Get Slade

Slade is best known in the United States due to Quiet Riot's cover of "Cum On Feel The Noize". This helped the band crack the US top 40 in 1984 with "Run Runaway" & "My Oh My". While they are solid songs, they unfortunately don't represent Slade's best efforts. The band was huge in England thanks to their cockney mix of glam rock and power pop. "Coz I Luv You" is a pulsating rocker with a stinging violin, "Take Me Back 'Ome" captures the live intensity of the band, "Everyday" is a sweet ballad, "Far Far From Home" is an anthemic power ballad and "Merry Xmas Everybody" is a great and enduring Christmas rocker. The band's finest moment is "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" which is an all-out rock raver that is a pure adrenaline rush.

These boyz made great noize

Finally, an American release that gets the best of Slade. Cleaned up and gathered in one disc, this is glam rock when it still had no real pretense to art. Along with the likes of Gary Glitter, Status Quo, and Sweet, Slade was playing loud and loose, and never losing sight that one of the best parts of making rock was having fun with it.



Slade never took sides. They just wanted everyone to "Get Down and Get With It." Despite such nonsensical titles like "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" or "Gudbuy T'Jane," Slade was serious about having a good time. While they were never as huge in America as they were in the UK, these songs will still sound like hits to unfamiliar ears. The Quiet Riot driven resurrection of Slade even brought them a hit album and singles in the 80's (and finally, and American Top 40 rocker in "Run Runaway"). Slade understood the power of gritty but goofy fun. "Get Yer Boots On" drop a 16 chord salute to one of the best party bands of the seventies.



Also, if you can catch a viewing of the recently issued "Slade In Flame" DVD, from which the song "How Does It Feel" is culled, give it a look. It's the antithesis of what The band's music represents, and one of the better rock movies.

unsubtle

Compressing maximal hit-power into a three minute-song was Slade's specialty, and they surely rode the charts with it. Back in the seventies Slade was all around, loud and unsubtle. Playing an audience that probably was eager to catch up with the just-vanished glory of the sixties.



Listening critically, one can only admire how well the Slade-songs are constructed. Based on Jim Lea's great bass guitar, they still sound as fresh & original as they did in the seventies. For instance, their 'Merry xmas everybody' still turns up every Christmas.



Slade's weird outfits, like Noddy Holder's mirror-hat, should also be mentioned: Slade were - and still are - great entertainers. Just play them aloud while driving on an empty highway.