Elly Roberts reviews
Slade
Beginnings & Play It Loud / Slade Alive / Old New Borrowed And Blue / Slayed?
Distributed by
Salvo (Union Square Music)
Beginnings...: 
Slade Alive:
Old New...:
Slayed?:
- Released: August 2006
- Rating: 8/10
Cum on feel the noize all over again as Slavo release the entire Slade back catalogue on four CDs.
In all, the Wolverhampton pseudo Glam Rockers had 6,520,171 singles sales,
spending 279 weeks on chart. They were also the first act to have three
singles enter the chart at Number 1.
Formed in 1968, they were led by charismatic holler Noddy Holder. Slade were
the lads’ band of the time, initially as a Skinhead quartet called Ambrose
Slade. Their radical image makeover suggested by Chas Chandler didn’t rest
easy with flamboyant lead guitarist Dave Hill and bassist Jim Lea, with the
latter being a huge fan of Pink Floyd and Cream.
After first charting with the monstrous Get Down And Get With It
(no.16 ‘71) they turned out to be Glam’s alternative to T.Rex who they
regularly did ‘chart battles’ with.
On Beginnings and Play It Loud (on one disc) we get to hear
a band evolving, long before the charts beckoned. The two albums show what
a solid outfit they were: you’d never think they were the same band.
Incredibly, there’s some classy rhythm ‘n’ blues on offer like Roach Daddy
and Mad Dog Cole, a Yardbirds-sounding Ain’t Got No Heart,
and Beatlesesque Pity The Mother, including gentle acoustic strums
and violin, proving there was much more ammunition in their cannon, other
than anthemic pop songs, generally misspelled.
They even tackle a Marvin Gaye ballad – If This World Were Mine and
it’s pretty good. Daple Rose is an undiscovered stirring classic. With
Angelina, they almost turned into Free, as Dave Hill does his best Paul
Kossoff impression.
Slayed? was their first chart topper in December 1973. This is the
point we hear the more familiar Slade ‘sound’, with Holder’s voice turning
into a ragged rasp. It includes hit singles Gudbuy To Jane and
Mama Weer All Crazee Now. A fantastic cover of Janis Joplin’s Move
Over has more of Led Zeppelin feel.
There are also four bonus tracks and a message to ‘Melanie’ readers..
Spread over two discs are 33 stomping live cuts – on Slade Live!, an
amalgam of live gigs including their pulsating Reading show from 1980. These
events are the sort that enhanced their reputation as a thrilling live band,
particularly the mesmerising guitar solos by Hill, who must be one of the most
underrated axemen of all time. CD highlight is a blistering medley of
Something Else/Pistol Packin’ Mama/Keep A Rollin’’ featuring some
scintillating violin by Lea. A nice touch is the crowd singing 39 seconds
worth of Merry Xmas Everybody.
Old New Borrowed And Blue, their third and last number one from 1974
that saw the end of their purple patch. It contained two singles – My Friend
Stan and Everyday. With the exception of How Can It Be, and
Everyday, it didn’t deliver the promise of much future progression,
though Good Time Gals is an outstanding track with Hill having a ball
on solos.
1976s single Let’s Call It Quits effectively prophesised the demise of
chart success at the top end, though they did re-enter the Top Ten in 1983
with My Oh My (No.2) and 1984 with Run Run Away (No.7), once
again failing to stay at the top between ’84 and ’98.
Noddy said of the release, "The re-issue of the entire Slade catalogue will
satisfy the lust of any true rock fan and tickle the fancy of anyone who has
yet to be initiated. Keep On Rockin’."
Tracks include: Gudbuy To Jane, Mama Weer All Crazee Now, Get Down And
Get With It, My Friend Stan, and check out the Amazon links above for
the full track listings.
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.