Keno's Classic Rock n Roll Web Site

ALBUM REVIEW

SLADE

SLAYED?

Released - 1972 on Salvo Records. Produced by Chas Chandler

Noddy Holder - Lead Vocals; Guitars
Dave Hill - Lead Guitars; Backing Vocals
Jim Lea - Bass Guitar; Violin; Keyboards; Backing Vocals
Don Powell - Drums

All songs written by Holder/Lea except "Move Over", written by Janis Joplin, and "Let The Good Times Roll/Feel So Fine", written by Leonard Lee.

Note: The remastered CD now comes with 5 extra bonus tracks: "My Life Is Natural", "Candidate", "Wonderin' Y",  "Man Who Speeks Evil" and  "Slade Talk To Melanie Readers"

Review

I discovered Slade back in late 1972 when I bought a copy of their live album Slade Alive. I'm can't recall why I picked up that LP, other than I heard that they were real big in the UK, yet totally unknown in the States. Guess I figured I would give them a try for that reason, and it turned out I loved Slade Alive. So I went out shortly after that and got their current studio album, Slayed?, and from that moment could not understand what was wrong with my fellow American Rock n Roll fans, this band was something else to say the least!

I recall none of my friends even knew who Slade was when they would see this album in my collection for the first time. I would make a point of playing either this LP or Slade Alive for them, and they all seemed to dig what they heard. Yet I don't believe any of them ever bought any Slade LPs either. Their loss, but really, America's Rock fans' loss.

This album is dynamite, to say the least. The only somewhat weak track on here ("I Don't Mind"), is still a very good song, and the rest are all either excellent or plain out great! The funny thing is, Slade was considered a Glam band, something I never knew until of late. To me they were pure hard rock and early heavy metal (but I must confess I still to this day haven't heard their very first two albums, which I guess gave them that Glam tag). Lead singer Noddy Holder has one of those voices that is just full of energy; his singing always reminded me of the late Bon Scott (of AC/DC fame); even on the slower numbers he still had that heavy metal voice, which somehow worked fine on the ballads they did.

Slayed? opens with "How D'You Ride", a perfect early sounding heavy metal song. This number might not be a ten, but the guitars are in there just right and stay that way throughout the entire song, there is no letup at all in the music and Holder's voice just fits this song so fine. Next up is "The Whole World's Goin' Crazee" and again, this one is as good as the opening number, which once again features an excellent lead guitar played by Dave Hill.

The best two songs on Slayed?? Well, first we have "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", a heavy metal song that was number one in England before the album was even released. Slade might be more famous for "Cum on Feel the Noize" (in the US thanks to Quiet Riot's identical cover of it), but "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" is a better song! "Gudbye T' Jane" is the other great one on here, not a metal song, just pure old rock n roll music with great lyrics to go with it. The thing with Slade, was some of their lyrics were pure juvenile, and they would purposely title their songs with misspelled words, which actually caused those in the British education field to complain, which was just what Slade wanted.

So, if you are an American who can only recall Slade's one and only US hit, 1984's top 20, "Run Runaway", which only charted thanks to the Quiet Riot cover that came about just a bit before this song did, well, you have missed out on one great rock band. If you are into only mellow music, then maybe they aren't for you. But if you dig hard hitting, and loud Rock n Roll music, you got to hear some Slade, and this album would be a great place to start.

- Keno, 2009

To listen to some soundclips from Slayed?, or to purchase it, click on: Slayed? - Slade

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