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Built for Speed
Compilation album by Stray Cats
Released	June 1982
Recorded	1981–1982
Genre	Rockabilly
Length	36:15
Label	EMI America
Producer	Dave Edmunds Hein Hoven Stray Cats
Stray Cats chronology
Gonna Ball (1981) Built for Speed (1982) Rant n' Rave with the Stray Cats (1983)

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 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

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Rolling Stone
The Village Voice	B−

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". 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.

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

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).

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

Charts

Album

Single

Certifications

References

1. ^ Deming, Mark. "Built for Speed – Stray Cats". AllMusic. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
2. ^ 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.
3. ^ Christgau, Robert (November 30, 1982). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
4. "Cover versions of Jeanie Jeanie Jeanie by Eddie Cochran | SecondHandSongs". SecondHandSongs.
5. 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)
6. "Canadian album certifications – Stray Cats – Built for Speed". Music Canada. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
7. "American album certifications – Stray Cats – Built for Speed". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 3, 2020.

• 1982 albums
• Stray Cats albums
• EMI America Records albums
• Albums produced by Dave Edmunds