Sleepwalker [Hybrid SACD]

Track Listings

1. Life On The Road

2. Mr. Big Man

3. Sleepwalker

4. Brother

5. Juke Box Music

6. Sleepless Night

7. Stormy Sky

8. Full Moon

9. Life Goes On

10. Artificial Light

11. Prince Of The Punks

12. The Poseur

13. On The Outside (1977 Mix)

14. On The Outside (1994 Mix)

Tracks:

Alcohol & Bandages
Best Mistake
Goodbyes
Tearing Through Me
Paper, Rock, Scissors
Emergency Room Romantic
Dusk, The Day After
Slow Suicide
Here's Everything I've Always Meant To Say
The Here And Now
I Should Mean More

Album Description

JamisonParker's debut full length "Sleepwalker" is a collection of well-crafted songs fitted with gorgeous sounds. The guitar tones alone were contrived with the kind of attention to detail that would make a Swiss watchmaker jealous. Putting yourself repeatedly through the wringer, whether it's in search of the perfect guitar tone, or in dedication to the fine art of artfully spilling your guts, leads to a kind of certainty. Sleepwalker is filled with the confidence and artistic ambition pretty much unchanged since before Jamison and Parker were JamisonParker.

Customer Reviews:

cute.......2006-08-22

I would define this album as "cute" and catchy. I really like it a lot! It's fun, and you just want to listen to each song over and over.

This is how I rate it:

1.Alchohol & Bandages (10/10): very catchy song kinda weak lyrics but this song was a good intro song because it made me want to listen to it more.

2.Best Mistake (8/10): Good song. I didn't like it at first but it grew on me.

3.Goodbyes (9/10) I like the sound of this song.

4.Tearing Through Me (10/10) short but one of my favorite songs on this album.

5.Paper, Rock, Scissors (7/10) It's Ok. That's really it.

6.Emergency Room Romantic (9/10) Loveee this songgggggg!

7.Dusk, The Day After (10/10) I love this song. It's beautiful.

8.Slow Suicide (6/10) Not a big fan of this song. My least favorite.

9.Here's Everything I've Always Wanted (7/10) Not my favorite but it's a nice song to listen to.

10.The Here And Now (10/10) My favorite song on the album! Amazing! I love it!

11.I should mean more (9/10) Great closing song.

Almost Perfect!.......2006-03-14

I actually love this cd. I heard Best Mistake and love it immediately! The vocals are excellent, very raspy and just great. The lyrics are very well written and the guitars are perfect. You can feel the emotion in every song and it is just perfect. My favorite songs on the album are Slow Suicide, Alcohol & Bandages, Best Mistake, Emergency Room Romantic, Goodbyes, and Paper, Rock, Scissors. You should definately check this album out!

terrible F.......2006-01-25

This is just the same crap over and over. I couldn't find a single song on the whole album that was even worth listening to the entire way through. It's simple power cords, extremely basic drumming, and HORRIBLE 8th grade lyrics (With a few repeated guitar picking riffs so that they could still justify calling it an "emo" album). Extremely lacking in originality. SO many other great emo bands out there. My top five "Better than Jamesonparker - Sleepwalker" list: TBS-Tell All Your Friends, Further Seems Forever-Moon Is Down, Jimmy Eat World-Clarity, Saves the Day-Stay What You Are, and The Get Up Kids-Something to Write Home About. Any one of these blows this crap away. Thank god this band broke up recently...

Forever a Sleepwalker..........2006-01-13

I've had this CD for a while, and, since I'm procrastinating on my studies, I thought, "Oh, what the hell, I'll just write some online reviews."

"Sleepwalker" is the first and only full-length CD from JamisonParker, as announced in AP Magazine that they've recently broken up, and we won't be hearing music from this duo together anytime soon.

Looking over at the reviews, Jamison probably does suffer from a mental illness. I always thought there was something about that boy; No one is that breathtakingly beautiful. Anyway...

This CD is a CD that you'll be listening to. A lot. I guarantee you, if you buy it, you can't bear to remove it from your CD player for at least a month.

My favorite track on the album is "Slow Suicide."

Overall, you should just go buy it. It's terrific. Fantastic.

And, I owe my soul to JamisonParker.

Forever a sleepwalker.

