Looking Back: The Kinks Underrated Classic Release, "Something Else"

In 1968, The Kinks were three years into a four-year ban from performing in the United States. According to band leader Ray Davies, the group’s manager did not pay their membership fees to the American Federation of Musicians.

As a result, the band was issued a devastating penalty by the federation – a four-year outright ban from performing concerts in the United States.

While many rock critics believe the ban prevented The Kinks from being as big at the time as The Beatles or Rolling Stone, the group created most of the best music they ever made, and some of the most memorable, and influential, songs in pop history.

In 1968, when psychedelic rock was the center of the rock universe worldwide, The Kinks released their sixth studio album titled Something Else.

The album has only in more recent decades received the recognition it deserved nearly 40 years ago, with the exception of the album’s biggest hit, “Waterloo Sunset,” which music mogul and founder of Geffen Records, David Geffen has said is one of the best pop songs ever written. If you are a Kinks fan, and even if you are not, chances have heard “Waterloo Sunset.”

But the album itself can today safely be called one of the band’s seminal classics. In addition to “Waterloo Sunset” the album also features the Euro-rock football anthem “David Watts”, the fun, catchy genius of “Death of A Clown” (written and sung by guitarist Dave Davies), and the hazy, slow melancholy “No Return”, later covered by Bebel Gilberto.

The recent reissue of the original Something Else includes unique bonus songs, including poppy songs like “Wonderboy”, “Act Nice And Gentle” and “Autumn Almanac”, as well as the surprising previously unreleased tracks, “Lincoln County” and “There’s No Life Without Love”.

If you are a Kinks fan, or admire great music, Something Else should be part of your music collection. In the past decade, The Kinks have enjoyed a resurgence of popularity. Many critics and fans have realized by the music world as one the greatest bands ever, and Ray Davies one of the best songwriters of his time (trivia fact: In New Orleans, in 2004, Davies was shot in the leg by a man he pursued after the thief snatched Davies’ girlfriend’s purse).

Aside from many of their early classics being featured in commercials, TV shows and movies during the past decade, many people don’t know that The Kinks were one of the first rock groups to be inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

While the most radio played rock bands of 1968 were selling out shows across the world, The Kinks were making music that will continue to be discovered by music enthusiasts for years to come. Something Else is one of the band’s 40-something albums that will stand out forever, and clearly one of the most under-rated releases of the year, if not the decade.