Two types of people are going to read this review. The first group will be those who were alive and rocking in 1972, the year this album was released, who will probably smile to themselves as they remember their own reaction the first time they stuck the needle to the groove and who will feel a certain sense of pity for any poor fool who has subsequently missed out. The second group will more likely be those who, scarred by endless repeats of Noddy Holder yelling “It’s Christmaaaaaaaaas”, have failed to appreciate that Slade were, once upon a time, the missing link between glam and punk.
In 1972, Slade still had some way to go. Driven by ambition, the band had changed image and style from 1969’s Beginnings via an ill-fated dalliance with a skinhead look on 1970’s Play It Loud before landing on a more flamboyant glam look circa-1971. Advised by Chas Chandler (who had done so much for a nascent Jimi Hendrix), the band hungered for success and, in early 1972, buoyed by the reaction to their new image, the band released Slade Alive!, their first effort to hit the charts. Racing back into the studio to capitalise on this, and with Chas Chandler once more at the helm (he had directly produced the band’s live album), Slade finally hit their peak with Slayed? Pared to the bone, its ten songs are dispatched in a mere thirty-four minutes, with two well-chosen covers and eight originals burning up the vinyl.
So, here we are again, with a chance for a whole new generation to figure out what the fuss was about. The album has returned to its original format of choice thanks to BMG and, pressed on a glorious yellow splatter vinyl, it both looks and sounds better than ever. While a 2006 remaster added a number of bonus tracks, the powers that be have very sensibly retained the original ten tracks for maximum impact. Housed in a single sleeve, with album art left unadorned on the front (save for a removable sticker) and with Chris Charlesworth’s 1972 review for Melody Maker providing the liner notes on the rear, it’s a simple package that lets the music do the talking, with the only slight misstep being the absence of any information as to who provided the master for this effort.
Ignoring the self-consciously affected song titles (which make you realise that this generation’s appellation of text-speak is nothing new), the album kicks off with the belting How D’you Ride. With its multi-tracked guitars, tungsten beat and Noddy’s distinctive yelp, you can’t help but sense how tuned in Slade were to what was happening around them. While a loose blues groove sits under the guitars, you can feel the influence of Bowie and Bolan, iggy Pop and the MC5 in the fury of their delivery – a feeling that only intensifies on the ferocious rock ‘n’ roll pastiche of The Whole World’s Goin’ Crazee, which feels like Chuck Berry on steroids. Yet it’s not all forward looking – Look At Last Night, despite the surging riffs of the chorus, comfortably sits shoulder to shoulder with the Beatles thanks to the glorious, layered harmonies and a melody that won’t quit. The quality remains high with I won’t Let It ‘Appen Agen, an anthem that combines touches of soul and psychedelia into a more or less perfect package, with only the over-eager fade out dating it. The band round the first side out with the first of their two covers, tackling the late, great Janis Joplin with impressive force on Move Over. A tribute to a great artist and a potent cover of a classic song, Move Over brings the first side to an impressive close.
Opening the second side, Slade let their rock ‘n’ roll animal out with Gudbuy T’Jane, a track that did much to establish the glam rock template of repeated key phrases, massive, multi-tracked choruses and percussion that seems to explode like fireworks in the sky. Gudbuy Gudbuy kicks off with a sweet riff from guitarists Dave Hill and Noddy, while Mama Weer All Crazee Now is an anthem of youth gone wild, rather less accomplished than the other material here, but custom made to get the audience in the mood. The slow burning blues of I Don’ Mind showcases the band’s versatility before The Shirley and Lee classic Let The Good Times Roll gets the Slade treatment, the band clearly having a blast just as the record spins its last.
Truly, there isn’t a weak moment on Slayed? And it’s easy to see why it is regularly listed as one of the great rock ‘n’ roll records. It’s all there: elements of blues, soul, glam and punk and it’s delivered with a panache that is irresistible. Reissued in a simple, but elegant package, this gorgeous slab of vinyl will appeal to long-time fans who foolishly sold (or wore out) their original copy and newcomers alike. 9/10
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