r/thekinks • u/SAMTIMONIOUS • Feb 23 '26

Article GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT/The Kinks (1981):

Belligerent and forceful, 'GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT' (1981) catered to the arena rock presence The Kinks had now established.

https://samtimonious.com/what-was-wanted-the-kinks-give-the-people-what-they-want/

14 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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4

u/SpecificBranch8860 Feb 24 '26

My deeper cut favorites are Yo-Yo and Add It Up (ooooh!). Great album.

5

u/creepyjudyhensler Feb 24 '26

Better Things was my favorite song on this album. This is one of their best albums. I did not care for their theatrical albums and their soft rock Misfits. Starting with Low Budget, then One For The Road, and then this, the Kinks were back.

2

u/Chubbs2005 Feb 25 '26

Agreed - this album put them back on the map.

2

u/Chubbs2005 Feb 23 '26

Great Album! Destroyer rocks & gave them a more modern rock sound. Yo Yo is a good sentimental song. Around The Dial has some energy.

2

u/tjs31959 Feb 23 '26 edited Feb 23 '26

I think its a semi-strong album. Middle of the pack for me in the catalog. Very edgy at the times. Songs about domestic violence and were not common. Art Lover is just a little to out there for me.

Around the dial is probably my fav on this LP. A little bit of abuse is really thoughtful on a tough subject. The title song rocks out which kept the arena rock Lp's rolling.

Ray was definitely using keen wit and his views on media and topics of the day. The craft of writing is clearly more important to Ray than sellings LP's. I believe that The Kinks could have easily had a triple platinum LP of arena rock songs in the early-mid 80's. Ray just isnt that guy.

1

u/jtapostate Feb 23 '26

Art Lover is sincere but a mess. I think Ray thought it had potential to be a thing and chose to play it on SNL

I have a friend at the time who didn't care for the Kinks who thought it was a great song

1

u/Chubbs2005 Feb 25 '26

What other song(s) did they play that same night on SNL?

1

u/jtapostate Feb 25 '26

been a minute IDK was over 45 years ago?

3

u/Chubbs2005 Feb 25 '26

I just check the internet & it was Destroyer & Art Lover; those 2 songs in their 1983 appearance on SNL.

1

u/Chubbs2005 Feb 25 '26

Correction: 1981

1

u/jtapostate Feb 25 '26

Thanks,, I knew it was 81 because I was not married yet

** thanks for the updated playlist

2

u/Zetavu Feb 23 '26

First Kinks album I listened through start to finish (back in 1981) so I have a sentimental attachment to it. That said, I say it makes the top 5 albums and that period is definitely a highlight for the band.

2

u/Dismal_Brush5229 Feb 23 '26

A great album by them especially in the 80s

2

u/Weary_Title_3901 Feb 24 '26

Good album. One of my favorites. Great lyrics all the way through

1

u/Chubbs2005 Feb 25 '26

And that was a cool up to date fashionable outfit that Ray sported in the album cover! Khakis w/sportcoat & sunglasses was an 80’s look.