George Starostin's Reviews

SLADE

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Introduction

Svitovy <vsvitov@diamin.msk.ru> (11.12.2000)

Short comments... That's funny what you wrote about Slade. "Rip-offs", you say? Just skip that! It is funny and it doesn't have to be anything else! Still, I care much more for the Blacksuns (a bit similar, but not the same)... But where is Noddy now? On Keep on rockin (1994) they have another singer... hell...

Lyolya Svidrigajlova <vsvitov@diamin.msk.ru> (04.01.2001)

[Aah, what a funny kinda garage band... to be completely honest, I think that Slade didn't grow up from the diapers of a good, funny garage band. But what's wrong with that?]

If there weren't such a huge competition between Beatles and Stones, there could possibly be a funny competition between Slade and CCR. Um... let's see. First, BOTH were nothing more than garage bands (at least, at their very beginning, before they got into mainstream or so). Both were dirty jokers at the very beginning, the only difference between them was that CCR were scoffing more at themselves or at Dylan and the guys like him ("Ooh, Suzie Q... true-blue-two-who...") and Slade were scoffing at EVERYBODY around, including CCR. Ah! I cannot but like guys who scoff at CCR... But they both finally got into mainstream. Good buy, competition! Slade became a mediocre second-echelon group, CCR became a mediocre mainstream band. Hate show-biz...

Ah, anyway, Slade stayed a garage band, and that is maybe their greatest advantage in comparison with CCR. In addition, Slade is always funny, never offensive and Noddie's voice is faaar superior to JC's voice. But now, let's leave CCR rest in peace... Slade still exists (although without Noddie) and that's their major highlight.

[Diiiirty jokers! What a dirty jokers! Aww, I like them. Despite everything. They are neither big novators nor famous compilators. Just unpretentious dirty jokers. That's nice.]

Eric Plante <vaneric40@hotmail.com> (05.05.2001)

I love Slade. I don't listen to anything else!

A.B. du KhanOff <bubbuy@quorum.ru> (02.10.2001)

The best UK band.


ALBUMS
BEGINNINGS

Lyolya Svidrigajlova <vsvitov@diamin.msk.ru> (04.01.2001)

[Retro, you say? Aah, is this such a big drawback? Ya know, Slade is still not Smokie, don't you agree?]

Yeah, many things were already said... so, I won't add much. "Genesis" is a funny contrasting instrumental but still a bit repetitive. But the real highlight of the album is IMHO "Knocking nails into my house". "Here comes a man (pooh-tee-weet)/ In a van / He's looking very angry at me / Knockin' nails into my house (dum-dum-dum - it sounds as if somebody is really knocking nails into something). And in addition to all this greasy sound - nice fiddle solos... [ah, that's what really moves my old dirty rock'n'roll heart...] All in all, sounds very refreshing and promising, although it could be called "retro"... if we forget that it's all a dirty joke...


PLAY IT LOUD

Lyolya Svidrigajlova <vsvitov@diamin.msk.ru> (04.01.2001)

[Ooh-wee! Slade ripped off... Creedence? Funny.] Yap... the intro part in "Sweet Box" sound much like a joke upon "simple rhymes" which were added to "Suzie Q" by CCR. But it was one of most famous jokes by CCR. Scoffing at a joke? That's funny...

Well, the riff in "See us here" really sounds too similar to "Gloomy" but if we dig deeper, we'll see that this riff was also seen in Andy Lloyd's "I'm a dirty lighter" (and it was 1960 - seven years before "Gloomy"). But what is really important is that the three songs are different bar the riff. And if you like to expose Slade's rip-offs... here's a funny example. By no means "Dapple Rose" is a bad song. Maybe it's one of the best ballads by Slade (and, personally, I like their ballads, unlike you, George...) - so nice, catchy, moving... and with a very well-done fiddle solo... awwww... But the refrain is REALLY reminiscent of the Beatles' "Hey Jude"... Good joke.

All in all, as most of second albums, it shows more drawbacks of the band... but don't blame me if I say I like it...

Ron Dagwell <rdagwell@comcast.net> (16.04.2002)

I always thought this was about getting a recording contract. Lines dealing with sleeping on floors (i.e., paying dues), making a number of changes (to the record), and, at the end, signing on the dotted line ("and I was done for"). That's how I interpret it, anyway.

