I've totally fallen in love with this album. Must be one of the best ever made.

Any love for The Kinks and this album in pàrticular here?

I love the Kinks, but this album is unknown to me.

Thanks

From 1977. Check it out!

Mr. Big Man is one of the best songs Ray Davies ever wrote imo.

I do hav this vinyl album, its ok but I do prefer the Kinks classics such as;
You Really Got Me-Waterloo Sunset-Dead End Street-Sunny Afternoon-Shangrila-
Death of A Clown...

great album!

Love the song "Sleepwalker" - gotta be one of my all-time favorites by anybody. "Juke Box Music" is good too.

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Elmo Lewis
Love the song "Sleepwalker" - gotta be one of my all-time favorites by anybody. "Juke Box Music" is good too.

+ 1

Yes, this was the beginning of their resurgence, their return to a basic rock lineup after years of having a big band with horns type sound. Always loved the song Full Moon, same theme of insomniac night prowler as the title track. Juke Box Music has the same theme as Rock n Roll Fantasy, that of fans who rely on music to pull them through, and the song is also a great radio-friendly rocker. Life Goes On is one of those uplifting tunes in the face of adversity, very English in its stiff upper lip approach that life must go on no matter what happens. Great melody in these songs and they sound very contemporary to the time in which they were recorded, but also still fresh because they are uniquely Kinks-like in their sound and approach. It's a wonder these songs were not hits as well.

One of my all time favorite albums. Not one dud on it...

To me, there is a cold quality to the sound on Sleepwalker (and most of their Arista material ) that seemed more like an attempt for a more commercial sound.


I'm a big fan of their previous record, Schoolboys in Disgrace, which is filled with Ray Davies-style warmth and humor. Sleepwalker marked the beginning of a commercial upswing, but I'd argue artisically it began a step down.

Love the Kinks-- this is a great album-- remember it well when it 1st came out--lots of good stuff on it--
I have always liked their stuff from 1964-1970 the best though---

Not a fan but I did like Destroyer & Do It Again quite a bit.

That album is an old friend. We got to know each other my freshman year in college. 1981. "Stormy Sky" is a nice one. "Life Goes On" is a terrific album closer because the guy decides to end it all and stick his head in the oven, but the gas company had just cut him off for delinquent bills. "No matter how I try I guess I'm too young to die! Life goes on, and on, and on..."

love the kinks and sleepwalker is a great album

I do prefer the RCA albums to the Arista ones but sleepwalker is an excellent album.

Great album. The tour supporting the album was excellent also. There is a soundboard/FM?? boot from this tour entitled Midlife Krisis from the Winterland San Francisco show in Feb. 77 if anyone is interested. Has a number of older tunes as well. Saw the Kinks live many times and this SF show is one of my all time favorites. Check it out!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2013-02-08 00:56 by No Expectations.

Great album! Their return to full on simple rock. No more operas, which was fine by me. Preservation (while having some good stuff) was pretty dismal. Especially the female vocalist! But Sleepwalker and Misfits are fantastic. Juke Box Music is also a great song! Very catchy riff. The band sounds like they should punkish sardonic rock. Great!

I love Schoolboys In Disgrace, and I knew they had other albums after that, but that was where I always stopped. Have heard of the album but nothing about it. I just figured it was a late era Kinks album, how good could it really be. Looks like I might be wrong. Sounds like maybe just an album that is great and many simply don't know about.

A pretty good Kinks album, but nowhere near as good as their best work (which indicates just how jaw-droppingly awesome Ray Davies is).

The run of Face to Face, Something Else by the Kinks, Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire, Lola vs. Powerman and the Money-go-round, and Muswell Hillbillies between 1966 and 1971 compares well with any six-album streak by anyone. And they released a bunch of excellent non-LP singles in this period as well. God save the Kinks!

Agree with ab. Their run from the late 60s to the early 70s is unparalleled by any band.

I'm a huge fan of Life on the Road and Sleepwalker (the song). Although my favorite album from this era has got to be Misfits, which has Rock 'n Roll Fantasy, and Black Messiah. Ray Davies is a genius.

Yep, that one and also Procol Harums 'Exotic birds and fruit' were very good 'come-back-albums' from sixties-bands....

2 1 2 0

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Come On
Yep, that one and also Procol Harums 'Exotic birds and fruit' were very good 'come-back-albums' from sixties-bands....

Exotic Birds and Fruit a comeback?


It only followed Grand Hotel--the best album Procol Harum ever made.


That's like calling GHS a comeback after Exile...

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loog droog

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Come On
Yep, that one and also Procol Harums 'Exotic birds and fruit' were very good 'come-back-albums' from sixties-bands....

Exotic Birds and Fruit a comeback?

That's like calling GHS a comeback after Exile..

It only followed Grand Hotel--the best album Procol Harum ever made. ...

Taste and opinions...I got Grand Hotel so I think I must re-listened to it....



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2013-02-08 08:25 by Come On.

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JMoisica
Agree with ab. Their run from the late 60s to the early 70s is unparalleled by any band.

I'm a huge fan of Life on the Road and Sleepwalker (the song). Although my favorite album from this era has got to be Misfits, which has Rock 'n Roll Fantasy, and Black Messiah. Ray Davies is a genius.

MISFITS is also my favorite kinks album from that era

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runaway
I do hav this vinyl album, its ok but I do prefer the Kinks classics such as;
You Really Got Me-Waterloo Sunset-Dead End Street-Sunny Afternoon-Shangrila-
Death of A Clown...

You prefer the warhorses? ok, they are good. Still, the sound they came up with from 77-85 was great, imo. More rocking, punk-ish, but still with the good melodies.

I like Sleepwalker, but seemed pretty well influenced by the times thus detracting from the identity of the band. On the other hand, I was pretty happy they decided not to use the "Can't Explain" riff on any of the songs. That was a welcome decision.

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RollingFreak
I love Schoolboys In Disgrace, and I knew they had other albums after that, but that was where I always stopped. Have heard of the album but nothing about it. I just figured it was a late era Kinks album, how good could it really be. Looks like I might be wrong. Sounds like maybe just an album that is great and many simply don't know about.

Check out the "Low Budget" album. Good stuff.

"No Anchovies, Please"

i love The Kinks but lost interest when they started doing theatre stuff

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Slimharpo
I like Sleepwalker, but seemed pretty well influenced by the times thus detracting from the identity of the band. On the other hand, I was pretty happy they decided not to use the "Can't Explain" riff on any of the songs. That was a welcome decision.

Can't Explain - wasn't that the song which ripped off All Day and All of the Night?