The Kinks - Something Else by The Kinks

Face to Face is widely considered The Kinks' first masterpiece (I'd put a vote in for The Kinks Kontroversy, myself), but Something Else is just plain better. There's nothing particularly different about the album sonically from its predecessor; it's still the same style of pop from its predecessor, but the songs are sharper by just a smidgen. The album's sound is quirky and relaxed, backing character studies that can be both celebratory or biting, depending on the song. Ray Davies' ability to distill social observations ("Two Sisters," "David Watts," "Harry Rag") into a 3.5-minute pop song surface here. His songwriting in a general sense reaches a certain peak at the end: "Waterloo Sunset" is one of the prettiest songs ever recorded, with falsettos that rival The Beach Boys. It's an absolutely gorgeous end to an already great album.