Michael Parker <mcp666@blueyonder.co.uk> (17.03.2006)

This album reflected the rebellious attitude that went with their skinhead image on the album cover. A lot of gloomy social issues and a want for change reflected in the lyrics. I'm surprised by the musical rip off's, I had no idea but then I wasn't into the CCR style. My parents were feeding me Beatles & Stones with a dash of Buddy Holly on the side.

I picked this up after hearing Slade Alive in 1972 and I thought it was fresh and vibrant. I much preferred it to Tyranosaurus Rex's albums (My People Were Fair & Wore Stars In Their Hair) which was being hailed as 'cool' at the time. I love the repetition of Could I, the mesmerizing build of Know Who You Are & the angst in the climactic Shape Of Things To Come but my favourites were definitely One Way Hotel & Dapple Rose. Dapple Rose always brings a lump to my throat & tears to my eyes, guess I'm a bit of a softie at heart. One Way Hotel, I always thought to be about somebody living in temporary housing waiting for something better that never comes.


ALIVE!

Balla Balla <balla99@frisurf.no> (13.11.2002)

This is one of the most half assed stupid rewievs I have ever seen. I saw Slade in 1971 prior to this album and can confirm that the album give you a bit of the feeling of the hard working rock'n roll band they were. So they did not write the music themselves, but who cares, even the Beatles and The Rolling Stones relied on cover material in the early stages. And even if you can't stand Noddy's singing, we were about 4000 of us in Oslo at the show who would have told you to kiss yourself at your highest point when your tying your shoelaces. And even I can admit that Dave Hill is no guitar genious, but hell, who is? And do you really have to be that to make great rock? Does anyone kick the living shit out of Sex Pistols for being awful musicans ( well actually they did, but you would not know, being newborn at the time), you do not have to be Jimmy Page to play guitar. Stick to rewieving Brittany Spears.

My advice is, if you can get your hands on this classic album, do not hesitate.

[Special author note: wonderful! The classic generic fan comment! Who cares if they didn't write their material! Who cares if they can't sing! Who cares if they can't play! They ROCK! AND a "review Brittany Spears" recommendation to top the picture! AND an "I was there, so I know better than you" complex! And the most wonderful thing about it is, we probably like this album more or less on the same level. So much for the deep mysteries of the human soul.]

Ian A Edmundson (11.12.2003)

Slade Alive! is only seven tracks long and despite this, it remains thirty years on, one of the better live albums available from this period. The band purposefully avoided putting any recently released songs on it (why buy what you've just bought?) and yet the album doesn't suffer at all as a result. Other live material available unofficially from around this time (check out 'Four skins in Holland' and 'Watch out, here cum t'nutz' if you can find them) are more reflective of the actual set They could have put 'Coz i luv you' and 'Mama Weer all crazee now' on the album, but would never short change their fans.

Slade always played with a sheer force of power that was rare amongst bands of that period and this set is concrete evidence of the fact. Today's bands may laugh at their dress sense, but they were an absolutely dynamite live act and without the distraction of Dave Hill's increasingly laughable outfits, there is nothing that can be taken away from this record. Today's new bands would do worse than to take several leaves out of Slade's book!

[This review comment by Ian E from THE SLADE ARCHIVE at <http://www.crazeeworld.plus.com> www.crazeeworld.plus.com]

Michael Parker <mcp666@blueyonder.co.uk> (21.06.2006)

Oh Boy! Somebody really missed the point here?

This album came out at a time when Rock Music ("Tara", a big fanfare please) took itself far too seriously. George, you seem to be living proof of that. First and foremost, an LP averages 20 minutes each side. The more time you put in, the lower the quality of the end product. More music with less balls is something this world has enough of. You can cut that 20 mins into 7 tracks or 20 tracks but the time is the defining factor. Alive! clocks in at around 39 minutes. Where's your Beef?

