In 1973, Slade were in a remarkable position. Although they had only released three albums (1969’s Beginnings, 1970’s Play It Loud and 1972’s phenomenally popular Slayed), they had also released a compilation entitled Coz I Luv You, and a live album, Alive. Both Alive and Slayed? had rocketed to the top of the UK charts, also doing well internationally, making Slade one of the most popular bands in the UK and prompting the release of Sladest – a best off designed to maintain momentum while they tracked the forthcoming Old, New, Borrowed and Blue. The band’s second compilation in two years, Sladest drew together the band’s eight singles at the time, along with six tracks that predated the band’s breakthrough, and it served to help US audiences catch up with what their transatlantic counterparts already knew.
The Reissue
As part of BMG’s ongoing series of Slade reissues, Sladest is pressed onto stunning, blue-splatter vinyl, which both looks and sounds great. Strangely, however, the sleeve features the track listing in chronological order, rather than in the actual running order of the album. This mistake is also repeated on the back of the 12-page, LP sized (and otherwise informative) booklet, although the LP labels do feature the correct track listing. The booklet features liner notes from Bob Houston, detailing the band’s career to that point, as well as the origins of the tracks. There’s also some grainy, period photography, and it is a nice addition to the package. No download card is included, although the original CD is so easy to find and the package is primarily aimed at those who want a pristine vinyl copy of a classic record.
Side one
Putting the band’s best foot forward, Sladest opens with the evergreen Cum On Feel The Noize, a chart-bothering anthem that still manages to evoke the youthful rebellion of the period some fifty years after it landed. It sounds great and, as Noddy’s voice erupts from the speakers, any familiarity is brushed aside by the sheer vigour of the band’s delivery. Next up, the Beatles-esque Look Wot You Dun showcases a gift for pop melodies all too often overlooked amidst the bombast, and it keeps the LP striding forward. As does the bluesy swager of Gudbuy T’Jane, one of those tracks that just seems to work its way under your skin thanks to its expertly crafted chorus. That psychedelic influence returns on One Way Hotel, a brilliantly restrained number that suggests considerable care went into representing all facets of the band on this early compilation. Not that the band’s thuggish side is overlooked. The ridiculously titled Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me is as obnoxious as any punk anthem, and delivered with just as much energy, clearing the sinuses with its blistering delivery. Rather less successful is Pouk Hill, a melodic number with a strong Beatles influence and considerably less energy than the preceding track. Fortunately, a livelier cut from the band’s early days rounds out the first side, in the form of the prophetically named The Shape of Things To Come. Very much a product of its time, it is the gritty delivery, most notably Noddy’s vocal, that makes it a worthwhile addition to the set, and you can feel the youthful ambition running through song.
Side two
Opening side two, the glamtastic Take Me Bak ‘Ome, a non-album single that rocks as hard as anything Slade ever put their name to, provides one hell of an electrifying jolt. It stands in strong contrast to the somewhat twee Coz I Luv You, a track that comes complete with electric violin and weird sound effects. Even the band were dismissive of the song at times, despite its strong chart performance, and it is a pretty weak track to be fair, although it does have a certain folksy charm to it. The band were no more effusive about the earliest track in the collection, Wild Winds Are Blowing, a track described as “embarrassing” by drummer Don Powell. Written by Bob Saker and Jack Winsley, it’s hard to know exactly what was going through the mind of manager Chas Chandler when he suggested the band track this piece at the same time as getting them to adopt a skinhead image. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting holdover from the band’s earliest days and it’s followed by the ramshackle blues rock of Know Who You Are, which offers a much better idea of who Slade were and where they were heading during those formative years. Given it was the band’s first top 20 single, you’d expect their cover of Bobby Marchan’s Get Down And Get With It to have opened the album, but it still packs one hell of a punch, even locked away near the end of a somewhat scattershot second side. Next up, and taken from Slayed?, we get the brilliant, bluesy stomp of Look At Last Nite, which pretty much captures Slade’s myriad qualities in three little minutes. It leaves the chart-topping Mama Weer All Crazee Now to see the album out on a high, which it does with effortless panache.
Conclusion
If you’ve been following the BMG reissues of Slade’s albums, you already know it’s been something of a joy to get each new slab of vinyl in limited, splatter format – providing a more or less definitive vinyl set of one of the UK’s greatest rock bands. If you’re new to the collection, or if you’re just looking for a neat summation of Slade’s early years, then you could do much worse than chase up a copy of Sladest. Boasting excellent sound, a decent 12” booklet complete with liner notes, and a mostly-strong track listing, it’s a compelling overview of the band’s rise to fame and well worth checking out for completists and the merely curious alike. 8/10
