Shake It Up (The Cars album)

Shake It Up is the fourth studio album by American new wave band the Cars, released on November 6, 1981, by Elektra Records. It was the last Cars record to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker. A much more pop-oriented album than its predecessor, its title track became the band's first Billboard top-10 single. Spin magazine included it on their "50 Best Albums of 1981" list. [1] In 2021, Rhino Entertainment re-released the album on neon green vinyl.[2]

This article is about the 1981 album by the Cars. For the album's title song, see Shake It Up (The Cars song). For the band's 2001 compilation album, see Shake It Up & Other Hits.
Shake It Up
Studio album by
the Cars
ReleasedNovember 6, 1981
Recorded1981
StudioSyncro Sound, Boston
Genre
Length40:42
LabelElektra
ProducerRoy Thomas Baker
The Cars chronology
Panorama
(1980)		 Shake It Up
(1981)		 Heartbeat City
(1984)
Singles from Shake It Up
  1. "Shake It Up"
    Released: November 9, 1981
  2. "Since You're Gone"
    Released: 1982
  3. "Victim of Love"
    Released: 1982
  4. "Think It Over"
    Released: 1982

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Robert ChristgauB[4]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[7]

The Globe and Mail wrote that "Ric Ocasek and the boys have produced an understated and decidedly underwhelming package that makes no attempt to deviate from their patented, semi-robotic pop."[8] The Boston Globe deemed the album "a conservative, cautious work that breaks no new ground."[9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ric Ocasek, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleVocalsLength
1."Since You're Gone"Ric Ocasek3:30
2."Shake It Up"Ocasek3:32
3."I'm Not the One"Ocasek4:12
4."Victim of Love"Ocasek4:24
5."Cruiser"Benjamin Orr4:54
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)VocalsLength
6."A Dream Away" Ocasek5:44
7."This Could Be Love"
Orr4:26
8."Think It Over" Orr4:56
9."Maybe Baby" Ocasek5:04
2018 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)VocalsLength
10."Since You're Gone" (early version) Ocasek5:57
11."Shake It Up" (demo) Ocasek/Orr4:10
12."I'm Not the One" (1985 remix from Greatest Hits) Ocasek4:10
13."Cruiser" (early version) Ocasek5:00
14."Take It On the Run" (early version of "A Dream Away") Ocasek6:19
15."Coming Up You Again" (1981 version of "Coming Up You") Ocasek5:22
16."The Little Black Egg" (from Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology, 1995)Chuck ConlonOcasek2:54
17."Midnight Dancer" (demo, previously unreleased) Orr4:22

Personnel

Production
  • The Cars – arrangements
  • Roy Thomas Baker – producer
  • Ian Taylor – recording
  • Thom Moore – assistant engineer
  • Walter Turbitt – assistant engineer
  • George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
  • David Robinson – cover design
  • Clint Clemens – photography

Charts

Certifications
Certifications for Shake It Up
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[18] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "The 50 Best Albums of 1981". Spin. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  2. ""Start Your Ear Off Right" with Limited Edition Vinyl Releases". Rhino Entertainment. January 7, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  3. Shake It Up at AllMusic
  4. Robert Christgau rock critic
  5. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). "Cars". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  6. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 113.
  7. Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 76, 77.
  8. Niester, Alan (19 Dec 1981). "Inside the Sleeve Pop: Shake It Up The Cars". The Globe and Mail. p. F7.
  9. Morse, Steve (29 Nov 1981). "Records". Arts. The Boston Globe. p. 1.
  10. Kent 1993, p. 56.
  11. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0463". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  12. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Cars – Shake It Up" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  13. "Charts.nz – The Cars – Shake It Up". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  14. "The Cars Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  15. Kent 1993, p. 434.
  16. "Top 100 Albums 82". RPM. Vol. 37, no. 19. December 25, 1982. p. 19. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  17. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  18. "American album certifications – The Cars – Shake It Up". Recording Industry Association of America. December 17, 2001. Retrieved September 19, 2019.

Bibliography
  • Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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