Biggest Surprise Of The Year.......2006-01-08

I first heard of these guys in an AP magazine. They looked like their music would be terrible and another run-of-the-mill emo band. About a month later, their name popped back into my head when I was listening to some music. I heard 4 of their songs and was very surprised. The names to their song also made me groan becaise again, it looked as if they were another emo band (which is just what the world needs...note the sarcasm). Anyways, so I really enjoyed these songs I heard and decided to buy this album since it was cheap on this site. I don't think I have ever been more surprised in an album. Although the names are very emo ideas, they take a bad situation and turn it into a good one. It's actually hopeful and pretty profound. How could these guys create such a gem after a very emo EP? This CD has amazing lyricism though. His voice is also very surprising in a good way. Songs:

1. Alcohol & Bandages - (4/5) Good opening to the CD. Solid song, not very long, got me to keep listening instead of just skimming through the CD.

2. Best Mistake - (5/5) I liked the theme of this song. It's pretty good musically as well. Overall, just a great song.

3. Goodbyes - (5/5) A hopeful outlook by guys who look like they do? I guess you never can judge a book by it's cover. Great lyrics.

4. Tearing Through Me - (5/5) Maybe the most emo lyrics on the album. Still a quieter, great song. Again, some great lyrics.

5. Paper, Rock, Scissors - (5/5) Made me mad that they emphasized the scissors part of that title. I have no idea why it's called this, but it's a great song. Very hopeful and very "poppy" sounding. One of the best on the album. Great chorus and great lyrics.

6. Emergency Room Romantic - (5/5) One of the most emo titles on the CD. Not that emo though. He actually takes the extremely negative situation that most emo bands just dwell on, puts it in the past, and says how he finds love in the emergency room. This made me very happy to hear how he turned such a bad topic into a good one.

7. Dusk, The Day After - (4/5) Not a bad song. Some pretty good lyrics. Solid song.

8. Slow Suicide - (5/5) The beginning of the zenith of this CD. He talks, not about killing yourself with a razor or something to that effect, but about how things that this world decides to disguise as innocent (sex, pain, drugs, alcohol) are slowly killing us. Amazing lyrics. Incredible song.

9. Here's Everything I Ever Meant To Say To You (or something to that effect) - (5/5) I should be giving this a (6/5). I didn't expect a completely selfless, amazing love song on this CD, but I found one. This song is without a doubt the best one on here. Incredible in every aspect. Listen to this if you haven't heard it.

10. The Here And Now - (4/5) A good wind down from the last two songs. Good opening. Pretty cool, solid song. Good lyrics.

11. I Should Mean More - (5/5) Great ending to the CD. Great lyrics again. A great intro to this song. I really enjoyed how it would get louder after the chorus, but stayed quiet the rest of the time.

Overall, a gem of a CD. I don't know what to classify it as, but I'm leaning towards pop-rock. It's unfortunate that they broke up right after this one. They could have continued their amazing lyricism. Get this CD, and you will not be disappointed (unless you want to hear the maligned emo that people like Hawthorne Heights sing).

Average customer rating:

A Milestone in Kinks History!
a strong start to the Kinks' Arista Records years
The Kinks Komeback --- Again!
Return To Form
Ray's originality was sleepwalking

Sleepwalker
The Kinks
Manufacturer: Velvel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Misfits
The Kinks Present Schoolboys in Disgrace
State of Confusion
Give the People What They Want
Word of Mouth

ASIN: B0006U3TYI
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Tracks:

Life On The Road
Mr. Big Man
Sleepwalker
Brother
Juke Box Music
Sleepless Night
Stormy Sky
Full Moon
Life Goes On
Artificial Light
Prince Of The Punks
The Poseur
On The Outside (1977 Mix)
On The Outside (1994 Mix)

Customer Reviews:

A Milestone in Kinks History!.......2006-03-30

Sleepwalker was the Kinks' first album for the Arista label. When released in 1977 it was also the first Kinks album for several years that did not have a strict concept. This was quite refreshing and probsably also a bit of a relief for the band.

At any rate it's a very inspired album and along with "State of Confusion" the strongest and most consistent Arista album. Davies' songwriting is varied and at his very best. Dave Davies? guitar-playing is terrific and it gives edge to the music. It's hard to bring out any specific tracks, because all are great. Personal favourites were always the classic Kinks-type of songs like "Full Moon" and "Stormy Sky", but Dave great guitar on "Mr Big Man" makes the song another favourite. A little Steve Miller inspiration on the title track??

