Shake It Up (The Cars album)
{{short description|1981 studio album by the Cars}}
{{about|the 1981 album by the Cars|the album's title song|Shake It Up (The Cars song)|the band's 2001 compilation album|Shake It Up & Other Hits}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Shake It Up
| type = studio
| artist = the Cars
| cover = The Cars - Shake It Up (album).png
| alt =
| released = November 6, 1981
| recorded = 1981
| studio = Syncro Sound, Boston
| genre = {{hlist|New wave|dance-rock|pop}}
| length = 40:42
| label = Elektra
| producer = Roy Thomas Baker
| prev_title = Panorama
| prev_year = 1980
| next_title = Heartbeat City
| next_year = 1984
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Shake It Up
| type = studio
| single1 = Shake It Up
| single1date = November 9, 1981
| single2 = Since You're Gone
| single2date = 1982
| single3 = Victim of Love
| single3date = 1982
| single4 = Think It Over
| single4date = 1982
| single5 = I'm Not the One
| single5date = January 13, 1986
}}
}}
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. {{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/photos/the-50-best-albums-of-1981|title=The 50 Best Albums of 1981|work=Spin|access-date=July 29, 2021}}
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r3402}}
| rev3 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Cars |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&pg=PA3089 |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |title-link=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |editor-last=Larkin |editor-first=Colin |editor-link=Colin Larkin |location=London |publisher=Omnibus Press |edition=5th concise |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-85712-595-8}}
| rev2 = Robert Christgau
| rev2score = B[http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=the+cars Robert Christgau rock critic]
|rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide
|rev4score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite book|last=Berger|first=Arion|chapter=The Cars|page= 141[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/141]|year=2004|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=0-7432-0169-8}}
|rev5 = Spin Alternative Record Guide
|rev5score = 7/10{{cite book |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |date=1995 |publisher=Vintage Books |pages=76, 77}}
}}
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."{{cite news |last1=Niester |first1=Alan |title=Inside the Sleeve Pop: Shake It Up The Cars |work=The Globe and Mail |date=19 Dec 1981 |page=F7}} The Boston Globe deemed the album "a conservative, cautious work that breaks no new ground."{{cite news |last1=Morse |first1=Steve |title=Records |work=The Boston Globe |date=29 Nov 1981 |department=Arts |page=1}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Ric Ocasek, except where noted
| extra_column = Vocals
| headline = Side one
| title1 = Since You're Gone
| extra1 = Ric Ocasek
| length1 = 3:30
| title2 = Shake It Up
| extra2 = Ocasek
| length2 = 3:32
| title3 = I'm Not the One
| extra3 = Ocasek
| length3 = 4:12
| title4 = Victim of Love
| extra4 = Ocasek
| length4 = 4:24
| title5 = Cruiser
| extra5 = Benjamin Orr
| length5 = 4:54
}}
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Vocals
| headline = Side two
| title6 = A Dream Away
| extra6 = Ocasek
| length6 = 5:44
| title7 = This Could Be Love
| writer7 = {{hlist|Greg Hawkes|Ocasek}}
| extra7 = Orr
| length7 = 4:26
| title8 = Think It Over
| extra8 = Orr
| length8 = 4:56
| title9 = Maybe Baby
| extra9 = Ocasek
| length9 = 5:04
}}
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Vocals
| headline = 2018 reissue bonus tracks
| title10 = Since You're Gone
| note10 = early version
| extra10 = Ocasek
| length10 = 5:57
| title11 = Shake It Up
| note11 = demo
| extra11 = Ocasek/Orr
| length11 = 4:10
| title12 = I'm Not the One
| note12 = 1985 remix from Greatest Hits
| extra12 = Ocasek
| length12 = 4:10
| title13 = Cruiser
| note13 = early version
| extra13 = Ocasek
| length13 = 5:00
| title14 = Take It On the Run
| note14 = early version of "A Dream Away"
| extra14 = Ocasek
| length14 = 6:19
| title15 = Coming Up You Again
| note15 = 1981 version of "Coming Up You"
| extra15 = Ocasek
| length15 = 5:22
| title16 = The Little Black Egg
| writer16 = Chuck Conlon
| note16 = from Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology, 1995
| extra16 = Ocasek
| length16 = 2:54
| title17 = Midnight Dancer
| note17 = demo, previously unreleased
| extra17 = Orr
| length17 = 4:22
}}
Personnel
- Ric Ocasek – rhythm guitar, vocals
- Elliot Easton – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Benjamin Orr – bass guitar, vocals
- David Robinson – drums, percussion
- Greg Hawkes – keyboards, backing vocals
=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
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for Shake It Up ! scope="col"| Chart (1981–1982) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{sfn|Kent|1993|p=56}}
| 20 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Canada|7|chartid=0463|rowheader=true|access-date=December 26, 2020}} |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|40|artist=The Cars|album=Shake It Up|rowheader=true|access-date=December 26, 2020}} |
| {{album chart|New Zealand|12|artist=The Cars|album=Shake It Up|rowheader=true|access-date=December 26, 2020}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|9|artist=The Cars|rowheader=true|access-date=September 19, 2019}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Shake It Up}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=The Cars|title=Shake It Up|award=Platinum|number=2|type=album|relyear=1981|certyear=2001|date=December 17, 2001|access-date=September 19, 2019}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
=Bibliography=
{{Refbegin}}
- {{cite book |last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian) |title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 |edition=illustrated |publisher=Australian Chart Book |location=St Ives, N.S.W. |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}
{{Refend}}
{{The Cars}}
{{Authority control}}