That said, I think Ian has made the important points above, however my diatribe is less informed and more emotional. When I first heard this album, I was listening to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Floyd, Yes, ELP, etc. Lots of very good Rock Music with enough guitar hero content to sink a battleship. My friend played this album to me and it blew me away! I didn't understand immediately, why an album that lacked a 15 minute drum solo, guitar majestics, black magic lyrics or references to something hi-brow could be so exciting? I was not a 'Fan' at this point but it was a transitional stage. The focus of this performance was FUN, "...everybody getting in the mood right from the start coz that's what its all about"

The point is 'Hey, we realise John Sebastian writes a good song and we can play it too but lets not get too serious coz we're having fun here, right?' So Dave Hill can't perform lightning licks on his guitar but 'if you want noize, you got it!' Entertainment, by the trailerload. This album builds wonderfully into a natural climax and the chaos at the end of Born To Be Wild IS that natural climax. It was always 'meant to be' When that Bass drops, after the feedback and leading back into the rhythm section, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and a tingle went down my spine followed by a compulsion to jump in the air and go crazy. It still has that same effect on me today! Alive! is a legendary album that sounds as invigorating today as it did when it came out. It's Marmite Rock! You either love it or hate it, just don't try to pigeonhole it.


SLAYED?

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OLD NEW BORROWED AND BLUE

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SLADE IN FLAME

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NOBODY'S FOOLS

Lyolya Svidrigajlova <vsvitov@diamin.msk.ru> (04.01.2001)

[Gee... nah, I can't say I don't like it, but... just skip that "but"... it's about the good mood and that's the main highlight of all Slade...]

"Let's call it quits"... a really orgasmic slow song. Not too much more to say. "I've still got something here for you (wuh-wuh) - it's big enough for two..." What the hell is Noddie talking about? "Did your Mama ever tall ya"... Again - funny.

"Did your mama ever tell ya ya were brought by a stork / How you could run before you could walk?" Kinda "philosophy". Dirty philosophy, maybe. In a funny form.

"All the world is a stage"... Yup... personally, I like it, call me dumb but I REALLY DO like it! Cliche? No doubt. But what's wrong? "You are to send me example / And I am the one to portray it..." Ah, anyway, it's a funny joke about Shakespeare...

[No, I don't mean that your review is bad. It's just that personally, I would never take Slade too seriously... they are not supposed to be taken seriously...]

Michael Parker <mcp666@blueyonder.co.uk> (16.03.2006)

I never really took to this album, partly because I had just made the cross over from school to work & partly because I had Lynyrd Skynyrd & ZZ Top tugging my ear. Be that as it may, Nobody's Fools is a good Slade album, as well as the title track Let's Call It Quits, In For A Penny & I'm A Talker, all show signs of the group maturing, LA Jinx trys musically but the chorus lyric lets it down. All Of The World Is Stage.on the other hand is a great song, one of my favourites from the Flame era.. Cliche? Slade were a cliche from day one. The skinhead cliche, the naughty boys cliche, the dyslexic cliche, etc. It was part of their charm!


WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SLADE

Michael Parker <mcp666@blueyonder.co.uk> (16.03.2006)

This album is a great loss to 70's Rock history. I'm can't understand why anyone who likes Slade should hold such a low opinion of it?

Historically, Slade started out as a rock band covering songs like Zappa's Ain't Got No Love & Steppenwolf's Born To Be Wild. Some of their best songs were on the B-sides of their singles, Do You Want Me, Gospel According To Rasputin, My Life Is Natural, Candidate, Wonderin' Y, Man Who Speaks Evil, etc. These songs show where Slade were headed musically if Glam Rock hadn't hi-jacked them and dictated their course. Listened to in context, it's easy to hear Whatever Happened.. is an attempt to return to that course. Be, far from a rap song, is not too far removed from Take Me Bak 'Ome or Mama Weer All Crazee Now and would follow 'Slayed's Move Over perfectly. Lightning. Never Strikes Twice & One Eyed Jacks are, once again, not so different from 'Old New Borrowed And Blue's Just Want A Little Bit, We're Really Gonna Raise The Roof or Don't Blame Me. In fact, this whole album takes me back to the Slade I fell for when I first heard Slade Alive & Play It Loud. The missing ingredient for many on this album at that time would have been Pop. There are no Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me, Merry Christmas Everybody style tracks. There are no When The Lights Are Out, Miles Out To Sea, Wishing You Were Here type songs. No Everyday. Yep, no Pop... but lots of Rock & lots of Sex! Listen to When Fantasy Calls, She's Got The Lot & It Ain't Love. That's my Slade, superb!


RETURN TO BASE

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ALIVE VOL. 2

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