Skin 'Em Up
Skin 'Em Up is the debut album from the Scottish neo-rockabilly group The Shakin' Pyramids, released in 1981 by Cuba Libre, a subsidiary of Virgin Records. The album yielded a single in "Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll". The band released three EP's during 1981, two of which were led by tracks from the album: Take a Trip and Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll (backed by original b-side "Alright Alnight" and two new tracks). The album received generally positive reviews and has been described as an important release in the 1980s rockabilly revival,[2] as well as a favourite among rockabilly collectors.[3]
Skin 'Em Up | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 27 March 1981 | |||
Recorded | January 1981[1] | |||
Genre | Rockabilly | |||
Label | Cuba Libre (Virgin) | |||
Producer | Ali Mackenzie | |||
The Shakin' Pyramids chronology | ||||
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Track listing
Side A[1]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Take A Trip" | 2:21 |
2. | "Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll" | 2:27 |
3. | "Let's Go" | 1:44 |
4. | "Teenage Boogie" | 1:27 |
5. | "Tired 'n' Sleepy (live)" | 2:24 |
6. | "Wild Little Willie" | 1:29 |
Side B
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Cry Cry Kitten" | 2:38 |
2. | "Sixteen Chicks" | 1:48 |
3. | "Pretty Bad Blues" | 1:52 |
4. | "I Got A Baby (live)" | 2:28 |
5. | "Sunset Of My Tears" | 3:28 |
6. | "Hellbent On Rockin'" | 2:06 |
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
NME | |
Rolling Stone | |
Trouser Press | (favourable)[7] |
Skin 'Em Up has received enthusiastic reviews from a number of notable publications. NME and Rolling Stone both gave the album perfect review ratings, awarding it 10/10 and 5/5, respectively.[5][6] Trouser Press wrote, "The album pounds furiously, putting your average megawatt metal band to shame. Songs — mostly non-originals — zip by at a blinding rate; the record's only flaw is its brief running time. Then again, if brevity be the soul of this music, the Shakin' Pyramids are a rockabilly Ramones."[7] AllMusic gave the album a 4.5/5 star rating, calling it an "Explosive bopping and mostly acoustic set...which helped define the short-lived rockabilly revival of the early '80s."[2]
Personnel
- The Shakin' Pyramids[1]
- Davie Duncan – lead vocals, harp, percussion
- James G. Creighton – guitar, background vocals
- "Railroad" Ken McLellan – guitar, background vocals
- Additional
- Nick Clark – bass guitar
- Brian Young – Engineer
References
- discogs.com. "Shakin' Pyramids, The - Skin 'Em Up". Retrieved 2010-01-02.
- allmusic.com. "Skin 'Em Up". Retrieved 2009-12-02.
- rockabilly.nl. "The Shakin' Pyramids: The Streets of Glasgow". Retrieved 2009-12-02.
- AllMusic review
- "Skin 'Em Up review, 1985-3-21". NME.
- The Rolling Stone Record Guide, Second Edition (1983). "Rolling Stone List of five-star albums". Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- Trouser Press. "Shakin' Pyramids". Retrieved 2009-12-02.