Released: 1976
About
The story of the Flamin’ Grooovies fourth album deserves more than a few lines, but in summary, formed in San Francisco in 1965, the quintet split with original singer Roy Loney in 1971 after success had eluded them. Eighteen year old Chris Wilson took his place and Wilson and guitarist Cyril Jordan immediately gelled as songwriters. With their shared output pivoting towards classic beat pop and rock n’ roll, an archaic vibe didn’t find a permanent home until they were signed by Seymour Stein to the Sire label in 1975. Produced by Dave Edmunds, Shake Some Action gathered four years worth of material including originals and an unlikely assortment of covers, it’s overall ambition understated and even if feeling natural to the band, still remarkable by any measure. In a neat summation of their collective luck, it was however released a few weeks after the Ramones‘ ground breaking debut, right as the whirlwind of punk gathered strength.
Why a 9?
In a modern pop culture era where looking backwards is the norm, making an album that so obviously referenced it’s influences sounds like it has negligible risk. Interviewed recently Wilson has acknowledged the dilemma Shake Some Action however presented contemporary listeners, conceding “Maybe it was five years ahead of it’s time – or five years behind”. Led by a truly bitchin’ title track which laid the template for new wave and power pop, given a spark by a rollicking, Chuck Berry indebted cover of W.C. Handy’s St. Louis Blues and She Said Yes’ turbocharged garage, the Edmunds-esque Don’t You Lie To Me then proved that old or new, everything snapped together with a singular tightness.
Why Is It Important?
Being consciously out of step is seldom a recipe for success and so it proved for the Groovies; at home Shake Some Action barely grazed the Billboard chart and with punk in full swing in the UK it’s throwback contours fell on profoundly deaf ears there. Celebrating it’s golden anniversary in 2026, gradual reassessment has afforded richly deserved critical accolades, prompting a halo in a similar light to Lenny Kaye’s Nuggets – and it’s canonical presence in so many cult classic lists is fully merited. Anyone curious to know what the D’Addario siblings listen to on repeat need look no further.
You Should Listen To
Shake Some Action, St. Louis Blues, Misery, Please Please Girl
The Voice Of Unreason 
certainly one of the best ‘overlooked’ albums. thank you for posting. a great read
LikeLike