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Shakin’ Street – Shakin’ Street
No Compromise
Solid As A Rock
No Time To Lose
Soul Dealer
Susie Wong
Every Man, Every Woman Is A Star
Generation X
So Fine
I Want Ro Box You
Fronted by Fabienne Shine, Shakin’ Street were catapulted to the forefront of France’s late 70s rock‘n’roll scene after their debut appearance at 1977’s Mont De Marsan festival got them UK press and a deal with CBS France. While a mid-70s girlfriend of Jimmy Page, Fabienne had been prompted to form a band by Robert Plant after impressing him with her voice.
Swiping the name from the MC5 song, they released their Vampire Rock debut in 1978, Fabienne then persuading Blue Öyster Cult dynamo Sandy Pearlman to produce 1980’s second album, released on US Columbia.
With Dictators’ guitarist Ross The Boss and early Blondie backing singers Tish and Snookie on board, it’s a solid set of high-energy rock tempered by postpunk pop sensibility, its meticulous but dynamic production, vigorous performances and vibrant songs like Solid As A Rock leaving it less dated than many other releases from this time.
A tour with Black Sabbath soon followed, but their moment in the spotlight was very short-lived, as Ross The Boss got bored and jumped ship to Manowar.
Every week, Album of the Week Club listens to and discusses the album in question, votes on how good it is, and publishes our findings, with the aim of giving people reliable reviews and the wider rock community the chance to contribute.
Other albums released in July 1980
- Closer – Joy Division
- Crocodiles – Echo & the Bunnymen
- Full Moon – Charlie Daniels Band
- Live Seventy Nine – Hawkwind
- Chicago XIV – Chicago
- Voices – Hall & Oates
- Live At Last – Black Sabbath
- Playing for Keeps – Eddie Money
- Back In Black – AC/DC
- There And Back – Jeff Beck
- Head On – Samson
- Wild Cat – Tygers Of Pan Tang
- Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere – Rossington Collins Band
What they said…
“Taken under [Sandy] Pearlman’s wing, the band recorded its second album in America, with ex-Dictator (and future metal star) Ross the Boss replacing one of the guitarists. Playing simple, direct hard-rock-cum-metal, the album offers little original, save for a strong song recut from Vampire Rock (No Time to Lose) and one truly great number, Susie Wong, which supports a haunting melody with subtly arranged electric/acoustic instrumentation. (Trouser Press)
“Fronted by the spectacular presence and vocals of the fabulous Fabienne Shine and the pulsing guitar of Ross the Boss together with the Pearlman influence and press hype, it was all in place for the Street to go big. The album is indeed evidence of that. A huge slab of riff-laded guitar driven rock with swagger, energy and attitude, Shine’s distinctive vocals and a tight rhythm section. It rocks hard. Sometimes a bit punky, sometimes a bit melodic, sometimes a bit poppy even. All together just that bit different.” (New Wave of British Heavy Metal)
“The album starts like a runaway train with speedy guitar and dumb backing vocals to the fore. Both No Compromise and Solid As A Rock have that sticky quality that will have them buzzing around your head for days. The problem lies when they slow it down or try something more poppy – no, scratch that – Shakin’ Street’s problem lies in the fact they don’t know what sort of band they want to be.” (Rate Your Music)
What you said…
Philip Qvist: I have to say that I had never heard of Shakin’ Street until this week, and as Manowar never appealed to me, I was pretty much ignorant about guitarist Ross “The Boss” Friedman. So this album is definitely a new one for me.
This is another album that may have appealed to me way back in the early 80s, but would probably be collecting dust at the bottom of my record collection these days. The album hardly sets new barriers, while singer Fabian Shine sounds like a female version of Geddy Lee.
The songs are okay without being memorable, with the two opening songs No Compromise and Solid As A Rock being my picks from this record.
It’s harmless fun, but it’s highly unlikely that I will be giving Shakin’ Street another spin in the future. A 6 from me, it’s pleasant but definitely not exciting.
Nigel Mawdsley: Like some of the other comments, I’d not heard of Shakin’ Street before. Listening to the album for the first time, I could hear an early Boomtown Rats’ influence on a lot of the songs, or even the more ‘punky’ B-sides of early Police singles.
There are some great melodic riffing and licks on the album that are probably more memorable than some of the songs themselves. Having said that, I did enjoy the album and would give it 7 out of 10.
Mark Herrington: Enjoyed this in the background, but never heard of them before. Probably wouldn’t bother with it again.
With no hit single back in the day and missing the boat trend-wise, I can see why it remained obscure. My 1980 self wouldn’t have bothered with it, as there was far more interesting stuff in abundance back then, in all the musical camps it borrows from.
Gary Claydon: Purveyors of punchy punk-pop, Shakin’ Street add a distinct hard rock edge to their sound on their second album. Much of this is down to the presence of Sandy Pearlman in the producer’s chair (as well as taking over band management) and the addition of guitarist Ross Friedmann, who was recruited after his predecessor was sacked after selling his guitar to buy heroin.
The result is fast, furious and fun. Opener No Compromise sets the tone, and there is little let-up. Highlights include Solid As A Rock –– as near to anthemic as Shakin’ Street get as well as being an alternate album title – No Time To Lose and Every Man, Every Woman Is A Star. Friedmann’s guitar is excellent, tight, slick and never overstaying its welcome, while the fabulous Fabienne Shine’s vocals land somewhere between Debbie Harry and Pat Benatar, which is no bad thing.
