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Attitude (The Kinks song)
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Wikipedia article
'"Attitude"' is a song by the British rock band The Kinks, released on their album, 'Low Budget'. It was written by Ray Davies.
Background
"Attitude" was a late addition to the 'Low Budget' album, as it was not featured in early running orders of the album (songs such as "Destroyer", "Massive Reductions", and "Give the People What They Want" were used instead in early versions.)
Release
"Attitude" was first released on the 'Low Budget' album in 1979 as the opening track of said LP. The next year, a live version of the track appeared on the 'One for the Road' album. This version would appear afterwards as the B-side of the live "You Really Got Me" single that same year. The song has also appeared on compilation albums such as 'The Kinks Greatest 1970-1986' and 'Picture Book'.
Critical opinion
"Attitude" was called "possibly [The Kinks'] best hard rocker of the era" by 'AllMusic' critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine, who also referred to the song as a highlight from 'Low Budget'. Richard Gilliam (also of 'AllMusic') said, "Favorably reminiscent of the best songs of their British Invasion days, 'Attitude' is a straight-forward, hard-rock effort, laced, of course, with front man Ray Daviess energetically satirical vocals. The lead track on their 1979 Low Budget album, the song mocks the superficiality of the emerging image-obsessed 1980s. Theres a welcome maturity to the effort as if Davies is more than willing to adopt the motifs of the era to enhance the substance of his message. Sociological considerations aside, this is a solidly good song musically, and one of the Kinks best mid-career hard-rock efforts." 'Rolling Stone' said, "[Ray Davies's] muse takes a short vacation for 'Attitude,' which is humorlessly accusatory almost to the point of being reactionary."
On his Facebook account, Dave Davies praised the song as "one of my fave Kinks tracks."
References
Category:The Kinks songs
Category:Songs written by Ray Davies
Category:Song recordings produced by Ray Davies
Category:1979 songs
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