Moreover the added bonus-tracks are also fine. Two decent B-sides "Artificial Light" ( sounds like a "Misfits" song ) and "Prince of the Punks" are fine for fans/completists, but the two outtakes are really great additions. "The Poseur" was originally thought to be the title-track, but it was eventually dropped with the change of the album title. Even more strange is it that they decided to leave out the outstanding "On the Outside", which would have been another highlight on the original album. Now it finally gets it's deserved release - classical Kinks!!

A milestone in Kinks History!

a strong start to the Kinks' Arista Records years.......2006-01-26

Originally released in February of 1977, "Sleepwalker" was the first album the Kinks did for the Arista Records label which was founded, and at the time headed, by the notorious record industry mogul Clive Davis. This switch from RCA to Arista coincided with Ray Davies backing down from the seemingly endless string of Broadway-flavored, horn-laden concept albums he'd been writing in favor of a more-or-less straightahead rock 'n' roll approach.

You've probably read about how Arista Records wasn't going to accept any "Preservation"/ "Soap Opera"-style concept albums from the Kinks. However, in characteristic Ray Davies fashion, he wanted to have his cake and eat it too, so he devised "Sleepwalker" as a loosely thematic album about sleeplessness/ restlessness, a theme which can be detected just by glancing at some of the song titles such as the title track, "Sleepless Night", and "Full Moon".

And this is a really solid, satisfying album. Although these years on Arista Records also tend to be referred to as the Kinks' "arena rock" years, "arena rock" really is not an accurate description for the music on this album. Granted, the group does rock out pretty hard on many of the songs here, but the group demonstrated that they hadn't entirely forgotten the concept of rocking out on the previous album "Schoolboys In Disgrace", and "Sleepwalker" is hardly a move toward Kiss-style territory.

As usual, Ray has sole writing credit for all the tracks on the album. And there are a bunch of great ones. "Mr. Big Man" is a raging rocker about a person who acheives fame and then proceeds to blow off the people who helped him get there. "Juke Box Music" has really curious lyrics about not taking music too seriously and how it's "only there to dance to", but regardless, it's an absolutely infectious rocker with a simple-but-irresistible riff, catchy melody, great Dave Davies lead guitar work, well-placed synthesized strings, and neat interplay between Ray and Dave's vocals. The bluesy "Sleepless Night" has some silly, seemingly unfinished lyrics, and Dave's lead vocals are a little shaky, but it's irresistible anyway, thanks to more great Dave Davies guitarwork, cool organ, and the sheer catchiness. "Full Moon" is a soaring, emotional song that builds up arrestingly, with Ray's vocals starting off gentle and working their way up to a wonderfully from-the-gut delivery.

There are more quality tunes as well. The album-opening story-song "Life On The Road" starts off mellow before transforming into an uptempo rocker with with some clever and funny lyrics. The title track is also fun and catchy, although somewhat underdeveloped. The album-closer "Life Goes On" is quite amusing with its sardonic lyrics about how we must carry on no matter how bad life gets, and yet the simple and memorable "life goes on and on and on" hook of the chorus is uncannily uplifting, which is seemingly what Ray was going for with the song.

Only a couple songs are considerably dull. One is "Stormy Sky"--the song does have atmosphere, but it's underdeveloped in terms of the songwriting and feels like filler. Even worse is the strained, 5+ minute ballad "Brother" which aims for a directly spiritual quality, and is loaded up with painfully predictable lyrics.

Another comment I can't help but make is that many of the songs here are strikingly similar to earlier songs. "Mr. Big Man" is extremely reminsicent of 10cc's "The Wall Street Shuffle", and some of Dave's lead guitar bits make the song very reminiscent of "Layla" as well. The title track sounds a lot like the Steve Miller Band's "Take the Money and Run" (even if "Sleepwalker" is the better song), and it also has a somewhat annoying "Dear Prudence"-style ending. The ending of "Full Moon" references the Kinks' own "Johnny Thunder". In other words, the album kinda doubles as a virtual name-that-tune fest.

