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Avg: 4.0 (69 ratings)
- Date Released: January 1, 1981
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: Classic Rock, British Invasion
- Label: KOCH Records
There are better things the Kinks recorded, but nothing else has "Better Things."
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We Say...
Following the success of Low Budget, as the title suggests this was a little more of the same. Although it lacks the imagination of its predecessor, it does contain one song that has grown in stature with time. The optimistic, jangly pop tune "Better Things" gave the Kinks their first entry into the UK singles charts in nine years and, after being covered by the Fountains of Wayne some 21 years later, the song was used to stunning effect by Jonathan Demme in his remake of The Manchurian Candidate. While the album lacks the incisiveness of the best Kinks work, there are interesting moments, such as when Davies borrows his "All Day and All of the Night" riff to underpin "Destroyer" and reintroduces the character of Lola into the song. The controversial "Killer's Eyes" was written on the day that Pope John Paul was shot and was also partially informed by both the murder of John Lennon and the Yorkshire Ripper case, while "Predictable" is a worthy mid-tempo rocker.
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They Say...
Riding high on the success of Low Budget, the Kinks turned out another collection of hard-driving, arena-ready rock & roll with Give the People What They Want -- in short, they delivered exactly what the title suggests. Throughout the record, the band kicks up a storm, rocking out with a surprising amount of precision, and although Ray Davies' writing isn't as strong as it was on the group's two previous albums, he has contributed a set of professional hard rock that is distinguished by solid hooks and a clever sense of humor. After all, there's a certain charm in hearing him rework "All Day and All of the Night" into the paranoid "Destroyer," or his pure cynicism on the title track. But the minor masterpiece of the album is "Better Things," a sweet piece of charming sentimentalism that is the only time Davies lets his guard down during the entire album.
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| 01. |  |
Around The Dial |
4:45 |
|
| 02. | |
Give The People What They Want |
3:45 |
|
| 03. | |
Killer's Eyes |
4:40 |
|
| 04. | |
Predictable |
3:21 |
|
| 05. | |
Add It Up |
3:14 |
|
| 06. | |
Destroyer |
3:47 |
|
| 07. | |
Yo-Yo |
4:10 |
|
| 08. | |
Back To Front |
3:15 |
|
| 09. | |
Art Lover |
3:22 |
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| 10. | |
A Little Bit Of Abuse |
3:45 |
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| 11. | |
Better Things |
3:02 |
|
11 Total Tracks, 41:06 Total Length
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Credits
- The Kinks - Main Performer // Dave Davies - Guitar // Dave Davies - Harmonica // Dave Davies - Keyboards // Dave Davies - Vocals // Ray Davies - Synthesizer // Ray Davies - Guitar // Ray Davies - Piano // Ray Davies - Guitar (Rhythm) // Ray Davies - Vocals // Ray Davies - Producer // Ray Davies - Group Member // Mick Avory - Drums // Mick Avory - Group Member // Robert Ellis - Photography // Ian Gibbons - Keyboards // Ian Gibbons - Group Member // Bob Ludwig - Remastering // Jim Rodford - Bass // Jim Rodford - Guitar (Bass) // Jim Rodford - Vocals // Jim Rodford - Group Member // John Rollo - Engineer // John Rollo - Mixing // Mycle Konopka - Compilation Engineer // Ebet Roberts - Artwork // Ebet Roberts - Photography // K. Lee Hammond - Design // Neal Pozner - Art Direction // Bill Crowley - Research // Matt Resnicoff - Liner Notes // Albert Pinheiro - Assistant // Cristina Battani - Reissue Art Director // Marianne Spellman - Artwork // Marianne Spellman - Photography // Ryan Tully - Assistant // Graham Hogg - Assistant
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