Situation Vacant Musically, this thing slays. The momentum launches right at the beginning, and it rocks all the way through to the fade. I find Ray's vocal affect at the beginning a little off putting, but it seems to work better as the song progresses. Overall, aurally, the song is a real winner. Buuuuuuuut..... Here we have an example of a good story told through an otherwise solid lyric, but has a logical flaw so egregious, it just ruins the whole thing for me. If cash flow is your concern, you make damn sure you line up that higher paying job before quitting the one you have. The evil mother in law wins not just because Johnny is trying to please everyone, but because he's incomprehensible stupid in how he goes about it.
Yes but some people are stupid or inordinately fearful of others (and do stupid things) and if Johnny wasn't we hit a major Kink and there is no song!
I do get why folks think it is stupid for Johnny to leave his job, before securing another. I don't think it's a plot flaw though. Oftentimes people do stupid things when under actual or implied pressure... and the other thing is, I get the impression that Suzy and Johnny are both pretty young.... and with all due respect to any younger people on the thread, when we are young we often make bold decisions, and very poor decisions just due to lack of life experience... I mean, I know I did lol
If we’re talking CDs, then prior to the 2011 Deluxe Set of Something Else, most CD versions of the stereo album have the non-Rasa mix including the 1987 West Germany PRT. All of these fade and do not have the extra reprise ending. The exception is the 80s US Reprise CD which has the Rasa mix like the Deluxe. The most complete version of the non-Rasa mix and is on a 1990 French set called The EP Collection on the See For Miles label. This one fades like the above mentioned CDs, but then the song comes back with the reprise like the other stereo mix and the mono mix.
Sorry I'm a bit behind here... Tin Soldier Man Another music hall track, and another highlight of the album imo. I think everyone else has already said what I would have said about it, so no need to repeat anything. Regarding the "Alternative Backing Track" on the 2009 Stereo Mix: this version still uses the same arrangement as "Sand on My Shoes." It also sounds like somebody is playing a 12 string guitar on the track. The early versions used a baritone saxophone (?) or maybe a contrabassoon. Situation Vacant Great piano work by Nicky Hopkins. I assume he plays the organ as well, which really makes the song imo. One thing I really like about Something Else is the "thin" production quality. I'm not sure how to describe it, but I'm sure everyone who's familiar with the album knows exactly what I mean. Ray's vocal on this track sounds particularly "thin" ... almost as if he's speaking through a telephone or something. I think it works well though. And for a bluesy rocker you'd expect a gruff deep voice, but once again the Kinks find a way to make it their own. Even though the side ends with this song, the transition to "Love Me Till the Sun Shines" is very well placed.
TIN SOLDIER MAN The Carnabetian army has given birth to an army of white-collar workers going to the office everyday in their respectable suits. Little men with little wives and little kids living in a little wonderland. But Ray knows these men are so lacking of personality that they are like toy soldiers in his hands. Ray has done better satire before, but this tune is so catchy it's been going round my head permanantly for the last few days. Wicky wap wap do ... all the way. SITUATION VACANT Johnny B Goode and Susie Q got married but the evil mother-in-law was lurking. So ready to placate his little mama (both his wife and her mother who have become interchangeable) he loses his job, his flat and his wife. Some nice elaborate touches music-wise. The lovely piano intro, some nice interplay between the organ and guitar, and the fake ending that gets me every time. Nicely placed at the end of side one. Here's a situation vacant Johnny may be interested in:
Situation Vacant I don't think Suzy and Johnny were going to make it no matter what. Where is Suzy in all this? she should have been on her man's side and telling him "don't listen to little mama". But Johnny panicked and did something stupid and got rid of his job that he was contented with. C'mon Johnny...you gotta have more testicular fortitude than that. I'm aggravated by all three of these characters. I enjoy this song. Love Ray's vocals. Solid tune. Good way to end a fab side one!
Just FYI, re Rasa’s backing vocal on Situation Vacant: it’s there on my 1968 US stereo Reprise lp, but it’s missing on my European PRT reissue lp from the ‘80s.
"Tin Soldier Man" - I never gave this song much thought, I just enjoyed it. A fun, quick, bouncy, catchy tune. My favorite part is the "Every day you see his army march down the street" bridge. I don't know which instrument we have here that the vocal melody follows so closely, but it does get stuck in your head. So yeah, a fun track, but nothing all that essential. Doesn't hurt the album. "Situation Vacant" - As others have said, this song just cooks musically. What a jam. "To keep his little mama satisfied!" This album might have more earworms than anything he's done yet. So many cool parts, including the last bit of this song as it fades out, then it comes right back. A highlight.
Situation Vacant I don't have anything to add to what's already been said on this. It cooks musically and I love the fade out/in at the end. The lyrics could be seen as a postscript to Sunny Afternoon - or maybe a prequel. When Johnny is alone at the end of the song he'll be able to laze on a sunny afternoon without worrying about his little or big mamas.
