Celts and Cobras is the second and final studio album from the Scottish neo-rockabilly group the Shakin' Pyramids (billed on the album cover as "Shakin' Pyramids"), released in 1982 by Cuba Libre, a subsidiary of Virgin Records. "Just a Memory" and "Pharaoh's Chant" were released as singles from the album. It features a more diverse instrumental palette than the band's debut album, Skin 'Em Up (1981), but was seen as a departure from the group's original, immediate sound.
| Celts and Cobras | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 9 May 1982 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Rockabilly | |||
| Label | Cuba Libre (Virgin) | |||
| Producer | Bob Andrews (tracks 2, 4, 7 and 9), Roger Bechirian (all others) | |||
| The Shakin' Pyramids chronology | ||||
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Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Celts and Cobras features more varied instrumentation than previous Shakin' Pyramids releases, but was seen as a departure from the band's original, immediate sound.[2][3][4] Trouser Press said, "Celts and Cobras offers a higher percentage of their own songs, but on it they're accompanied by piano, accordion, electric bass and even — gack! — a string section... The band still rocks, but they'd better figure out where they're going."[3] AllMusic gave the album 3/5 stars, and opined that "the energy and verve of their debut had been replaced by a stultifying maturity."[1][2] Ethnomusicologist Craig Morrison wrote, "[Celts and Cobras] drifted farther from rockabilly as they broadened their horizons... One writer asked, "From neo-rockabilly to neo-schlock—is this neo-progress?"[4]
Track listing
editSide A:
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pharaoh's Chant" | 2:42 |
| 2. | "Like Me With No-One" | 3:48 |
| 3. | "Pretty Neat Come One" | 2:56 |
| 4. | "Just A Memory" | 2:29 |
| 5. | "Plainsailin'" | 2:21 |
| 6. | "Sugar Bee" | 2:15 |
| 7. | "Rockin' Mystique" | 2:39 |
Side B:
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Quit And Split" | 2:32 |
| 2. | "It Hurts To Be In Love" | 2:26 |
| 3. | "You Can Bet" | 1:37 |
| 4. | "Just Rockin'" | 3:40 |
| 5. | "Ferocious" | 2:00 |
| 6. | "Who Cares" | 2:47 |
| 7. | "Reeferbilly Polka" | 2:23 |
Personnel
editThe Shakin' Pyramids
edit- Davie Duncan – Lead vocals, drums, percussion, tambourine
- James G. Creighton – Acoustic and electric guitar, acoustic bass, mandolin, background vocals
- "Railroad" Ken McLellan – Acoustic guitar, background vocals
Additional Personnel
edit- Bob Andrews: Piano, electric bass
- Geraint Watkins: Accordion
- Mitch Caws: Slap bass
- John Willoughby: Upright bass
- Andy Powell, Paul Hughes: Electric bass
- Strings arranged by Roy Clark
References
edit- ^ a b Celts and Cobras at AllMusic
- ^ a b Shakin' Pyramids at AllMusic
- ^ a b Trouser Press. "Shakin' Pyramids". Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ a b Morrison, Craig (1998). Go Cat Go!: Rockabilly Music and Its Makers. University of Illinois Press. p. 240. ISBN 978-0252065385.