Customer Reviews

All Shook Up

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This album is a lot better than most people give it credit for, this from a musicians point of view - maybe it sounds different to me because I was a fan of the band from nearly the beginning. Another step down the "heavy production path" that was taking them farther away from their roots as a straight up rock band.

Still, you can't really go wrong with George Martin at the helm and Rick must've been in absolute heaven at this point of his life. Not only was he working with George Martin but around this same period he and Tom had worked with John Lennon on early recordings of Double Fantasy. I would have to assume Rick was on cloud 9 at about this time. The production is pretty lush, there is a consistency throughout the album that I really like. Even when there are strings they are not sappy arrangements like those found on the Dream Police album. The arrangements really fit the songs and this is what George Martin brings to the plate so well.

This re-mastered version "un-muddies" some of the tunes and brings back a broader spectrum of sound and better separation.

On to the songs -

Stop This Game - A really great song that sets the tone for the whole album - there's some great bass work by Tom Peterson going on throughout this song. It's very subtle but he sets some melodies of his own that play against some of vocal lines. Very cool.

Just Got Back - a very good rocker, if produced differently it would have fit well on Heaven Tonight

Baby Loves To Rock - pretty average. the best part is probably the solo section where Rick is doing his "Comedy Guitar" schtick and you get a nice earful of 12 string bass in one gap. You just never know about Rick Nielsen . . . . he's completely capable of tearing off fiery guitar solos where he can make the guitar wail and groan. . . . but sometimes he just likes to go corny and throw in a goof off solo. That's Rick.

Can't Stop It But I'm Gonna Try - This is actually a cool song. Under-rated. It's got a great melody to the verses and even a little snippet of the Donovan "Sunshine Superman" melody on the "and don't think I ever think about you" lines. I didn't care for the song much for years and then after years of not hearing it - I loved it.

World's Greatest Lover - well this is just an amazing song. Can't say enough about how moving and beatiful a love song this is.

High Priest Of Rythmic Noise - One of my 2 favorite songs on the album. This cacophony of organized mayhem is just one of the coolest tunes to crank up loud and shout along with in the car. Love the piano getting pounded on in the background wall of noise - complete chaos.

Love Comes A-Tumblin' Down - my OTHER favorite track on the album. This song shreds from the opening drum beats to Rick's "one note" solo. Robin's vocals just rip and the lyrics are a pastiche of classic 50's & 60's rock songs.

I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends - Don't care for the song itself much - but Tom Peterson just goes ape on bass on this one - and it's hard to miss since the bass is mixed right in your face throughout. Love the bass line, not crazy about the song.

Go For The Throat - not great. not poor. Tom's bass is front and center again and really takes the lead role.

Who d'King - Cheap Trick's answer to Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk". Kinda fun. I'm glad it's on there.

Then there are the Bonus Tracks from Found All the Parts.

Everything Works if You let It - is a fun pop tune.

Daytripper - ROCKS. It may be one of the best Beatles covers by anyone EVER.

Can't Hold On - is a great moody live track. A nicely written piece of music by Rick.

Such A Good Girl - Cheap Trick Pop the way few bands can write and sing it. So catchy you can't stand it.

Take Me I'm Yours - Very indicative of early, EARLY Cheap Trick when they were still "finding themselves". Not a bad song - not great.

All Shook Up may not be everyone's cup of tea but it has moments of pure rock brilliance with a consistent sound that ties it all together.

OK. Enough about trying to compare this album to other Cheap Trick efforts. Don't bother spewing mish-mash about Rick Nielson's sonic guitar playing or Bun E. Carlos' drumming.

The point here is that the album is a collection of marvelous pastiches/homages of other rock and pop performers. "World's Greatest Lover," for instance, is arguably the finest, most-straitforward tribute to John Lennon I can think of. And "I Love You Honey But Hate Your Friends" cannot be mistaken for anything other than a pointed burlesque of Rod Stewart.

The wackiest send-up is "Who Da King," which drags Fleetwood Mac and the USC Trojan band through the mud.

I invite you to listen to the album again (or for the first time, for that matter), with this question in mind: who's getting Cheap Tricked now? You might just end up laughing your butt off.

I did.

Often overlooked and underrated, ASU is Cheap Trick in top form with a little help from their friends George Martin and Geoff Emerick. It's my personal favorite along with their first lp. A big leap forward from "Dream Police" which alienated much of their Top Forty audience. That's not such a bad thing, is it? This album shows why Robin Zander is one of rocks greatest vocalists ("Stop This Game,") features awesome production and arrangement ("World's Greatest Lover,") showcases Rick Nielsen's gift for melody and songwriting ("Go For The Throat,") excellent bass playing courtesey Tom Petersson ("I Love You Honey, But I Hate Your Friends,") a tribal drum orchestration conducted by Bun E Carlos ("Who D' King,") stripped down rock and roll at its finest ("Just Got Back,") and the obligatory head-scratcher ("High Priest Of Rhythmic Noise") What more do you want? The only thing missing is "Everything Works If You Let it," which would have been a huge hit in a perfect world. I can't wait for the remastered version with the bonus tracks!

The remastering is excellent, the bonus tracks essential. Probably the second to last great Cheap Trick album (1997's CHEAP TRICK being the last.) Trade in your old copy and get this one today!

Cheap Trick released this hard to follow album on the heals of their successful "Dream Police". I own plenty of Cheap Tricks material, but I keep coming back to "All Shook Up". It rocks with true intensity on every cut.I believe the reason I like this album over other Cheap Trick releases is the production value. Producer George Martin (of Beatles fame) gets credit for incorporating sonic blasts of pure 80's pop throughout. Stop This Game is a great song with Robin Zander singing his heart out on every note. Believe me this is a great sing-a-long album.Drummer Bun E. Carlos has never sounded better on cuts like Who D' King and Just Got Back.If you grew up on a steady diet of the Cars, Styx, Kansas and all the other 80's AOR music, don't overlook this hidden Cheap Trick treasure! If you like great production values and Robin Zander singing like he's never sung before ... buy this release.