Velvel Records reissued "Sleepwalker" in 1998 with great sound quality, superb liner notes, and bonus tracks. Velvel have reissued it again in 2005 in hybrid SACD format, and thankfully, the bonus tracks remain intact, because they add additional interest to the proceedings--"Artificial Light" is forgettable, and "Price of the Punks" is pretty amusing, but a bit ham-fisted and overdone; however, the moody "The Poseur" is arresting, as is the engaging ballad "On The Outside" (present in 2 slightly different versions). (Velvel have subsequently reissued "Sleepwalker" again in 2005 in hybrid SACD format with the bonus tracks intact.)

Overall, a highly satisfying disc that ranks as a must for any Kinks fan.

The Kinks Komeback --- Again!.......2005-06-16

The Kinks continually reinvented themselves. After the international success of "Lola" in 1970 (their first komeback) the Kinks promptly went underground again, producing a series of quirky koncept albums, some excellent, some less so; these went virtually unheard in the United States.

In 1977, the Kinks once again became a straight rock band. Dave Davies got a chance to be a guitar hero. And, improbably, the band engineered another comeback, becoming arena rockers. Sleepwalker was a minor hit, but it propelled the band back into the limelight.

The follow-up, "Misfits", produced a huge hit (Rock and Roll Fantasy) and sold better, but "Sleepwalker" is the best LP of the Kinks' Arista years. There's not a false note on the nine tracks (although "Brother" is just a trifle slow for my taste). The rollicking self-satire of "Life on the Road" leads into the heart-breaking, beautifully written "Mr. Big Man", then to the lush and bizarre title cut. Every track sparkles with Ray Davies's brilliant lyrics and wry, knowing wit. Having dispensed with the elaborate horn arrangements of their koncept period, the band brings the attention back to the core of rock music: good songs.

These are songs you can dance to, sing along with, hum, and dream to. Great guitar playing by Dave, too! Very highly recommended.

Return To Form.......2005-04-18

A great Kinks album- lush production, the Kinks enter the modern era. Some of Ray's best songs here- little known gems like "Mr. Big Man", "Juke Box Music", "Full Moon", and they all flow together well. I am a Kinks fanatic, so I had to balance the first reviewer- this really is a comeback album from "Schoolboys". SACD, plus rarities- awesome sound.

Ray's originality was sleepwalking.......2005-04-13

The Kinks' "rock theater" period was patchy. "Preservation" Acts 1 and 2, despite boasting lots of great songs, are plagued by poor cohesion and too many half-realized ideas. "Soap Opera" is even messier, with dialogue, sound effects, and the stilted plot taking precedence over solid songs. "Schoolboys in Disgrace," on the other hand, was a return to the style of "Arthur"-- colorful, robust, fully-realized songs linked by a common theme and loose narrative. Ray Davies was finally remembering how to write an album in which the concept served and deepened the music instead of overwhelming it.

Of course, as always with the Kinks, the floor fell out just as they were hitting their stride. "Schoolboys" was their last album on RCA and Ray was summarily told by his new bosses at Arista: No concept albums. So the Kinks assumed the trappings of arena rock: glossy production, generic lyrics, crooned vocals, and fully independent songs (aside from the shared imagery of sleep and night that Ray snuck into several songs here).

So what of "Sleepwalker" itself? When I first heard this album, after reading mostly positive reviews, I was very disappointed. So much of the Kinks' appeal lies in Ray's quirks and idiosyncracies, but the watchwords here are slick, generic, and middle-of-the-road. Synthesizers assume a prominent role in the Kinks' music for the first time here. The full-bodied earthiness of Schoolboys' drums and guitars is replaced by a thick layer of gloss. Ray's lyrics seem to go out of their way to stick to broad, common themes. In short, Ray Davies is on arena rock autopilot.

That was my initial impression. After a few months, however, I warmed to the album a bit. I still think that barely any of the Kinks' unique personality shines through here, but Sleepwalker contains other pleasures that make themselves known over time.

For one thing, it is impeccably sequenced. Outtakes like "Artificial Light" or "The Poseur" may be better than the weakest tracks that did make the album, but it's undeniable that the nine tracks Ray did choose form a coherent, balanced, and well-paced whole (especially compared to the lumpy hodgepodge of "Misfits").

"Sleepwalker" is also one of the most musically intricate Kinks albums. The band obviously put a lot of effort into fine-tuning the intertwining guitar, drum, bass, organ, and piano parts on each song. This artistry makes "Sleepwalker" a great headphone listen, especially the SACD version.

