Album of the Day

After a five year break that saw the departure of frontman Roy Loney, Flamin' Groovies returned to the record racks with SHAKE SOME ACTION. The 1976 collection, the band's first for Sire, marked a shift in direction to power pop informed by the British Invasion; the San Francisco quintet worked with producers Greg Shaw and Dave Edmunds (who shared an affinity for the rock of preceding decades), cutting the bulk of the album in Wales. While powerful covers of W. C. Handy and Chuck Berry songs recall the band's earlier incarnation, it's the chiming originals by Cyril Jordan and Chris Wilson that leave the strongest impression - “You Tore Me Down,” “I Can't Hide” and the title track have drive and melody that linger long in the memory. The Groovies were far ahead of the retro curve here, and SHAKE SOME ACTION rings with the excitement of a band that knew they were onto something good.