Situation Vacant The outro of the Stones’ “Stray Cat Blues” (recorded 1968) bears a striking resemblance to that of “Situation Vacant”.
Yes also alone but the debt collector won't have to remove any expensive furniture, sports cars or yacht's, though he may have a tug?
Situation Vacant Really enjoy Ray's lyrical story here, the nod to Bob, reprise and the groove throughout. Again variety between tracks is the order of the day and the Kinks are succeeding in spades, another very solid track even though it's not amongst my top cuts from the LP but I feel soon the sun will shine!
Love Me Till The Sun Shines. mono mix (3:15), recorded Jun 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London You don't have to look at me You don't have to smile at me You just have to love me till the sun shines You don't have to cook for me You don't have to laugh with me You just have to love me till the sun shines Take my money, I don't mind You can be such a helpless kind[?] You just have to love me till the sun shines You don't have to sleep with me Or rest your head upon my knee You just have to love me till the sun shines Baby you can wear my clothes, Play my records, stay at my home Long as you just love me till the sun shines You can take it, I don't mind Please don't be such a helpless kind You just have to love me till the sun shines Baby, baby I don't know what I'm doing Everything I do it turns to ruin[?] Baby you can kiss my friends Baby there's nothing that I'll end[?] Long as you just love me till the sun shines You don't have to walk the streets When there's someone waiting here Come on, baby, love me till the sun shines Come on, baby, I don't mind Two lonely people, the helpless kind[?] Come on, baby, love me till the sun shines You don't have to look at me You don't have to smile at me You just have to love me till the sun shines You don't have to cook for me You don't have to laugh with me You just have to love me till the sun shines Take my money, I don't mind You can be such a helpless kind[?] You just have to love me till the sun shines Written by: Dave Davies Published by: Noma Music, Inc./Hi-Count Music, Inc. BMI Lyrics for "Love Me Till The Sun Shines" kindakinks.net So of course this track was the b-side of Death Of A Clown, and as @Fortuleo stated, it is another example of the interesting a-side, b-side combinations that the Kinks kept putting forward. We have a compare and contrast situation, with someone sick of the party and circus, who is fed up with the empty existence, and then here we have a sort of free love anthem or something along those lines ... but lets look a little closer and see what we can see here. From an album perspective we have a fade up on a monotone rhythmic note, and it eases us into the side really nicely. Lyrically this seems to be Dave telling a girl that he isn't going to be too demanding, he just needs her to "love him till the sun shines", which could well be an observation of a groupie, or one night stand, or even in fact a prostitute .... but we also get the line, you don't have to sleep with me ... it is actually a little vague as to what the main message is. It has the feel of a We've Got Tonight kind of song lyrically, but there are a few curve balls thrown in there. In the middle we get an unusual bridge that says "Baby, baby I don't know what I'm doing Everything I do it turns to ruin" .... Is this due to being intoxicated? Is it a case of our singer is depressed and just needs someone to hold onto him to get him through the night. We also have the interesting lines "You don't have to walk the streets When there's someone waiting here" .... and this leaves the impression that this is a guy who isn't very confident that is just throwing out the option... We get the two lonely people line..... It is almost like - I have very little confidence, and I have all sorts of issues, but we're both lonely, and I won't demand much of you, but it would be really cool if you stayed here with me, I'll even accept you kissing my friends, I just need someone and it seems like it could be you. In many ways the lyric is a little inconsistent in its ideas, but perhaps that's the point here .... Perhaps this is the clown after he peels off his make-up, and he wants someone to be with him, but his confidence is shattered .... This is one I'll be really interested in what other people think of the lyrics here. Musically this has a real alt-rock kind of feel, with a little bit of sixties hippy thrown into the mix. This has such a dirty rock sound to it... almost a grunge kind of feel. We start on that pedal tone type of thing, and then roll through these fairly melodic chords, that roll back around to the pedal tone type thing at the end of the verses. The bass and guitar work really well together here. There is also an organ playing underneath that adds some more interesting textures The bridge is over that pedal tone type section with the bass adding a sort of melodic undertone. Later in the song we get a series of tacets, and that grunge guitar just grinds on the one chord, and slashes a tacet where the drums bring in a series of fills. I think rhythmically this is a pretty fine track.... the rhythm really grabs me, and may be what draws me into it We get some hand claps, which are ok, but it seems handclaps aren't the Kink's forte. This is a kind of unusual track, and again is very different to anything that has come before it. I think what I like most about this is the feel of it. It has such a dirty disheveled sound to it. I don't think the lyrics are particularly great, and it isn't really a masterclass in writing, lyrically or musically, but it has this kind of ugly grind going on in it, that is really very rock, and that may well have been Dave's intent, and it is the thing that attracts me most here. From an album perspective this is a very good start to side two, and I really like the song, but on close inspection it is really hard to pinpoint much about the lyrics or music that is particularly great, but for some reason, for me, the song itself works.