Above all though, the songs just grew on me with time. For all its shortcomings, "Sleepwalker" remains a fun album to just turn up and sing along to. It's still in the lowest third of my personal Kinks hierarchy, and I will always wonder what could have been had Arista not forced Ray to write "normal" songs instead of Kinks songs... but I've learned to appreciate "Sleepwalker" as one more unique facet of the Kinks legacy.

Among the Arista Kinks albums, I would advise a new fan to check out "Give the People What They Want," "State of Confusion," and "Word of Mouth" (all excellent) before proceeding to "Sleepwalker."

Average customer rating:

Fun to listen to!
An interesting concept not quite realized

Piano Dance: A 20th-Century Portrait

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Tangos | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Piano Music of John Adams & Terry Riley
Letter to a Christian Nation

ASIN: B00004UEKB
Release Date: 2000-07-25

Tracks:

Red Ribbon Dance
Sleepwalker's Shuffle
Golliwog's Cakewalk
Like A Tarantelle
Shimmy
Polka
Hungarian Rock
Rumanian Dance
Tango
Hesitation-Tango
A Tortoise's Tango
Waltz
Mazurka
Valse-Improvisation Sur Le Nom De Bach
Waltz IV
Percussion Dance
Modern Love Waltz
Lilt of the Reel
Rigaudon
Cancion Y Danza
Danzas Criollas
Illicit Felicity
Conga

Amazon.com

For sheer entertainment value, it's hard to find a classical CD that will beat this one. Gloria Cheng has chosen an astonishing variety of 20th-century piano music with nothing in common except brevity and dance origins. The disc is full of familiar pieces (Debussy, Scriabin, Ravel, Prokofiev) and entertaining novelties (Albright, Martinu, Poulenc, Ginastera). Donald R. Davis's exercise in creative plagiarism, "Illicit Felicity," rates a special mention for its ingenuity. But really, unless you're allergic to Philip Glass, there isn't a loser on the entire program. Cheng plays brilliantly, with appropriate special emphasis on the dance rhythms of the music, and Telarc's sound engineering is typically realistic. It ain't profound, but this is still a marvelous program. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Fun to listen to!.......2000-09-18

Listening to this CD is fun. The CD has a diverse selection of contemporary dances for solo piano, ranging from familiar favorites, such as Gollywog's Cakewalk by Debussy, to lesser known and unconventional but charming works, such as del Aguila's Conga. The dances are varied and well-interpreted by Ms. Cheng, who brings poignancy to each one while maintaining throughout the CD a fun and energetic mood.

Ms. Cheng's playing is phenomenal, and I also enjoy her earlier CD of works by John Adams and Terry Riley. Both CD's show off her rich tone and appealing style, but the dance collection is the most entertaining. If you buy this CD, you'll probably find yourself listening to it frequently.

An interesting concept not quite realized.......2000-07-25

A very good concept. Take a noted pianist, in this case Gloria Cheng, and work with her on a program of 23 short works or short sections of larger works, all of which are one form or another of Dance--and you might come up with something good or possibly just a mixed bag. The Telarc release (CD-80549) is such a program. The playing is wonderful, the results what you might expect, alas: a mixed bag.

A very definite positive about this program is that almost every selection was new to me. After all, how many of us are familiar with works like Miguel del Aguila's "Conga," Philip Glass's "Modern Love Reel," or Paul Hindemith's "Shimmy"? I mean, really! So there is much Joy of Discovery afforded by this CD; but with all but one piece running under 5 minutes (and that one at 9:26), a certain cloying factor creeps in after a while, and perhaps I should recommend this be played in small sections.

Tracks:

Therapy (I Don't Need You)
Dead Heart
Fake A Smile
Easier
Beautiful
Control
Out Of The Dark
Long Way Down
Someone Somewhere
Anything

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Rock Album.......2007-05-11

Despite what I have read on some of the online reviews about this album, I decided to give it a try and I am glad I did. I own most of the albums that are listed as similar albums to "Sleepwalker" on Amazon. (Greenwheel, Dakona, Strange Celebrity, and Seven & the Sun) This is just as good as Greenwheel's Soma Holdiay and rocks a tad harder as well. Every track on this album is great and there really isn't a stand out track because they are all terrific.
The lead singer's voice is not nearly as bad as people on here are saying. The whining is close to non-existent and the music is great. If you are a fan of many of the bands listed in the similar section, then buy this cd, you will not be disappointed.

