Built for Speed (Stray Cats album)


Built for Speed is a studio album by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released in June 1982 by EMI America as the band's first US album.
Built for Speed is essentially a compilation of 12 songs taken from the band's first two UK album releases: six from Stray Cats and five from Gonna Ball, plus the title track, "Built for Speed", which had not previously been released in the UK.
It was the most successful record for the band, earning platinum certification, and with the videos for songs such as "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" reaching MTV regular rotation status.

Critical reception

In a contemporary review 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". 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".

Track listing

All tracks written by Brian Setzer except as indicated.

Side 1

  1. "Rock This Town" – 3:24
  2. "Built for Speed" – 2:53
  3. "Rev It Up & Go" – 2:27
  4. "Stray Cat Strut" – 3:15
  5. "Little Miss Prissy" – 2:59
  6. "Rumble in Brighton" – 3:11

    Side 2

  8. "Runaway Boys" – 2:58
  9. "Lonely Summer Nights" – 3:16
  10. "Double Talkin' Baby" – 3:02
  11. "You Don't Believe Me" – 2:54
  12. "Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie" – 2:18
  13. "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.

In popular culture

The title track was featured in the 1984 film Surf II.

Personnel

;Stray Cats
;Additional personnel
Album
YearChartPosition
1982Billboard Top LPs & Tape2
1982Cash Box Album Charts1

Single
YearSingleChartPosition
1981"Rock This Town"/"Runaway Boys"Billboard Disco Top 10035
1981"Stray Cat Strut"Billboard Disco Top 10078
1982"Rock This Town"Billboard Hot 1009
1982"Stray Cat Strut"Billboard Top Rock Tracks4
1983"Stray Cat Strut"Billboard Hot 1003
1983"Stray Cat Strut"Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 198342