Shakin’ Street fit nicely with the zeitgeist of a late 70s/ early 80s UK scene. Regulars mainly on the London circuit, they were a dynamic live outfit. They were at their best in small to medium venues, but I thought they struggled in bigger venues; they didn’t quite have the presence or the licks. High-profile tours with the Dio-fronted Sabbath – including the Heaven & Hell tour when Ross ‘The Boss’ was introduced to Sabbath’s pyrotechnic technician Joey DeMaio – plus the Black & Blue North American jaunt with Sabbath & B.O.C., failed to propel Shakin’ Street’s career.
Mike Canoe: I had not even heard of the band Shakin’ Street until about ten years ago. I was at my previous job at a daily newspaper compiling a slideshow of local Black Sabbath concert dates, and I happened upon their name when they played San Antonio in 1980 with Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, and Riot. “What’s this? A hard rock band that I’ve never heard of?” I checked out their 1980 self-titled album online and it was love at first listen.
Shakin’ Street (the album) is fun, fat-free hard rock that punches way above its weight class. Fabienne Shine has a great rock voice (bonus points for the French-accented English), and her lyrics would fit in either ’70’s NYC or ’80’s LA. Autobiographical opener No Compromise sets the template for the tough and tender tone of the album.
Shakin’ Street is one of those albums where my favourite song is usually the one I heard last, but I’d suggest Solid As A Rock, Generation X and Every Man Every Woman Is A Star as entry points. And the vocal harmonies on Suzie Wong or I Want to Box You – Holy merde!
It wasn’t until later that I realised that this was the band that the late Ross “The Boss” Friedman left for metal mettle medal winners Manowar. If you only know Friedman from his days as a “Manowarrior”, you may be surprised at how understated his playing is. He plays with flash, sure, but always to serve the greater song.
I think it was music writer Martin Popoff who said something to the effect of “it takes an infinite number of ducks in an infinite number of rows” for a band to succeed. For whatever reason, Shakin’ Street didn’t, and they disbanded for the first time in 1981. I admit I haven’t listened to any of their stuff from this millennium, but their 1980 album is truly a lost classic for me.
Adam Ranger: Not heard of this band before. I am familiar with Ross the Boss and his Manowar years, sadly. That cod metal nonsense is not something I listen to. But this pre-Manowar band is a bit different. Sounds a bit dated now, perhaps of its time (and even then maybe a year or two too late) and on first listen I was a bit “meh”
In the spirit of this club, I gave it another listen. Have to say I really like the tracks Generation X, Every Man Woman Is A Star, and my particular favourite, I Wanna Box You. Some nice guitar work, catchy hooks.
Not going to be on my playlist very often, but it’s a good-time listen, and at 34 minutes doesn’t outstay its welcome or get tedious.
I would take this as a memorial to Ross the Boss over anything Manowar ever produced.
Warren Bubb: Ever wondered what the Sex Pistols would sound like fronted by Geddy Lee? Look no further. Is it punk? Is it metal? If it’s punk, it’s four years too late. If it’s metal, it’s trailing way behind Priest, Maiden and Saxon, all of whom were big in 1980. I’d never heard this before and I have no desire to hear it again.
Drew Martin: It’s a great album because it’s very much its own ecosystem. Ross kills on this record. More like Blondie with teeth. Hat tip to Sandy Pearlman for one of the best lost records of the era.
Mike Canoe: Drew Martin “Blondie with teeth” is an excellent description!
Greg Schwepe: If “Blondie with teeth” isn’t used as the lead-in headline, I will be seriously disappointed!
Mike Canoe: I wholeheartedly concur.
John Davidson: I’d never heard of this band, nor heard any of the songs before. It’s pure pop punk and would have competed with Sham 69, the Rezillos, Stiff Little Fingers, etc but for one tiny flaw: It was two years too late.
And in the 1970s/80s two years was a musical lifetime. Fun, but unoriginal, and I’m glad to have heard it.
Peter Thomas Webb: I first heard Shakin’ Street in the early 1980s, when the song Solid As A Rock turned up on a cassette compilation of hard rock bands I owned at the time. I was familiar with Ross “The Boss” Friedman’s guitar playing with the Dictators – his best work by some distance (especially over the abysmal cartoon-metal of Manowar).
Listening to Shakin’ Street’s self-titled second album today, I can find nothing in particular to like or dislike. Fabienne Shine is an effective female vocalist reminiscent of the Runaways’ Cherie Currie or a less polished Pat Benatar. Solid As A Rock remains my favourite song by the band, not least for the drastic key change shifting the chorus into high gear.
The rest of the album is the work of a band equally adept at hard rock, punk, and power pop. However, unlike say, Joan Jett or the Pretenders, Shakin’ Street never melds their disparate influences into a distinctive sound. Sandy Pearlman’s tin-can-metal production is subpar, considering he is the man behind several Blue Öyster Cult classics. Overall, Shakin’ Street is a good album in an era packed with much greater ones. My rating: 5/10
Greg Schwepe: It’s loud. It’s fast. It’s got a punky and riffy vibe. And I’d never heard of the band before!
Liked every song on this album. Got to Every Man Every Woman Is A Star and the guitar intro and the beginning of the song pulled me in, and it instantly won my “That’s Gonna Be My Favourite Song On This Album” award. But then I heard Generation X after that and quickly had to do some award adjusting.
I will say I could see this album as one I would have bought based on really being sold on what might have been played on the radio. Playing the heck out of it for a few weeks, then selling it off at the used record store for something else, I would’ve done the same thing too. Like the sound, vocals, and guitar, but nothing really there that would make me jump at buying their next release after this.
Really like Fabienne Shine’s vocals. With her singing in English, a few times her accent sounded a little like Nena of 99 Luftballons fame. Wait…wrong song and wrong country!
Fun album. 7 out of 10 on this one for me.
Final score: 6.31 (19 votes cast, total score 120)
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