incredible cd.......2006-02-25

i just picked this cd up on a whim today because i saw a good review of it on alternativeaddiction.com awhile back. This is alternative rock at its finest, some of the best i have heard in a long time. Highly reccomended

*Thumbs Down*.......2005-07-18

This cd isn't TOO bad but at the same time I wish i hadn't bought it. I think the singer said to himself "Let's see how i can ruin this record by whining like a country singer all emotionally". (And in a realllly bad way) Oddly enough, the absolute best song these guys ever put out isn't featured on either of their cd's. (Sweet Summer) Besides the fact that this is missing that gem of a song, it's nothing like the first cd. Nothing quite like the cathy pop rhythms of Don't Stop on this cd. Just kinda BLAND soft rock. I recommend downloading Sweet Summer as it is their best song by FAR and perhaps possibly buying the first cd, but don't waste your time on this one.

Smart lyrics, catchy tunes, originality. Awesome!.......2005-01-24

"Sleepwalker" is the kind of music that makes you think. It's the music that you can tell is deeper than just lyrics. They have a purpose, a meaning, from which great songs are born. The artist's smart rhyming lyrics add immensely to the extremely catchy tunes. Each song seems to have a catchy string of notes that you can't seem to get out of your head. The emotions expressed vocally through stylish lyrics are sung by Radford, an amazing unique and creatively original singer.

The CD is filled with track after track of potential hits. It's a shame I heard about Radford on an internet radio and not on a mainstream radio station. Radford deserves to become more popular.

If you take the amazing drummer from Strata, add a country music singer (he sounds like country but, believe me, I HATE country--he makes it work), throw in the guitarist from the Muse, put in the keyboardist from Postal Service, and top it off with a songwriter from Trapt or Crossfade and you've got the sweetness that is Radford.

I am a drummer and after listening to "Sleepwalker" (which is a cool name) just once, I was able to identify the drummer, Josh Freese, as one of the best, most talented drummers I've ever heard.

It ROCKS!

~T*RIN 5lbscatfood.blogspot.com

album of the year!.......2004-11-14

as a drummer, I always want to have my hands on any ablum that feature Josh Freese on drum, and Sleepwalker is one of those, after giving that a listen, I just can't put that down, it's not just because of Freese, it's also because Radford worte some of best tunes of our time, the whole album is full of great song writing and arrangment, the way they put together loops and real instruments brings great climax to songs and will definitely blow you away with all of the their energy.

Average customer rating:

Get it for the bonus track

Sleepwalker

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Alternative Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00066D096
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Album Description

Taken from 'My Hotel Year', the debut solo album from No-Man's Tim Bowness. Details TBA. 2004.

Customer Reviews:

Get it for the bonus track.......2005-05-12

This is a fine CD-single from the excellent "My Hotel Year" album. The "Sleepwalker" track is good introduction to Tim Bowness' unique combination of melody, melancholy, and immaculate use of space. The b-side, "Unprotected," is more of a beat-driven track, and it is essential for anyone who enjoyed the main album. At a very reasonable price, this is a great value. Fans of no-man, Porcupine Tree, and Jansen Barbieri Karn will appreciate it greatly.

Average customer rating:

Songs by Johannes Brahms

Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002ZO9
Release Date: 1993-03-23

Average customer rating:

a strong start to the Kinks' Arista Records years
Nothing Sleepy About It
Pre Punk Rock band in one of their best
Something about the Kinks
Just brilliant!

Sleepwalker
The Kinks
Manufacturer: Velvel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Classic Rock | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Misfits
Low Budget
Muswell Hillbillies
State of Confusion
The Kinks Present Schoolboys in Disgrace

ASIN: B00000FDJT
Release Date: 1998-11-24

Tracks:

Life On The Road
Mr. Big Man
Sleepwalker
Brother
Juke Box Music
Sleepless Night
Stormy Sky
Full Moon
Life Goes On
Artificial Light
Prince Of The Punks
The Poseur
On The Outside (1977 Mix)
On The Outside (1994 Mix)

Customer Reviews:

a strong start to the Kinks' Arista Records years.......2006-01-26

Originally released in February of 1977, "Sleepwalker" was the first album the Kinks did for the Arista Records label which was founded, and at the time headed, by the notorious record industry mogul Clive Davis. This switch from RCA to Arista coincided with Ray Davies backing down from the seemingly endless string of Broadway-flavored, horn-laden concept albums he'd been writing in favor of a more-or-less straightahead rock 'n' roll approach.

