Do we still do it (Slade) (LP 278)

Slade Old New Borrowed and Blue (CD - Salvo, 1974) ***

Genre: English pop/rock  

Places I remember: HMV (Oxford Street, London)  

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Everyday (piano based ballad showed another side of Noddy and Jim)




Gear costume: My Friend Stan  

Active compensatory factors: Dave Hill's autobiography, So Here It Is, has been a fascinating read of late. Honest and unpretentious - just like the band in fact!

Somehow, this album emerged after Don Powell's car crash (which put him in hospital and killed his girlfriend) and it continued the success of 1973 into another year.

With all the drama and the touring during Slademania it's a wonder it came out at all.

For me, it became the beginning of the slide into obscurity for Slade. I bought it on release back in 1974 because of the previous singles and Slade Alive (forever their best moment in my opinion), but I sold my vinyl copy in one of my periodic purges.

It still sounds piecemeal to me - unlike Slade Alive and Slayed?, the highs are still highs though and I can now listen to it with greater context.

Thanks to the pleasure I got from H's book, I bought it last week, along with their first two albums (Beginnings and Play It Loud - more on them to come) and nearly got all their eighties product as well. Nearly. 

The problem is that Slade Alive is such an iconic part of my youth and I'd stopped listening to Slade by the eighties. Everything else is in that album's shadow but who knows. If I can track down, Noddy's book  could make me come back to them as well.

Where do they all belong? After 74 it was Slade In Flame and some obscure lean pickings years.

Mama weer all crazee now (Slade) (LP 272)

Slade Slayed? (CD - Union Square Music, 1972) *****

Genre:  English pop/rock

Places I remember: FOPP Covent Garden - the CD replaced the old long gone vinyl copy.  

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Gudbuy T'Jane




Gear costume: Look At Last Nite, Move Over, Gudbuy Gudbuy, Mama Weer All Crazee Now 

Active compensatory factors: Back in 1972, after Slade Alive, I waited very impatiently to get my hands on this album.

I wasn't disappointed. The Slade sound delivered: Noddy Holder's instantly recognisable vocals (Gudbuy Gudbuy's sneer is peerless); Don Powell's iconic drum shuffle; topped off by Dave Hill's punk/glam/metal guitar.

All that is great, but, for me, the real star of Slade is Jim Lea - bassist, violinist, songwriter: listen to Look At Last Nite for the classic Slade sound and what do you find? Jim Lea's bass - that's wot. 

Back in the day, these songs packed punch and they still do. Move Over is still remarkable and the Beatles inspired pop songs lead by Gudbuy Gudbuy, Mama Weer All Crazee Now and Gudbuy T'Jane are timeless.

Where do they all belong? Without Slade, no AC/DC (The Whole World's Goin' Crazee alone was the template)

The superman comes to meet you (Slade) #343

Slade Take Me Bak' Ome (sic)/ Wonderin' Y (Polydor, 2058 231, 1972)

The title should have been 'Take Me Bak 'Ome' but NZ pressing people have never understood the apostrophe rule (or cared about getting titles right).

One of my first purchases this one. I loved, still love Slade.

The glam era conjured up some freakish acts and even though Slade got lumped in there - largely because of Noddy Holder and Dave Hill's outlandish costumes - this boy band could play and they always looked like hard men from Wolverhampton no matter how weird the jumpsuits became!

My first taste was Slade Alive! - one of the greatest live albums of all time, and this single.

Take Me.. has some wonderful layered guitars, a catchy hook that never gives up and that stomp along sound from Don Powell.

Hidden gem: Slade had some great songs (thanks to Jim Lea and Noddy Holder) and they had the raw vocal power of Noddy Holder! Wow that guy could deliver a song. They also knew why the Beatles were so great. Wonderin' Y sounds like an exercise in delivering Beatle harmonies in a power pop vein. Noddy delivers! Awesome!