Sladest (1973)
Sladest is a compilation album, released by Polydor on 28 September 1973. It reached No. 1 in the UK, remaining on the charts for 24 weeks. Following a Silver certification from BPI during the month of release, Sladest went Gold in November. In America, Sladest was released by Reprise and featured a significantly different track listing. It reached No. 129 on the Billboard 200.
Background
In 1973, Slade were one of the most popular bands in Britain, having achieved two number one singles - "Cum On Feel the Noize" and "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" - in three months. Both had entered the charts straight at number one, which was a rare feat at the time and had not been achieved since The Beatles with "Get Back" in 1969. However, soon after the release of "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me", drummer Don Powell was involved in a near fatal car crash in July 1973. The accident threw the band's future into doubt and despite his critical condition, Powell was able to make a recovery.
While recording their next studio album, Old New Borrowed and Blue, Slade decided to release a compilation album to maintain the band's momentum. Sladest was released in September 1973, on the same day as the band's new single "My Friend Stan". Sladest topped the UK charts and was a success in Europe and beyond too. In its first week of release, it was awarded a UK Silver Disc and in November, it received a UK Gold Disc and was set to surpass 200,000 sales at the time. Having remained at No. 1 for its first three weeks of release, Sladest later returned to the top spot in mid-January 1974, following the success of "Merry Xmas Everybody".
Release
Sladest was originally going to be titled "The Best of Slade". It contained fourteen tracks and included the band's eight hit singles up to that time, along with six other tracks, five of which pre-dated Slade's commercial breakthrough in 1971. In America, the album was released by Reprise (Warner Bros. Records), and was the band's first release on the label. The release featured ten tracks, including the band's eight hit singles, along with "My Friend Stan" and its B-Side "My Town".
Sladest was first released on CD in Japan in 1988. A UK and European CD release followed in 1993. In 2011, the album was remastered and re-issued on CD by Salvo. It included four extra tracks, one of which was a previously unreleased studio version of "Hear Me Calling".
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
Retrospective reviews
Chart performance
Australian Albums Chart: #2
Austrian Albums Chart: #10
Canadian Albums Chart: #75
Finnish Albums Chart: #1
German Albums Chart: #3
Norwegian Albums Chart: #4
UK Albums Chart: #1
US Billboard 200: #129
US Cashbox Albums Chart: #112
Track listing
1. Cum On Feel the Noize (Noddy Holder, Jim Lea) - 4:30
2. Look Wot You Dun (Holder, Lea, Don Powell) - 2:57
3. Gudbuy T'Jane (Holder, Lea) - 3:31
4. One Way Hotel (Holder, Lea, Powell) - 2:39
5. Skweeze Me Pleeze Me (Holder, Lea) - 4:35
6. Pouk Hill (Holder, Lea, Powell) - 2:24
7. Shape of Things to Come (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) - 2:16
8. Take Me Bak 'Ome (Holder, Lea) - 3:13
9. Coz I Luv You (Holder, Lea) - 3:24
10. Wild Winds Are Blowing (Jack Winsley, Bob Saker) - 2:38
11. Know Who You Are (Holder, Lea, Dave Hill, Powell) - 2:54
12. Get Down and Get With It (Bobby Marchan) - 3:48
13. Look at Last Night (Holder, Lea) - 3:05
14. Mama Weer All Crazee Now (Holder, Lea) - 3:42
2011 Salvo remaster bonus tracks
15. Hear Me Calling (Studio Version) (Alvin Lee) - 2:45
16. My Friend Stan (Holder, Lea) - 2:41
17. My Town (Holder, Lea) - 3:07
18. Kill 'Em at the Hot Club Tonite (Holder, Lea) - 3:20
US Reprise track listing
1. Cum On Feel the Noize - 4:30
2. Look Wot You Dun - 2:57
3. Gudbuy T'Jane - 3:31
4. My Friend Stan (Holder, Lea) - 2:40
5. Skweeze Me Pleeze Me - 4:35
6. Take Me Bak 'Ome - 3:13
7. Coz I Luv You - 3:24
8. My Town (Holder, Lea) - 3:05
9. Get Down and Get With It - 3:48
10. Mama Weer All Crazee Now - 3:42
Personnel
Slade
Additional personnel
Background
In 1973, Slade were one of the most popular bands in Britain, having achieved two number one singles - "Cum On Feel the Noize" and "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" - in three months. Both had entered the charts straight at number one, which was a rare feat at the time and had not been achieved since The Beatles with "Get Back" in 1969. However, soon after the release of "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me", drummer Don Powell was involved in a near fatal car crash in July 1973. The accident threw the band's future into doubt and despite his critical condition, Powell was able to make a recovery.
While recording their next studio album, Old New Borrowed and Blue, Slade decided to release a compilation album to maintain the band's momentum. Sladest was released in September 1973, on the same day as the band's new single "My Friend Stan". Sladest topped the UK charts and was a success in Europe and beyond too. In its first week of release, it was awarded a UK Silver Disc and in November, it received a UK Gold Disc and was set to surpass 200,000 sales at the time. Having remained at No. 1 for its first three weeks of release, Sladest later returned to the top spot in mid-January 1974, following the success of "Merry Xmas Everybody".
Release
Sladest was originally going to be titled "The Best of Slade". It contained fourteen tracks and included the band's eight hit singles up to that time, along with six other tracks, five of which pre-dated Slade's commercial breakthrough in 1971. In America, the album was released by Reprise (Warner Bros. Records), and was the band's first release on the label. The release featured ten tracks, including the band's eight hit singles, along with "My Friend Stan" and its B-Side "My Town".