You've probably read about how Arista Records wasn't going to accept any "Preservation"/ "Soap Opera"-style concept albums from the Kinks. However, in characteristic Ray Davies fashion, he wanted to have his cake and eat it too, so he devised "Sleepwalker" as a loosely thematic album about sleeplessness/ restlessness, a theme which can be detected just by glancing at some of the song titles such as the title track, "Sleepless Night", and "Full Moon".

And this is a really solid, satisfying album. Although these years on Arista Records also tend to be referred to as the Kinks' "arena rock" years, "arena rock" really is not an accurate description for the music on this album. Granted, the group does rock out pretty hard on many of the songs here, but the group demonstrated that they hadn't entirely forgotten the concept of rocking out on the previous album "Schoolboys In Disgrace", and "Sleepwalker" is hardly a move toward Kiss-style territory.

As usual, Ray has sole writing credit for all the tracks on the album. And there are a bunch of great ones. "Mr. Big Man" is a raging rocker about a person who acheives fame and then proceeds to blow off the people who helped him get there. "Juke Box Music" has really curious lyrics about not taking music too seriously and how it's "only there to dance to", but regardless, it's an absolutely infectious rocker with a simple-but-irresistible riff, catchy melody, great Dave Davies lead guitar work, well-placed synthesized strings, and neat interplay between Ray and Dave's vocals. The bluesy "Sleepless Night" has some silly, seemingly unfinished lyrics, and Dave's lead vocals are a little shaky, but it's irresistible anyway, thanks to more great Dave Davies guitarwork, cool organ, and the sheer catchiness. "Full Moon" is a soaring, emotional song that builds up arrestingly, with Ray's vocals starting off gentle and working their way up to a wonderfully from-the-gut delivery.

There are more quality tunes as well. The album-opening story-song "Life On The Road" starts off mellow before transforming into an uptempo rocker with with some clever and funny lyrics. The title track is also fun and catchy, although somewhat underdeveloped. The album-closer "Life Goes On" is quite amusing with its sardonic lyrics about how we must carry on no matter how bad life gets, and yet the simple and memorable "life goes on and on and on" hook of the chorus is uncannily uplifting, which is seemingly what Ray was going for with the song.

Only a couple songs are considerably dull. One is "Stormy Sky"--the song does have atmosphere, but it's underdeveloped in terms of the songwriting and feels like filler. Even worse is the strained, 5+ minute ballad "Brother" which aims for a directly spiritual quality, and is loaded up with painfully predictable lyrics.

Another comment I can't help but make is that many of the songs here are strikingly similar to earlier songs. "Mr. Big Man" is extremely reminsicent of 10cc's "The Wall Street Shuffle", and some of Dave's lead guitar bits make the song very reminiscent of "Layla" as well. The title track sounds a lot like the Steve Miller Band's "Take the Money and Run" (even if "Sleepwalker" is the better song), and it also has a somewhat annoying "Dear Prudence"-style ending. The ending of "Full Moon" references the Kinks' own "Johnny Thunder". In other words, the album kinda doubles as a virtual name-that-tune fest.

The 1998 CD reissue of "Sleepwalker" on Velvel Records has great sound quality and superb liner notes. It also adds interest to the proceedings in the form of bonus tracks--"Artificial Light" is forgettable, and "Price of the Punks" is pretty amusing, but a bit ham-fisted and overdone; however, the moody "The Poseur" is arresting, as is the engaging ballad "On The Outside" (present in 2 slightly different versions). (Velvel have subsequently reissued "Sleepwalker" again in 2005 in hybrid SACD format with the bonus tracks intact.)

Overall, a highly satisfying disc that ranks as a must for any Kinks fan.

