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Why Waterloo Sunset Couldn't Save This Classic Album

Parlogram

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By 1967, The Kinks were at a crossroads. While many British bands embraced psychedelia, Ray Davies was writing songs about ordinary people and everyday life.
The result was Something Else by The Kinks - an album that sold modestly on release but is now regarded as one of the greatest British albums of the 1960s.
In this video, we explore the story behind the album, the making of Waterloo Sunset, the mono and stereo mixes, and how one remarkable song helped introduce generations of listeners to The Kinks.

Many thanks to Andrew Sandoval and Doug Hinman for their superb book on The Kinks, which was an invaluable source during the making of this video.

📚 Get $15 off the book with discount code PARLOGRAM15 (link below).
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20 Comments

@christophjosefpleininger 2 months ago

It‘s my favourite Kinks album. I really admire Ray Davies‘ ability to tell stories about ordinary people and yet invoke so many different emotions. And I specially love that in many songs, there‘s always a bit of humour and wit inserted, but not enough to turn the stories into parodies of the characters. Just brilliant.

@theshivers1967 2 months ago

What is so great about this record is how completely contrary to the Zeitgeist of 1967. “Autumn Almanac,” from this same year, is to me a great pocket symphony that builds on Something Else

@GaryCameron-z2o 2 months ago

I would describe "Waterloo Sunset" as beautifully wistful.

@steliosposeidon6871 2 months ago

Brilliant album! ‘Lazy old sun’ is a trip.

@soundclash420 2 months ago

"Hopeful & melancholy". Nailed it mate

@dennispepperack2973 2 months ago

Pete Townshend has often said that Ray Davies should be made Poet Laureate of England.

@99672 2 months ago

One of my fav kinks albums. Pye always wanted just hit singles from them and very little promotion was given to their albums.

@jonashreinsson4396 2 months ago

I bought this record 9 October 1967

@billleary5779 2 months ago

This my favorite Kinks album. I have it on both CD and vinyl both mono and stereo. Thanks for doing a deep dive on this amazing album Andrew!

@DocRobertable 2 months ago

Very strange in that when the quality of the Kinks albums got better, the sales (in the UK anyway) got lower. The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society never even charted at all!

@yalova84 2 months ago (edited)

I went to college in London in 1966, and lived there most of the next 20 years. Being from Hampshire, I caught the Southern Rail train to Waterloo. This song is one of the greatest songs of the sixties, and always carries me back decades

@jheffwithah612 2 months ago (edited)

I agree that the core of "Waterloo Sunset" is about finding the beauty in the mundane. The Kinks are probably my personal favourite of the British Invasion bands for that reason. I've always found their character studies of ordinary people really appealing and interesting.

@montaigumontaigu1793 2 months ago

My favourite Kinks album.
So much great songs one after the other.
End of the Season - the greatest Kinks song for me, Two Sisters, Lazy Old Sun, Situation Vacant.
I remember exactly the day i bought and listened to it 43 years ago.

@bruceterrell9287 2 months ago (edited)

starting around 1971, I would find everything from Something Else through Lola in cutout bins (even in drugstores) for less than $1.00 (in Virginia).

@Choops6969 2 months ago

absolutely love the stereo mixes on my us first pressing. the added vocal reverb can be a bit jarring at first but those re-arranged elements make it so fun to listen to. had no idea of the reasoning behind the change until this video so thank you.

@sixbladeknife44 2 months ago

Excellent episode, Something Else is a classic, but to me was a always a stepping stone to the two big masterpieces that would follow. Some bands’ legacy fades after many years, but The Kinks are really the opposite, they are more revered now than they have ever been. One of the greatest bands of all time.

@danwood4631 2 months ago

My favorite album of that year

@guarddave 2 months ago (edited)

I bought this album in Indianapolis, Indiana when it was released. Loved it then; love it now! I'm a Kinks fan now and will be Till Death Do Us Part! ("Kiss me with one Ray of light from your lazy old sun...")

@KenLieck 2 months ago

Funny. I'm here in Austin, formerly called Waterloo, and you've reminded me of when I was working at a TV station in Victoria, Texas and brought in the Kinks' "Victoria" to use for some locally-related project and everybody loved it...