Celts and Cobras

Celts and Cobras
Studio album by The Shakin' Pyramids
Released 9 May 1982
Genre Rockabilly
Label Cuba Libre (Virgin)
The Shakin' Pyramids chronology

Skin 'Em Up
(1981)
Celts and Cobras
(1982)
The Shakin' Pyramids
(1983)

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"[1] and "Pharaoh's Chant"[2] were released as singles from the album. Seen by some as a departure from the band's sound on their debut album, Skin 'Em Up, they disbanded shortly after its release.[3]

Track listing

Side A:[4]

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

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [5]
Rolling Stone [6]
Trouser Press (mixed)[7]

Celts and Cobras was seen by some as a departure from the band's original sound, and the group disbanded soon after its release. While debut album Skin 'Em Up had garnered a 5/5 star rating from Rolling Stone, the magazine awarded Celts and Cobras only 3 stars.[6] Trouser Press wrote, "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. More dismaying is the band's descent into schlock-pop consciousness: instead of Eddie Cochran and Link Davis tunes, we get the Everly Brothers and Gene Pitney. The band still rocks, but they'd better figure out where they're going."[7] Allmusic gave the album 3/5 stars,[8] and opined that "the energy and verve of their debut had been replaced by a stultifying maturity."[3]

Personnel

The Shakin' Pyramids

References

  1. discogs.com. "Shakin' Pyramids, The - Just A Memory". Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  2. discogs.com. "Shakin' Pyramids, The - Pharaoh's Chant". Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  3. 3.0 3.1 allmusic.com. "Shakin' Pyramids". Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  4. discogs.com. "Shakin' Pyramids, The - Celts And Cobras". Retrieved 2009-09-06.
  5. Allmusic review
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Celts and Cobras review". Rolling Stone. May 1982.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Trouser Press. "Shakin' Pyramids at". Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  8. allmusic.com. "Celts & Cobras". Retrieved 2009-12-02.