Nothing Sleepy About It.......2004-08-04

Whether or not it is "only juke box music," "Sleepwalker" also happens to be the most consistent album in the string of releases that comprised The Kinks second wind. The sound is juicy as an over-ripe melon, the music is fantastic, and the songs are some of the best in the band's catalog: the anthemic "Juke Box Music," the hit single, "Sleepwalker," and "Sleepless Night," one of those ocassional gems penned by younger brother Dave. "Life on the Road" is a rock 'n roll theme song in its own right: a characteristically charming take on the lifestyle of the rock star. "So I searched night and day/to catch a kissable lady/But all I caught was a cold," Ray quips as the song trundles delightfully onward. History may have robbed these guys of their richly deserved immortality, but compared to the garbage other baby boomer bands put out at this time (all that reggae and disco trash from the Stones, or those pitiful late-70s CSN albums), the songs on "Sleepwalker" speak for themselves.

Pre Punk Rock band in one of their best.......2004-04-17

I remember liking this a lot back in the seventies. I got it on cd and it is just as good . Simple, energetic pieces that give you that goose bump hair raising feeling. Even though this is a bit far away from their early rock-ier best stuff , this is good too! A little bit more on the Pop side of things but great melodies and great playing. What more could you want to scape from this hip-hop-trip-metal world?

Something about the Kinks.......2004-01-08

I lived with my aunt and uncle in high-school during the mid 80s and my uncle introduced me to the music of the Kinks. I listened to them a lot then and enjoyed their music (especially Sleepwalker), but then I stopped listening to them for some reason or another. I recently broke out my huge plastic tub of cassette tapes and relistened to a bunch of them, such as the Kinks and realized that they really connect to me in a very cerebral level. Their music and lyrics are witty and intelligent and so very British. The combination of these make me really happy to make Sleepwalker my first Kinks CD and certainly not my last!

Just brilliant!.......2002-05-26

The Kinks years on Arista Records are best summed up by the wonderful "Sleepwalker" CD. This release reintroduced The Kinks to the US after their series of rock operas on RCA.

"Sleepwalker" defines itself as an exciting rock record full of good songwriting and excellent musicianship. The underrated Dave Davies blasts his way through several songs with his guitar work while John Dalton and Mick Avory support the songs of Ray Davies with one of the most powerful rhythm sections of 70's rock. A real bonus to the listener is to really hear and enjoy the artistry of John Dalton and Mick Avory on this record. These guys played their hearts out and put forth a musical clinic on this release. This was John Dalton's last appearance on a Kinks release as he was replaced by Andy Pyle and Jim Rodford but Dalton did good work and it should be enjoyed and respected.

In the end, "Sleepwalker" is a fine sample of the vast Kinks catalogue and a necessary part of anyone's collection who loves Ray Davies and the Kinks. To me it was one of their best works and one of the better offerings on the 1977 musical scene. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:
Sleepwalker
The Kinks
Manufacturer: Jvc Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000PWQOUS
Release Date: 2007-08-06

Tracks:

Life on the Road
Mr. Big Man
Sleepwalker
Brother
Juke Box Music
Sleepless Night
Stormy Sky
Full Moon
Life Goes On
Artifical Light [*]
Prince of the Punks [*]
Poseur [#][*]
On the Outside [#][*][Mix]
On the Outside [*][Mix]

Album Details

Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.

Average customer rating:

Tear for Kursk

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000FTAN6M
Release Date: 2005-12-27

Average customer rating:

Snake River
Sleepwalker I
Manufacturer: Harvest Earth
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000RGUH5A
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

APOCALYPSTICK
SNAKE RIVER
SORRY I WAS LATE, I COULDN'T FIND A TIE TO GO WITH MY VICTORY CAP
LET'S STEP OUT BACK AND SETTLE THIS LIKE MEN
HEY BABY GIRL, NICE SHOES
I'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS HEADLESS WOMAN
THE BUTCHER
YEAH BABY, WE'RE DESTROYERS
THESE COLORS DON'T RUN
THIS TIME JOHN WAYNE DOESN'T WALK OFF INTO THE SUNSET

Album Description

Mix crushing guitars, power vocals, eerie keyboards, hard hitting bass power, and non-stop technical drumming skill and what do you have? Emerging from the hills of southern Kentucky comes a band that will settle for nothing less than total domination of the music scene today. I, Sleepwalker takes everything you have ever loved in music and lays it all out on the table.

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. Life On The Road
2. Mr. Big Man
3. Sleepwalker
4. Brother
5. Juke Box Music
6. Sleepless Night
7. Stormy Sky
8. Full Moon
9. Life Goes On
10. Artificial Light
11. Prince Of The Punks
12. The Poseur
13. On The Outside (1977 Mix)
14. On The Outside (1994 Mix)