The Cars – Shake It Up (1981) Vinyl LP Record
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Album Introduction
Boston band The Cars blend sharp guitar hooks, sleek synthesisers and distinctive vocals on Shake It Up, their fourth studio album. Released in 1981 on Elektra, it finds Ric Ocasek, Benjamin Orr, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes and David Robinson balancing their new wave edge with increasingly polished pop arrangements.
Produced by Roy Thomas Baker and recorded at the band’s own Syncro Sound Studios in Boston, the album moves between the upbeat title track, the offbeat “Since You’re Gone” and the reflective “I’m Not the One”. Ocasek wrote the songs, with Hawkes sharing the writing credit on “This Could Be Love”.
The photographed copy includes the printed lyric and picture inner sleeve. Its combination of crisp rhythms, melodic guitar work and atmospheric keyboards makes this an appealing bridge between the band’s early records and their later synth-pop sound.
Stand-Out Tracks
Since You’re Gone
An unusual, clipped rhythmic figure sets up an immediately recognisable opening. Ocasek’s detached delivery and the shifting keyboard textures give the song a restless character beneath its catchy melody.
Shake It Up
Bright guitar lines and a tightly locked rhythm section power the album’s most exuberant moment. The straightforward dance invitation and memorable chorus capture The Cars at their most accessible.
I’m Not the One
Benjamin Orr’s measured vocal brings warmth to this reflective track. Layered harmonies and restrained keyboards create a softer setting without losing the band’s distinctive precision.
Cruiser
A tougher guitar sound and insistent groove give the closing track on side one a muscular edge. The arrangement leaves room for Elliot Easton’s playing while retaining the album’s polished finish.
A Dream Away
The second side opens with a spacious, slow-building piece that explores the band’s more atmospheric side. Synthesiser layers and an unhurried rhythm create a dreamlike contrast to the title track’s direct pop energy.
Record Details
- Artist: The Cars
- Title: Shake It Up
- Year: 1981
- Label: Elektra
- Catalogue No.: K 52330
- Format: Vinyl LP, stereo, 33⅓ RPM
- Pressing: UK issue; sleeve printed and made in England, exact pressing variant unconfirmed
- Genre: New Wave, Pop Rock, Synth-Pop
- Decade: 1980s
- Tracks: 9
- Barcode: None shown on the photographed sleeve
- Producer: Roy Thomas Baker
- Recorded at: Syncro Sound Studios, Boston
- Includes: Printed lyric and picture inner sleeve
Condition: VG+/VG+, see our
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Every item photographed — the images shown are of the exact item you'll receive, supplied in a protective clear resealable sleeve.
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