TS: 'Panorama' vs. 'Shake It Up'

Gotta go with SIU because a) the cover b) gtr solo in title track c) "Maybe baby" is kind of like "All Mixed Up" on the first album, although not as good and WAYYY more obvious, but it's one of those "How come they didn't do more songs like that?" things that don't really bother you one way or the other but you're curious all the same, and d) at least when Tom Petty redid "Touch and Go" and renamed it "You Got Lucky" he didn't have the horrible No Doubt- sounding bit in the chorus. (Petty/Ocasek = Van Zandt/N. Young? Slow- talking, laid-back good ole boy gets the better of earnest cityified- but-wet-behind-ears Yankee do-gooder?)

should i bother with SIU ? am very fond of Panorama (except "Touch& Go" the albums weakest moment) -- the album is a little dinky sounding but well organised songs nonetheless -- but perhaps i'm just favouring the underdgog -- and it's hard to listen now with all those back-then new-ish synth sounds sounding so straight-out-of-the-presets -- is title song a concession by despairing Ocasek that he will have to make more mainstream records in future ? he knew it wouldn't cut commercial cheese alr

They're both stiff, robotic records, but in slightly different ways. I think "Panorama" is better right now, but haven't always. And love that back cover shot of everyone in the band holding guitars (like For Your Pleasure)!

Good question, Dave!

I'm going to have to go with SHAKE IT UP, if only because PANORAMA has precious little going for it beyond "Gimme Some Slack," whereas SIU has the utterly rocktastic "Since You're Gone" (the video of which featured the completely brilliant intro-rhthym as supplied by a high- heeled shoe).

Why does this moment get me so excited: the end of "Gimme Some Slack" where the guitar is doing this high-pitched two note thing, the horns are playing robotically, and Ocasek is going "sssssslack". I practically play the whole album just to get to that one moment.