Give the People What They Want [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

The Kinks | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 27, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Velvel Records
• ASIN: B00000IM7P
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,818 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Best if not "The" Best album of the 80's, August 24, 2004

By 

D. R Hayes "D.R. Hayes" (Clermont, FL. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Give the People What They Want (Audio CD)

The Kinks are one of those unique bands who have been around for 40 years, and still can find ways of reviving themselves without compromise. By the time this album came out in 1981 they had been through 4 revivals. The first one where they would sound Mod, in 1966 where they'd start to get fancy with thier songwriting, and more sophisticated with thier musical arrangements, in 1969 they'd start to become more rock oriented with songs like "Victoria", "Lola", "Apeman" etc. Then after "Celluloid Heros" The Kinks would go into a deep sleep, and wake up in 1979 becoming more punkish in thier middle age. This is where "Give The People What They Want" enters. Following up thier 79 comeback "Low Budget" The Kinks pulled all the stops. This is pretty much about as perfect an album as "Are You Experienced?". It kicks off right away with "Around The Dial" my favorite which takes a stab at the corporations taking over the radio by programming the songs that get played, it continues into the title cut with the angst, but then slows down with the moody "Killer's Eyes". "Predictable" is the very first video I remember seeing on MTV, and wraps up with "Add It Up" with Ray's then wife Chrissy Hynde on backing vocals. Side 2 starts off with the somewhat weak "Destroyer". I just wasn't getting the same good vibes on this as I was all of side one. Then it rebounds with "Yo-Yo", and "A Little Bit Of Abuse", and finally ends with "Better Things". Without a doubt very underrated, and unfortunately just didn't get a very big welcome on the airwaves. I feel it's time to give it it's due.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I learned to play guitar because of this album., April 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Give the People What They Want (Audio CD)

Around The Dial is quite possibly one of the most overlooked rock n roll songs, period! The album (I first owned it on vinyl)rocks and showcases the Kinks for what they were, a blue collar band. A lot of raw energy in this album. Better Things closes the album and is deliriously infective with its hooks and charms. It is one of the few songs in the world of pop music that can alter your mood for the better. This was perhaps the last great effort from the the Kinks. While State of Confusion and Word of Mouth had their moments as follow ups, neither album had the energy, punch or consisentcy of good songs that GTPWTW did. Fifteen years after the release of this album my then 16 yr old nephew heard tape in my car. He was immediately blown away and 4 years later has become a big Kinks fan going back on the same path of dicovery I did 20 years ago. Finding songs like Waterloo Sunset, Dead End Street, Victoria Death of a Clown and more. It's just too bad he never got to see them live.

GOD SAVE THE KINKS>

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What the People Need!, January 2, 2004

By 

Todd Bartholomew (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Give the People What They Want (Audio CD)

The Kinks were on a roll after "Low Budget" (1979) and the live "One for the Road" (1980) bought them some time for yet another strong studio album. "Give the People What They Want" is all that and a bag of chips as the Kinks cemented their place as punk/heavy metal godfathers. "Give the People..." is chock full of disturbing images of Dead Presidents, pervy pedophiles, spouse abusers and psycho killers amidst some mighty tight rock. "Around the Dial" starts off all hard rock and missing DJs that actually is more poignant today than it was then. "Give the People..." is a nasty double-barrel blast comparing modern society to the Roman Coliseum, even offering up Jack Kennedy and a horrific lyric that's as hard to resist as watching the Zapruder film. "Killer's Eye's" is a chilling lament on what can turn someone down the wrong path. "Predictable" is a wry turn on domestic bliss turning into monotony. "Add It Up" is a great kiss off to a partner who's "made a lot of money, but you've lost me on the way". "Destroyer" revisits Lola but puts the paparazzi/paranoia spin on things. "Yo-Yo" picks back up on the psychological aspect again with how a couple's perspective on the other changes over time. "Back to Front" is time for serious hard rock and it's a bit incongruous next to "Art Lover", the paean to creepy men sitting on park benches watching little girls. The music is so beautiful and the way Ray delivers it so sweetly makes it even more disconcerting and disturbing. "A Little Bit of Abuse" is a great turn on how the abused keep going back to abusers with the great lyric "Some people can be so uncouth, excuse me, is this your tooth?" "Better Things" closes out the disc and it's easily one of the most winning and charming Kinks songs in ages, a fond wish for well.

I've said before "Give the People..." and "Low Budget" are probably the two best recordings the Kinks did in the 70s and 80s and stick by that. "Give the People..." has held up great and the material transcends the time that has elapsed. While many groups of the 60s petered out with sad albums in the 80s (Rolling Stones, The Who) the Kinks kept on rocking and if anything were even better than before.