‘Sleepwalker’ is the 16 th studio album by The Kinks and the first to be released under a new deal with the Arista label following their departure from RCA. Recording for the album began during the long hot summer of 1976 at the bands KONK studio in London. Released in February the following year, the album marked a significant shift for the band, as it moved away from the theatrical and conceptual work that had characterised their output in the early 1970s. Sleepwalker signalled a return to a more conventional, mainstream rock and roll sound, with contemporary polished production and a focus on accessible melodic rock. 

The new approach was well-received and marked a commercial resurgence for the band, especially in the United States, where the album reached number 21 on the Billboard 200 chart. Critics praised the straightforward rock sound and Ray Davies’s signature songwriting, wit and observational style.  The singles and key tracks, Sleepwalker, Juke Box Music and Life on the Road, reflect and explore themes of escapism, identity, the music industry and life on tour.