“I’m Not Like Everybody Else” – The Kinks
(Words/music: Ray Davies, available on Kinkdom, Reprise 1966 & Rhino reissue 1988)

Many times, when talking about music, we throw around “subtlety” as a prerequisite for being a masterful piece of art.  Many times, subtle art yields a deeper appreciation because we need to spend more time engaging it to learn all of the nuances.  Many of us (and I know I’ve done this more often that I’d probably admit) make the mistake of gravitating towards something difficult over something that looks easier, in part because many of us hold the false notion that something that looks chaotic or dense requires more skill or effort.  Sure, a masterpiece requires the utmost precision and skill, but it takes a masters’ touch to make something difficult look easy.  Sometimes we’re duped by genius into thinking something is easier than it looks, and I think this holds true for many songs.  Writing a short, “simple sounding” song requires discipline and self-editing, not to mention a moment of inspiration and the ability to act on it.

Some things are best presented directly as well.  Take Ray Davies’ ode to eccentricity – “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” reveals itself in one listen – Davies proudly (and repeatedly) asserts that he’s not like everybody else.  It’s not so much about what he’s saying as how it’s presented; Davies’ vocals start off like he’s having a conversation with a friend – the kind of discussion where it’s more about hearing your own ideas out loud to make sure they make sense outside of your own brain.  When Davies convinces his friend (or himself), his voice swells as we proudly declares his mantra.  His bandmates echo this feeling too, as the ringing guitars in the verse give way to the more forceful, tightly-arranged stomp in the chorus.  As Davies gets more comfortable with his personal acceptance, the band encourages his emotional outburst, climaxing during the outro.  The guitars strum frantically as Davies and his brother Dave echo each other.  There might not be new wrinkles to discover after several years of listening to the song, but it’s so well put together that I’ll never get sick of hearing it.

More on The Kinks: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm