Slade Album: “Slade Alive!”

Recorded in 1971 and released in 1972, this album caught the Rock 'n' Roll fun machine that was Slade on the crest of a very big wave, in metaphorical terms a veritable tidal wave. Upon release this album went straight to number one in the U.K. (very unusual for a live album; the only time this feat has been duplicated was by Motor Head's "No Sleep Till Hammersmith"). At the same time Slade were also enjoying their first number one single "Coz I Luv You", the first of eight self composed number ones for the band. They in total released 21 hit singles.

Many people dismiss Slade today as just another Glam Rock band. It must be said that they did relish their role in the dressing up brigade. Who can forget Dave Hill's Cleopatra? They get up for their appearance on top of the pops for "Take Me Back Ome" (all Slade singles had deliberate spelling mistakes in them). Underneath the make up they were one of the most talented hard rockin' live acts on the circuit.

Almost over night in the U.K. they went from playing back street pubs to scenes of crowd frenzy not seen since the days of The Beatles, and sell out shows at all of the top arena's. They never meant a light in America, where they just didn't get it.

Slade Alive catches the band in transition as the set is still full of cover songs, but played the way only Slade could. Opening up with Alvin Lee's "I Hear You Calling" the guys are immediately into a groove and have the whole audience clapping their hands, stomping their feet, and cheering the band's every move. Immediately the band's distinctive style is thrust down your ears. Dave Hills on stage theatrics often, distracted people from the fact that he is one of the finest rock guitarists to have ever trod the boards. Then of course there is Slade's own ring master Mr. Noddy Holder, he of the calf length tartan trousers, mirrored top hat, gunslinger wit, and a voice that had to be sand papered down and then gargled with Solphuric acid to keep its razor sharp pitch and volume. The man didn't need a microphone, you could hear him in the next country without one. Jimmy Lea and Don Powell were fine musicians in their own right. They knew what was needed in Slade and they produced it by the bucket load, a rock solid very heavy beat to which everybody could rock along too.

After another rocker "In Like A Shot From My Gun" you get John Sebastian's dramatic ballad "My Darling Me Home Soon". However, just when you think the boys may actually be taking themselves seriously, Noddy lets rip with the loudest belch ever put down on tape, reducing the audience to tears of laughter. (Although this does become a little tiresome on repeated listening as it does ruin a fine version of this classic song.) After the skinhead anthem "Know Who You Are" the final three songs are the biggest rave up possible to have in Rock 'n' Roll. "Keep On Rockin" is a pastiche of Chuck Berry; "Get Down and Get With It" you can almost hear the dance floor bounce up and down; nobody has ever torn through Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" like Slade did, with feed back screaming out from both lead and bass guitar.

A truly great live rock album, which should be ranked up there with AC/DC's "If You Want Blood You Got It" and U.F.O.'s "Strangers In The Night".

America eventually caught onto Slade a decade later when "Quiet Riot" took two of their songs to the top of the U.S. charts in "Cum On Feel The Noise" and "Mama We're All Crazee Now", both of which were faithful covers of the originals.

If you like your Rock 'n' Roll hot and sweaty get yourself a copy of Slade Alive, it's as exciting today as it was 30 years ago.

I have been listening to this album for over thirty years and it still sounds great. One of the best overlooked live albums in Rock, one I was really happy to finally get on cd. Starts with a cover of "Hear me callin" which begins at a friendly gait and builds to an explosive end. "In like a shot" is a great Slade rocker, simple and to the point with Noddy's vocals cuttin right through. A tender version of "Darlin be home soon" features some nice volume knob swells and great guitar work from Jim Lee. The high point of this album is the "regular finisher" Born to be wild. If The Cult did the lamest cover of this song, Slade did the best. Unbelievable sonic mayhem especially for the time. In short, this is rock and roll as it shoud be done, four guys with the minimum of equipment blastin it out in a small club. How did they stay in tune?

`Slade Alive!' was a document of a young, hungry, hard rockin' band on fire! The band had yet to have any album success with their previous two releases but had started to see some of their singles chart; especially towards the end of 1971 with both "Get Down and Get With It" and "Coz I Love You" lighting it up. Much like KISS later in the decade, Slade rolled the dice with a live record and finally had a hit LP on their hands. The record was recorded without overdubs early in '72 and was released later that March and `Slademania' was about to take hold. I think the LP is a very solid indication of the versatility of the band even at this early stage. Covers and originals mixed very seamlessly and my favorite tracks probably include "Darling Be Home Soon" which was a John Sebastian ballad, "In Like a Shot from My Gun" which sounds as raucous as the title and of course a definitive version of "Get Down and Get with It"...simply flawless. What is interesting about `Slave Alive!" is that several of the songs were not on any of the other LPs so as to make it especially essential. Slade fans already know but other converts will soon be enthralled by this great live band that still doesn't get the attention from rock historians that they deserve

I purchased the USA, gatefold release of Alive! 30+ years ago. The record was like a breath of fresh air. It kicked all the lousy hippies/folkies that had been forced down people's throats in the .... as they deserved. Slade was actually big in the USA, although the media/revisionists would have you think otherwise. They had several hit singles(Mama..., GudBuy..., plus some that seemed to disappear after a small round of airplay). The problem was that the singles were hard to come by, plus the fact that people usually had the albums, negating the purchase of the singles. The teenfans who liked Slade, a quite popular band among girls(not just glam girls, but all types)as well as boys, tended not to buy singles anyway. As a drummer friend once said re Slade, "AM/FM didn't like 'em, but the people did."

As for Alive!, sure the list was a bit haphazard, a live version of "Cos I Luv You" would have been welcome. Having said that, the album functioned as a fulcrum for teenagers to pry the counterculture from around their necks. It certainly functioned that way for me and my friends.The album was intended to replicate a gig, which it did. Several covers, a fairly recent single(Know Who You Are), the ballad, plus a general party atmosphere made Alive! what it was.

Purchase this, along with their studio album Slayed! featuring the hit "GudBuy T'Jane", plus their cover of the Janis Joplin hit, "Move Over"(You know that I need a woman...), plus their USA single "Let the Good Times Roll/Feel So Fine" later covered by Twisted Sister.

As the adverts for that album said so many years ago,"Get Slayed!, and come to life".

Few days ago, I had a meeting with my High School mates (class of '76). Among others, I brought this CD and also "Deep Purple- Made in Japan (Live)". My buddies got crazy when I played them! Don't expect perfectly-crafted music and recordings, as with Yes or Genesis digitally remastered albums of the 70s.

This is RAW ROCK MUSIC, just for fun and for good memories. Enjoy it!