Shake the Sheets [Enhanced]

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 19, 2004)
• Original Release Date: October 19, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Lookout Records
• ASIN: B00061QJ4Y
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,362 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Jane Magazine, October 2004

"Ted Leo has been turning out solid records for 15 years, but this one...is his most inspiring."

Product Description

Ted Leo And The Pharmacists' latest album "Shake The Sheets" is a triumph on nearly every level. Produced by Chris Shaw (Dashboard Confessional, Bob Dylan, Public Enemy) in New York City during the spring of 2004, it is informed by almost every political and cultural conversation happening in our world today, but presents the conversation with a message of hope and humility.

Ted is a special artist whose most recent full length, 2003's Hearts Of Oak, dominated critics' lists for the year, garnering glowing features and positve reviews in SPIN (9 out of 10), Rolling Stone (3 Stars), Alternative Press (5 out of 5), The New Yorker and Entertainment Weekly as well as tremendous support from the punk press and online music sites. His nearly incessant touring over the last three years has won him legions of fans around the world that are hotly anticipating his newest album. At College Radio, "Hearts Of Oak" peaked at # 7 on CMJ Top 200; # 8 on CMJ Core and was #2 most added. Oak also enjoyed 7 weeks of impressive commercial specialty radio play including specialty chart peaks of #1 on the FMQB Magazine Chart, #3 on the R&R Magazine Chart. The video for "Where Have All The Rudeboys Gone?" got numerous plays on MTV2 and Fuse and Ted Leo hosted an episode of MTV2's Subterranean. Ted Leo And The Pharmacists even performed on a 2003 episode of Late Night With Conan O'Brien.

With a fantastic producer and great studio (James Iha's Stratosphere in Manhattan), Ted was finally able to achieve the cleanest, biggest sound he has ever had. "Shake The Sheets" is his greatest work to date and surely the album to push him through to even bigger success.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, July 8, 2005

By	matt - See all my reviews

Ted Leo is the king of rock/pop-rock/punk/pop-punk...whatever the hell genre name floats your boat, this man is the king of it. Able to write infectious, hook-filled songs that still retain musical talent and lyrical integrity, Leo debunks any myths that pop/rock is always just teenagers whining about life. Every song on the album is excellent. Leo's lyrics show a wittiness and cleverness that not many other writers can rival. Of course, Leo isn't the only man in this band. His backing members, referred to as "The Pharmacists" are masters of their musical craft as well. The bass lines are more than just filler in this one. In fact, thye get to shine many times on the album, debunking yet another pop-rock myth: bass lines are never complicated or talented. The drumming is a source of hooks all throughout the album. Many times, I find myself recreating a Ted Leo song in my head, starting from the catchy drum tracks and building it up from there. Over all, this album combines musical talent, clever, well written lyrics, and a master knack for rock 'n' roll, making for one of the greatest albums of the year, if not all time

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why have I not heard about this band before?, June 9, 2005

By	Zenaida C. Cajilig (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

So I was looking up an old video by an old band (Sublime, to be exact) on launch.com. After finding it and watching it, I left the video window open for a bit, and, by chance, "Me and Mia" came on. I was instantly intrigued by the unique sound of this band and this incredibly catchy song, so I instantly looked them up. Listening to some samples and reading some reviews, I went out and bought this album for myself(something very rare for me). This album is awesome. Each song is catchy and great, and the subject matter is so apt to what's going on in politics and current events that it makes the music all the more relevant (though this album is about a lot more than just the administration, the war, and other politics). Ted Leo is by no means a political gadfly; he comes off just like another American citizen, who follows politics and makes opinions and does his share. Don't be scared, this music is far less political and much more human than I first thought; it's more about life than anything. Anyways, this album is worth it even just for Me and Mia (the musical equivalent to injecting endorphins directly into your bloodstream). Awesome album.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unreal, October 19, 2004

By	Sean Koehler (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ohmigod. Who is this man?
My friends swear by Ted Leo, but until today, I didn't know much about him. Then this morning, a friend of mine brought a copy of Shake the Sheets to my place. I was working hard on a final draft of a paper for class. Well, within ten minutes MSWord was closed down, I had bought a copy of his last CD, Hearts of Oak, from Amazon, and I was listening to every Ted Leo song I could get my hands on.
This man is a phenomenal talent, and it is the ultimate shame that he has yet to be recognized by mainstream media. Then again, after Shake the Sheets, I don't see how anyone could ignore Ted Leo and the Pharmacists anymore.