At this junture of Cheap Trick's career it would have been a safe bet to stick to formula, you know play it safe. The suits at Epic must have been hoping that Cheap Trick take that route. Nope, Cheap Trick came up with an album that has taken most critics and fans twenty years to get. When All Shook Up came out in 1980 nothing sounded like it. With just about everybody and their mom trying to mimick the soft rock sound of the Eagles and their ilk, Cheap Trick went for the throat. All Shook Up is chock full of diversity, with each track sounding different from the other. There is no preaching or finger pointing going on here just some playful fun lyrics with some dark brooding thrown in to make it all balanced. On top of that pile of humanity, there is some good punk rock energy surging on songs like on "Just Got Back," and "Love comes A tumblin' Down." Then there is "Baby Loves to Rock," with the everything but the kitchen sink style production (Think the Beatles Good Morning, Good Morning). "Stop This Game," is power, with a great swooping bass line, that reminds me of the tone in the Beatles Song "Rain"(Maybe because George Martin produced All Shook Up). The Mambo Bridge on "I Hate Your Friends," is priceless. But, the real tour deforce is "High Priest Of Rhythmic Rhythmic Noise." Its weird, its fun, it is so far removed from formula it makes Pluto seem close. The band took a lot of heat for not playing it safe, and confusing all the boring hippies at Rolling Stone. Since most critics could not understand "All Shook Up," they ridiculed it, calling it a comedy album. It took critics, suits at Epic and music fans in general till 1991 to catch up to Cheap Trick's vision via Nirvana. So check All Shook up out and for that matter their first 8 albums, and their studio album from 1997, if you dare. If all you know about them is the Flame or I Want You to Want Me, you are missing out.

Do not let the bad reviews deter you from getting this album. As I have said in my other reviews, a lot of people don't know anything about music. If you have pre-concieved ideas that an album should sound like Cheap Trick's first 4, yes you may be confused. This is not Dinosaur Rock as one reviewer has suggested, but rather a chance to see that Cheap Trick has a lot more in common with The Beatles,The Pretenders,The Cars, and The Ramones than with Bad Company, Aerosmith, or Foghat(for example). This album is filled with great guitar hooks, but should by no means be put on the level of macho riff-rock. This is a creative album, so be open to it. Listening to it now 25 years later, it amazes me how well Cheap Trick grasp the best parts of their musical influences without sounding like any of them....one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

I love this album! Esential C.T. IMHO...I saw them on this tour in 1980 at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium...This one brings back great memories. Catchy hook laden songs, and top notch production. You can't go wrong on this one.

I was 16 when this album came out and Cheap Trick was on the heals of their biggest success commercially (until The Flame, many years later which doesn't count anyway). Just ask Rick Neilsen about The Flame.

This album is brilliant in ever way!

Cheap Trick took the song writing to another level with All Shook Up. George Martin produced the album and I was robbed of my front row center seats in St. Louis when Cheap Trick, The Babys and Off Broadway cancelled their show. Now that I've vented, I will pick this album apart.

Stop This Game - Has all the classic elements of previous Cheap Trick but forges ahead into new territory with a brighter pop sound without forgetting the rock.

Just Got Back - Bun E. shines on this one as does Robins vocal range.

Baby Loves To Rock - This is like Cheap Tricks own "My Generation" by The Who. Lots of teenage-angst. Turn It Up!

Can't Stop It But I'm Gonna Try - The whole band shines on this one. All 4 tricksters are playing at the top of their game.

World's Greatest Lover - Probably Cheap Tricks very best song ever! Could have been a Beatles song. Right up there with Need Your Love and Auf Weidersehen.

High Priest Of Rhythmic Noise - Other than WGL, this is the album's best song. Electronics meet Cheap Trick crushing rock n roll.

Love Comes A-Tumblin' Down - Another balls to wall rocker!

I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends - These guys crack me up with the lyrics. Robins voice should be bottled and sold.

Go For The Throat (Use Your Own Imagination) - Another of my favorites of all cheap Trick songs. All out rocker, Tom and Rick shine on this song.

Who D'king - Bun E., you silly devil. This band knows how to have fun and keep their fans on the edge. What more is this band capable of? Lots! And they are still writing brilliant music in the new millenium.

Additionally, Best Ever Cheap Trick album cover and inner sleeve for those of us who had the vinyl.

I was hooked the first time I heard Stop This Game on local radio one of the handful of times that they actually played it locally, and as such I'm always amazed at the negativity that this album spawns as far as reviews go. After the relative disappointment of Dream Police I always considered this album to be Cheap Trick's return to being a rock n roll band after the unfortunate sideways journey to trying the waters as a top 40 band. Less power pop than actual rock, All Shook Up has shown up in it's entirety on most of the dozens of CT compilations that I've recorded on tape or cd over the years. On the odd occasion that I find myself short of space, only Go For The Throat has occasionally found itself left off, which is a huge testament to it's top to bottom listenability. To me, the true killer has always been that the song that I would argue might be their best ever, Everything Works If You Let It, was somehow left off this album despite being recorded near the same time. For years I eagerly awaited the remastered version of All Shook Up, thinking that EWIYLI would be one of the bonus tracks included along with the other potential great surprises. I think it's going on seven years now, and still no remasters past the first three albums. They were great. What's the holdup?