After making my way through both studio albums of Ric Ocasek, I was ecstatic to see that I still had a couple albums from The Cars to listen to. So, starting today I'm circling back to wrap those up. It all starts with their 1981 released, Shake It Up.
Despite being certified double platinum, the band didn't get an easy pass when it came to the release from everyone. The Canadian based Globe And Mail called it an, "understated and decidedly underwhelming package that makes no attempt to deviate from their patented, semi-robotic pop." Meanwhile, the Boston Globe labeled it as, "a conservative, cautious work that breaks no new ground."
But, what do critics know? Shake It Up, the song, would become The Cars first top ten hit, peaking at number four, and staying on the charts for twenty-two weeks. This was followed by the mildly successful follow up single, Since You're Gone, which peaked at number forty-one. Spin Magazine also noted the record in their list of top fifty albums of 1981.
As I played through it, I had no complaints for the first half of the album. Things started up with the two hits, and from there went into the pop oriented I'm Not The One, and Victim Of Love, all led by Ocasek's unique vocals. Side A then finished off with the first Benjamin Orr sung, and guitar driven Cruiser.
So far, so good. As far as I was concerned, there wasn't a bad track among them.
The back half of the album takes a bit of a slower turn for A Dream Away, and This Could Be Love. Things pick up a bit with Think It Over, before ending with the equally peppy, and drum driven, Maybe Baby.
Overall, I really dug this album. Safe or note, the tracks were great. If I were still compiling records for the wall, this one would definitely be a contender.
As for The Cars, perhaps they took the criticism of Shake It Up to heart, because what would come next, 1984's Heartbeat City was nothing short of an opus for the band. Granted, it came with a lot of stress, frustration, and almost broke the band. I listened to, and posted a Spin about that one already, so we won't be going there tomorrow. Instead, I'll be hopping all the way to the end of the line for 1987's Door To Door. See you tomorrow for that one!
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS December 1, 1984 |