Built for Speed is a compilation album by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released as the band's first album in the United States in June 1982 by EMI America Records.
| Built for Speed | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | June 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1981–1982 | |||
| Genre | Rockabilly | |||
| Length | 36:15 | |||
| Label | EMI America | |||
| Producer |
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| Stray Cats chronology | ||||
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Built for Speed is essentially a compilation of 12 tracks taken from the band's first two British album releases: six from Stray Cats (February 1981) and five from Gonna Ball (November 1981), plus the title track, "Built for Speed", which had not previously been released in the United Kingdom.
It was the most successful record for the band, earning a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, and with the music videos for songs such as "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" reaching MTV regular rotation status.
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone |  [2] |
| The Village Voice | B−[3] |
Reviewing Built for Speed for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau said that, despite Brian Setzer's exotic, modernistic guitar touches, "the mild vocals just ain't rockabilly. You know how it is when white boys strive for authenticity—'57 V-8 my ass".[3] Rolling Stone's David Fricke found Stray Cats' self-production "spiritless" and their original compositions "mostly average", remarking that the band only "gets it dead right" on the tracks produced by Dave Edmunds.[2]
In a retrospective review, Mark Deming of AllMusic wrote that the melodies and playing are strong enough to withstand datedness on what is "song-for-song the group's strongest album, despite the cut-and-paste manner in which it was created".[1]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rock This Town" | Brian Setzer | Dave Edmunds | 3:24 |
| 2. | "Built for Speed" | Setzer | Stray Cats | 2:53 |
| 3. | "Rev It Up & Go" | Setzer |
| 2:27 |
| 4. | "Stray Cat Strut" | Setzer | Edmunds | 3:15 |
| 5. | "Little Miss Prissy" | Setzer |
| 2:59 |
| 6. | "Rumble in Brighton" |
|
| 3:11 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Runaway Boys" |
| Edmunds | 2:58 |
| 2. | "Lonely Summer Nights" | Setzer |
| 3:16 |
| 3. | "Double Talkin' Baby" | Danny Wolfe | Edmunds | 3:02 |
| 4. | "You Don't Believe Me" |
|
| 2:54 |
| 5. | "Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie" |
| Edmunds | 2:18 |
| 6. | "Baby Blue Eyes" |
| 2:47 |
Note: "Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie" is often miscredited as having been written by Mike Chapman, who recorded a song of the same name with his band Tangerine Peel. However, Chapman's "Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie" is a completely different song from the one the Stray Cats recorded; they just happen to share the same title. The Stray Cats' "Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie" was originally performed by Eddie Cochran, and was written by George Motola and Ricky Page (regardless of what the original Built for Speed album or other various Stray Cats collections may claim).[4]
Personnel edit
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[5]
|
Stray Cats
Production
|
Design
|
Charts edit
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Billboard Top LPs & Tape | 2 |
| 1982 | Cash Box Album Charts | 1 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Rock This Town"/"Runaway Boys" | Billboard Disco Top 100 | 35 |
| 1981 | "Stray Cat Strut" | Billboard Disco Top 100 | 78 |
| 1982 | "Rock This Town" | Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
| 1982 | "Stray Cat Strut" | Billboard Top Rock Tracks | 4 |
| 1983 | "Stray Cat Strut" | Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
| 1983 | "Stray Cat Strut" | Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1983 | 42 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[6] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[7] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ a b Deming, Mark. "Built for Speed – Stray Cats". AllMusic. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ a b Fricke, David (September 30, 1982). "Stray Cats: Built for Speed". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (November 30, 1982). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ "Cover versions of Jeanie Jeanie Jeanie by Eddie Cochran | SecondHandSongs". SecondHandSongs.
- ^ Built for Speed (liner notes). Stray Cats. EMI America Records. 1982. ST-17070.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Canadian album certifications – Stray Cats – Built for Speed". Music Canada. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ "American album certifications – Stray Cats – Built for Speed". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 3, 2020.