Slade Album: “Whatever Happened to Slade?”

Though who might be thinking about buying this CD is hard to imagine. Either you are long familiar these guys and love their stuff. "I know what I think. Slade rules!" Or you've completely forgotten them. "Slade? Those nitwits? You're kidding, right?" Or, maybe, but how I can't conceive, you're new to Slade and trying to figure out where's the best place to start.

This isn't it. The boys were experimenting with a mid-70's grandiosity here, and I am afraid it sounds a bit dated. (As it does on the stuff they're imitating.) So, a monstrous and overwrought song like Dogs Of Vengeance is, sorry to say, silly. Almost entertaining, but ultimately not quite up to snuff. And it is followed by a dreary and tedious rocker in a similar vein. There's much that is pretty good, but compared to what came later, that's not good enough. In fact, I'd say the bonus tracks are superior to most of the LP content.

However, Be, a concert staple, is sensational. And much else here certainly qualifies as worthy. Not bad. Not disappointing. Not sorry I bought it. But look to their slightly later LPs, "Till Deaf Do Us Part", "We'll Bring The House Down" and "Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome" for more straight on Slade-like pleasure. 3.5 or so for solid and entertaining, but hardly eternal.

You might check out the Amazon UK site for reviews written by a chap who really knows and really cares.

gypsy roadhog and dead men tell no tales are two of my favorite songs by slade the rest of the songs here are not bad but not good either it seems they were trying to find a sound but just missed at it. too bad a few songs around this time were really good that they were releasing as singles like give us a goal.

don't believe any negative reviews about this '77 SLADE album - it's great!

1. Be

2. Lightning Never Strikes Twice

3. Gypsy Roadhog

4. Dogs of Vengeance

5. When Fantasy Calls

6. One Eyed Jacks with Moustaches

7. Big Apple Blues

8. Dead Men Tell No Tales

9. She's Got the Lot

10. It Ain't Love But It Ain't Bad

11. Soul, The Roll and the Motion

BONUS TRACKS:

12. Forest Full of Needles

13. Burning in the Heat of Love

14. Ready Steady Kids

15. My Baby Left Me: That's Alright

16. O.H.M.S.

17. Give Us a Goal

18. Daddio

19. Rock 'N' Roll Bolero

20. It's Alright Buy Me

I love Slade and I love the fact that this CD was reissued with bonus tracks and at a reasonable price.