As Slade the mighty Rockers of the 70’s pulled the pin some years back I never thought I’d get the chance to review them but ‘Ere We R’ as they might say. Formed in ’66 peaking you could argue around ’72-’74 and back with a bang at Reading in ’82 before the classic line-up sort of called it a day in ’92 Slade had their ups and downs but they have always been writers of great songs and I would argue one of Rock’s most influential. In their day I’d put that Holder-Lee songwriting partnership up with the very best. But the best thing about Slade is that they always seemed to be writing for you, the fan, writing so you could sing along with them.
Now whist many in the US chiefly know of the band because of the impact of Quiet Riot’s covers of ‘Cum on Feel the Noize’ and later ‘Mama, Weer All Crazee Now’ their legacy of influence is as big as anyone’s. Part of that comes from their initial love of the old Blues artists like John Lee Hooker and Howlin’ Wolf but also their keen interest in what was happening around them from schoolboy influences like Little Richard to contemporaries like the Beatles, Chuck Berry, Cream, the Kinks, and the masters of Soul like Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding.
This box of singles of course isn’t intended as a definite collection, it’s primarily fun and for collectors. Indeed ‘ Feel The Noize – The Singlez Box’ really only scratches the surface as an anthology – Slade released over 60 singles in their career and here we have a choice selection of 10. The big attraction as a collector is the picture sleeves (all nice card rather than flimsy paper) and the fact that they’re European releases in the main, with rare covers spanning the years from’71 to ’80. Later in the 80’s of course many sleeves wherever you were in the world started to look the same, and the tracks included as B-Sides were often standard.
Of course at the end of the day it’s all about the music and whilst there’s no ‘Christmas song’ you get a good slice of what made the band so eternally inspiring. Inspiring to who I ask you say? Well imagine this – Joey Ramone once said “I spent most of the early 70s listening to ‘Slade Alive!’” thinking to myself, “Wow – this is what I want to do. I want to make that kind of intensity for myself. A couple of years later I was at CBGB’s doing my best Noddy Holder.” while Ozzy accused Noddy of having “one of greatest voices in rock ever.”
The list of bands inspired is almost endless: Nirvana, Twisted Sister, Alice Cooper, the Smashing Pumpkins, the Ramones, Sex Pistols, the Clash, Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot, Poison, Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, Twisted Sister, the Replacements, the Runaways, Hanoi Rocks, Queen, Candlebox, Britny Fox, Girlschool, the Wonder Stuff, and even Oasis and here I’ve limited myself to bands we’ve covered!
The first single here is the classic ‘Coz I Love You’ with Lee’s violin prominent in this hit from 1971 and a nice rare sleeve to boot. B-Side ‘Mt Life is Natural’ has a sound that both recalls The Who and dare we say it grungier bands of the ’90’s at times. The glorious ‘Take Me Bak ‘Ome’ follows a song steeped in ’70’s Glam and nice and rough and ready, backed by the atmospheric ballad ‘Wonderin’ Y’ it’s a nice inclusion as the A-Side never found its way onto an album.
‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’ of course had to be here and needs no introduction and the cover features another tasty piece of art that I’ve not seen before, whilst ‘Gudbuy T’Jane’ (that Britny Fox staple cover) has a black and white image on the third single from ’72. As B-Sides go the Rush-tinged rocker ‘Man Who Speeks Evil’ and ‘I Won’t Let It ‘appen Agen’ show why you need to visit the back catalogue.
And if you want a sweep through the variety that made Slade truly great then the next four beautifully clad releases – the #1 rocker ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’ (nice live shot on the cover); the sing-along ‘Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me’ (nice rare band shot on the sleeve); the piano led change of pace ‘My Friend Stan’ and the pivotal ballad ‘Everyday’ say it all really. And if you are checking out the B-Sides then the chugging Bluesy ‘I’m Mee I’m Now And That’s Orl’; the whimsical ‘Kill ’em At The Hot Club Tonite’; the cranking ‘My Town’ and the cheeky ‘Good Time Gals’ aren’t to shabby either.
The final two singles in the set show how much the value of Slade singles vary – I picked up a copy of this French version of ‘Far Far Away / O.K. Yesterday Was Yesterday’ which was released in 1974 in good nick for $5.00 a few years back; whilst a copy of ‘Night Starvation / When I’m Dancin’ I Ain’t Fightin’ (a promo single release in the UK) goes for around $30.00. Both are great singles but nowhere near the big money of some of the bands ‘pre-fame’ material. I once laid my hands on a 7″ of ‘Shape of Things to Come’ the band’s first single as just ‘Slade’ as opposed to ‘Ambrose Slade’ or ‘The Slade.’ And that of course is part of the fun here, collecting any band is great fun, but collecting Slade is a lifelong commitment!
This is a wonderful collection, and a great addition for any Slade fan. The packaging is top class and the selection ‘top drawer’. Go on treat yourself you deserve it! And if it gets you into the world of vinyl collecting don’t say we didn’t warn you!
SLADE FACTS
The ‘British Hit Singles & Albums’ guide lists Slade as the most successful UK group of the 70’s by single sales.
Slade were the first act to have three singles enter the charts at number one.
All six of the band’s number ones were written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea.
Slade’s best-selling single, ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ sold over a million copies.
Slade have sold over 50 million records worldwide
TRACKLISTING:
1. Coz I Luv You /My Life is Natural (France)
2. Take Me Bak ‘Ome / Wonderin’ Y (Germany)
3. Mama Weer All Crazee Now / Man Who Speeks Evil (France)
4. Gudbuy T’Jane / I Won’t Let It ‘appen Agen (Germany)
5.Cum On Feel The Noize / I’m Mee I’m Now And That’s Orl (Italy)
6.Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me / Kill ’em At The Hot Club Tonite (France)
7. My Friend Stan / My Town (Spain)
8. Everyday / Good Time Gals (Belgium)
9. Far Far Away / O.K. Yesterday Was Yesterday (France)
10. Night Starvation / When I’m Dancin’ I Ain’t Fightin’ (UK) 80 a promo single only
To purchase this strictly limited edition The Singlez Box go to: https://slade.lnk.to/FeelTheNoizePR