Shake It Up: "Since You're Gone" also appears on The Last American Virgin soundtrack album. * Elliot Easton – lead guitar, backing vocals * Greg Hawkes – keyboards, backing vocals * Ric Ocasek – rhythm guitar, lead vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 * Benjamin Orr – bass guitar, lead vocals on 5, 7, 8 * David Robinson – drums, percussion
The Good: Since You're Gone The Badass: Shake It Up The Ugly: Think It Over
Shake It Up is an improvement over the amazingly mediocre Panorama, while still falling well short of the band's first two albums. The songs here are consistently better than those off of Panorama, even if a number of them verge on insultingly simplistic radio-pop ("Shake It Up", "Think It Over"). Where Shake It Up is at its best is when the band opts for a more atmospheric sound, as on "I'm Not the One", "A Dream Away", and "This Could Be Love". Yet apart that trio the only tracks that really stand out are "Cruiser" and "Maybe Baby"- two of the band's best upbeat rockers since their debut album.
Not the best place to start with the Cars, but a decent addition to any 80's rock-pop collection.
Favorite tracks: "Cruiser", "This Could Be Love", "Maybe Baby"
Imagine youself a mere schoolboy (or girl, as the case may be), discovering The Cars via the wonderful Panorama, lovingly digging further back in time to the also-wonderful The Cars and Candy-O, and then digging up this piece of coal from the local record store. Ah, you see my plight.
Yeah, i'm likely the only person who took such a path the Cars-fandom, but there you have it. And after 3 such excellent albums, it was a disappointment, to say the least, when The Cars outed with Shake It Up. Not that it was a huge surprise, of course... i had heard the title track/lead-off single, and it was my least favorite Cars single yet. But i went out and got the album anyway. And with the occasional exception, i was thoroughly unimpressed. Bummer, as i was such a big fan of the band's first three albums.
I've replaced two of their albums - Candy-O and Panorama - on CD, and i may one day break bad and get the debut on CD as well. A Shake It Up CD, however, is not destined to hit my CD collection. In time, in fact, the LP may be destined for removal, which is exactly what did happen with album #5. A disappointing racehorse, to say the least. The path to Top 40 popdom has begun, and this finds them only an album away from their ownSynchronicity.
Ric Ocasek - vocals, rhythm guitar
Benjamin Orr - vocals, bass
David Robinson - drums
Elliot Easton - lead guitar, backing vocals
Greg Hawkes - keyboards, saxophone, percussion, backing vocals
Produced by Roy Thomas Baker
1981 Elektra Records (5E-567)
highs - Since You're Gone, I'm Not the One, A Dream Away lows - Shake It Up, Victim of Love like this, go for: The Cars, Candy-O, Panorama acquired some time in 1989 at some place
originally reviewed 29 May 2005 #2100716
kenzied 21 December 2007 #12816633
Having been a huge fan of the Cars first three albums, I eagerly awaited Shake It Up, but found myself less than thrilled with the direction that the band took for their fourth album. It's possible that the album is cast in a bad light for me because I find the title track to be the most annoying song they ever did, and it's also possible that I too strongly identify the album with the time period that it was introduced into. Either way, I find myself reaching for Shake It Up less and less as the years pass. "Since You're Gone" is a great song, but it was done better on the earlier albums, and many of the others seem to suffer from a sense of almost forced-down-your-throat buoyancy, like the band was making up for the darkness of Panorama. All in all, a decent effort, and a logical step toward Heartbeat City, but not what I'd come to expect or hope for from the band.
After the spotty, "Panorama" (which probably has better moments than this) the cars put out this fantastic album full of great pop songs. A good one to own.
One of my top three favorite Cars albums, featuring some great production, vocals, and songs overall. Unfortunately "Shake It Up" was the big single and I feel that is one of the Cars lesser singles overall and may have kept many pop or rock fans from buying this album and finding some of the sonic joys to be found there.
What a dramatic return to form after the slightly disappointing predecessor Panorama! Powerful production, shrewd arrangements and super catchy tunes galore. I still love this record after all these years.
There's only one weak track on this album, which is good smart fun from beginning to end. Sadly, though, the weak track ("I'm Not The One") was a foreshadowing of some of the later, lesser, work by the group. "This Could Be Love" and "Think It Over" are quite underrated gems.
rym
