Something Else By The Kinks - Poll and Discussion

Great post.
Waterloo Sunset
Afternoon tea
Death of a clown
Lazy old sun (glorious psych leanings and seriously overlooked and underrated)

...........just what was in that afternoon tea?

 

Belatedly saw this. My Something Else CD is mono but I tried this with Waterloo Sunset in stereo from a compilation that I don’t listen to much. And you’re right. The backing vocals are more or less 90 degrees left of my head.

The things you learn here...

 

It's splitting hairs to me as to ranking Face to Face, Something Else, Village Green, Arthur, Lola and Muswell - all are absolutely fantastic, and depending on the day of the week I could pick a new one of these as my favorite.

 

Sunset
Clown
Sun
Season

 

Oh nearly forgot

Waterloo Sunset (obvs)
David Watts
Death of a Clown
Lazy Old Sun

Coulda, shoulda, woulda: Two Sisters, Afternoon Tea

 

The reissue of SE in the mono box set sounds nice and the vinyl pressings in the box set were of pretty good qualtiy. I don't have the original mono to compare though.

 

I remember liking the album but cannot recall what the songs sound like. Except for the last one of course. Guess I will have to Youtube it before I vote.

 

Question, men:

I have been monitoring the popular auction site and various other internet venues for a "reasonably-priced" original UK mono copy of Something Else in "reasonably-decent" shape. Need I resign myself to the fact I'll have to drop at least $100 for a VG+ copy of this?

 

Sounds eminently believeable.

 

No Return
Waterloo Sunset
Lazy Old Sun
David Watts

 

This album is eclipsed by the two surrounding Kinks albums.

 

I picked "David Watts", "Death Of A Clown", "Love Me Till The Sun Shines" and "Waterloo Sunset"
I love this album. It's my second favorite Kinks album after VGPS. I enjoy the album from start to finish. It really fits together as an album. Not a concept album, but the songs just seem to sound good where they are placed on the album. This is definitely a 60s classic album even if it hasn't been deigned as such by the powers that be yet.

 

Citing the OP's "feel free to discuss anything relating to this album" dictum, can one of you gentlemen kindly talk me off the ledge here?

I did it. I finally went and did it.

I only listen to original mono LPs on my mono hi-fi system, and I have long been curious about procuring a UK Pye mono copy of this, the most appealing Kinks album to me (never issued in mono here on my side of the pond). I have casually monitored the popular auction site over the past few years for a VG+ or better copy, but they invariably go for big money.

Time marches on and still I've found myself with no mono copy of "Something Else." Last weekend I identified a clean copy at £150 o/b/o on a widely-used record collector site. I put in a "low" offer of £100 thinking it wouldn't come to anything, but lo and behold, the fellow accepted. I am excited to be receiving it soon, yes, but I am VERY nervous about having dropped what comes out to be almost exactly $150USD with shipping factored in. This is the most I've ever laid out for a record.

Any/all words of encouragement appreciated!

 

Voted for "David Watts", "Death of a Clown", "Two Sisters" and "Harry Rag" ... Incredibly, "Waterloo Sunset" has never really done all that much for me.

 

Question about this great Kinks album (likely their best, in my factual opinion...)

Naturally this was only available in stereo on our side of the pond...save for the promo copies. I see a Reprise promo copy just sold for crazy money--north of $1k--on the popular auction site a week or two back. Would the promo have been a dedicated mono mix, or is it a fold?

 

It's repetitive to say, but here goes anyway...

I didn't know Lazy Old Sun till I heard the mono. What a sonic masterpiece.

 

Best of luck!

I don't have the original, but love my copy from the recent AAA mono box.

 

Fancy.

 

I have a UK Pye mono copy of this album. I was just curious to know if they actually took the time for a dedicated mono mix for the US promo that wasn't commercially released.

Lazy Old Sun is great. Too bad it never made it to 45 in any country; I would love to have that in my jukebox.

 

Wonder if it ever made a foreign EP?

 

I just substantially upgraded my stereo. Put on a CD of this album. Holy moly!

It’s always been my favorite Kinks record, but just sitting down for the first time in a long time, with a nice (but not fantastic) hi-fi, was a revelation.

I love the crazy hard panning. They just stuck the band in one channel over there so the vocals can SOAR!!! Love it.

 

My four selections too.

The lp is a nice mix of the sardonic and the achingly sincere. That's really hard to pull off, but the brothers Davies make it look easy.

 

I love this album to bits, its my favourite of the band. Genuinely think it's one of the best records of the 60s.

 

I bought a nice well-regarded CD mastering of Face to Face, and tried to tell myself that it is equal to Something Else, but just different is all. After 8 or 10 years, I realized it is not in any way imo as good as Something Else. The tunes are not as great. No splitting hairs for me on those two. I know I'm hyper-critical.

 

Totally agree.

'Something else' was a massive step up. I've never been that enthused about 'face to face'. I think the records that came after were better.