Sladest was first released on CD in Japan in 1988. A UK and European CD release followed in 1993. In 2011, the album was remastered and re-issued on CD by Salvo. It included four extra tracks, one of which was a previously unreleased studio version of "Hear Me Calling".
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
- John Hutson of Thanet Times stated: "An LP of Slade's greatest hits, a must for fans, and those who did not buy all the singles when they came out."
- Ken Barnes of Rolling Stone said: "If ever there was a sure shot for smash singles success in the States, Slade seemed to be it. Sladest is a comprehensive collection of the group's British hits to date. It provides an unimprovable perspective on their past successes, as well as some of the wildest all-stops-out rock & roll you'll ever hear. "Cum on Feel the Noize" has the best tune of the batch, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" is the quintessential rocking anthem, and the series as a whole generated raw excitement paralleled only by the colossal crush of Stones, Who and Small Faces singles of 1965-6. By my lights it turns out to be the best rocking album of the year."
- Robert Christgau commented: "This includes "Gudbuy T'Jane" and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," the best cuts on Slayed? because it compiles the English hits of these Anglopop phenoms. I take it the reason "Gudbuy" and "Crazee" are the best cuts on Sladest as well is that these Anglopop phenoms turned into raving maniacs only recently. Clearly, it's what they were meant to be, and although Slayed? is less tuneful, I prefer it. You don't ask an air raid siren to play "Stardust," or even "Glad All Over.""
- Billboard stated: "Slade has been one of the top British bands for two years now, but they have yet to break through in this country as a major act. They have been known primarily as a singles band, with each single an exercise in the controlled wall-of-sound style of rock. Noddy Holder's vocals are frantic, Dave Hill's guitar is loud and full of great riffs, and the group's songs are full of the drive and repetition good rock is made of. Now Warners, on the label's first Slade LP, has made an extremely smart maneuver. Warners has included all of the group's major hit records, which serves the dual purpose of introducing them as a singles band as well as giving them an almost fresh start with the American listening public. This could be the real start of Slade."
Retrospective reviews
- Paul Tinelli of AllMusic wrote: "Falling somewhere between the glam of T.Rex and the hard rock of Nazareth, Slade's finest moments came with arena rockers "Cum On Feel the Noize," "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," and "Gudbuy T'Jane," songs specifically written to be strong live numbers that would get kids up off their seats. Sladest is a "best-of" collection that includes all of the material that helped the band sell tons of records and fill arenas in the U.K. in the early '70s. When Slade stray from their successful formula of catchy guitar riffs and big choruses - with soft rockers like "Coz I Luv You" and "Pouk Hill" - they tend to fall flat."
- In 2003, Spin included the album in their "Essential Glam Rock" guide. They said: "Working-class super-heroes fond of wind-tunnel guitar and choruses even the most lager-headed yob could chant, Slade stripped glam of its mystical self-importance. The stadium-stomp anthems collected here run the gamut from dumb to dumberer."
Chart performance
Australian Albums Chart: #2
Austrian Albums Chart: #10
Canadian Albums Chart: #75
Finnish Albums Chart: #1
German Albums Chart: #3
Norwegian Albums Chart: #4
UK Albums Chart: #1
US Billboard 200: #129
US Cashbox Albums Chart: #112
Track listing
1. Cum On Feel the Noize (Noddy Holder, Jim Lea) - 4:30
2. Look Wot You Dun (Holder, Lea, Don Powell) - 2:57
3. Gudbuy T'Jane (Holder, Lea) - 3:31
4. One Way Hotel (Holder, Lea, Powell) - 2:39
5. Skweeze Me Pleeze Me (Holder, Lea) - 4:35
6. Pouk Hill (Holder, Lea, Powell) - 2:24
7. Shape of Things to Come (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) - 2:16
8. Take Me Bak 'Ome (Holder, Lea) - 3:13
9. Coz I Luv You (Holder, Lea) - 3:24
10. Wild Winds Are Blowing (Jack Winsley, Bob Saker) - 2:38
11. Know Who You Are (Holder, Lea, Dave Hill, Powell) - 2:54
12. Get Down and Get With It (Bobby Marchan) - 3:48
13. Look at Last Night (Holder, Lea) - 3:05
14. Mama Weer All Crazee Now (Holder, Lea) - 3:42
2011 Salvo remaster bonus tracks
15. Hear Me Calling (Studio Version) (Alvin Lee) - 2:45
16. My Friend Stan (Holder, Lea) - 2:41
17. My Town (Holder, Lea) - 3:07
18. Kill 'Em at the Hot Club Tonite (Holder, Lea) - 3:20
US Reprise track listing
1. Cum On Feel the Noize - 4:30
2. Look Wot You Dun - 2:57
3. Gudbuy T'Jane - 3:31
4. My Friend Stan (Holder, Lea) - 2:40
5. Skweeze Me Pleeze Me - 4:35
6. Take Me Bak 'Ome - 3:13
7. Coz I Luv You - 3:24
8. My Town (Holder, Lea) - 3:05
9. Get Down and Get With It - 3:48
10. Mama Weer All Crazee Now - 3:42
Personnel
Slade
- Noddy Holder - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Dave Hill - lead guitar, backing vocals
- Jim Lea - bass, piano, violin, backing vocals
- Don Powell - drums
Additional personnel
- Chas Chandler - producer
- Bob Houston – liner notes
- Gered Mankowitz – photography