The Fat Angel Sings

50th anniversary reissue of the Flamin’ Groovies seminal album “Shake Some Action”. Taking notes from the British Invasion and inspiration under the San Francisco sun, the Flamin’ Groovies became synonymous with the stylish, raunchy rock of the early-1960s, with “Shake Some Action” remaining their undisputed classic.

A lot had happened with the Flamin’ Groovies in the nearly five years that separated the epochal “Teenage Head” album and their return to American record racks with “Shake Some Action“. The Groovies lost their record deal with Buddah, lead singer Roy Loney had quit the band leaving Cyril Jordan as uncontested leader, and they had spent a lot of time in Europe, building a significant following in the United Kingdom. As a result, the Flamin’ Groovies on “Shake Some Action” almost sound like a different band, albeit one driven by a similar obsession with the utter coolness of pre-hippie rock & roll. (The fact that Jordan and bassist George Alexander were the only holdovers from the “Teenage Head” line-up probably had a lot to do with the different approach as well.)

The rawer blues and rockabilly accents were gone from the Groovies’ sound, with the guitar-fuelled cool of the British Invasion era taking their place. While this version of the Flamin’ Groovies didn’t rock out with the same manic fervour as they did on “Flamingo” or “Teenage Head”, they could indeed rock when they felt so inclined, as demonstrated by the glorious “Please Please Girl,” “I Can’t Hide,” and “Let the Boy Rock and Roll,” while the Brit-flavored take on “St. Louis Blues” showed that some shades of the old band were still visible.

And the title cut was a stunner — a brilliant evocation of the adventurous side of British rock circa 1966, “Shake Some Action” was tough, moody, wounded, and gloriously melodic all at once, and by its lonesome served as a superb justification for the Groovies’ new creative direction. If “Shake Some Action” was the first salvo from the new and improved Flamin’ Groovies, it also demonstrated that this edition of the band had as much promise as the Loney-fronted group.

Earning a perfect 5-star review from AllMusic and an 8.5/10 from Pitchfork, “Shake Some Action” is upheld for its ability to sound moody, wild, and unabashedly “’60s”. Includes the album remastered from the original analogue tape as well as a bonus disc including previously unreleased alternate mixes/versions from the original recording sessions as well as the surviving reels of the band performing live at The Roxy in Hollywood in 1976.

Includes the classic title track, “You Tore Me Down”, “I’ll Cry Alone”, “I Can’t Hide” and more.