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, 2004-2008. For prints of any of Elly's concert pics online, email Elly or call 07765 862017.

DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.

PC games reviewed by the editor are on: