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Slayed?
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| Slayed? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1972 | |||
| Recorded | 1972 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:30 | |||
| Label | Polydor (UK/US) | |||
| Producer | Chas Chandler | |||
| Slade chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Slayed? | ||||
| ||||
Slayed? is the third studio album by the British rock group Slade. It was released in November 1972 and reached No. 1 in the UK. It remained on the chart for 34 weeks and was certified Silver in early 1973.[1][2] The album was also the band's most successful of the 1970s in the US, peaking at No. 69 and remaining in the charts for 26 weeks.[3] In Australia, the album reached No. 1 and went Gold, knocking the band's live album Slade Alive! to No. 2.[4][5][6] Slayed? was produced by Chas Chandler.
Background
[edit]After achieving their breakthrough hit with "Get Down and Get with It" in 1971, Slade would continue to achieve further success with their follow-up singles "Coz I Luv You", "Look Wot You Dun" and "Take Me Bak 'Ome". The 1972 live album Slade Alive! also gave the band their first success on the albums chart, reaching No. 2. Having achieved their second UK number one with "Take Me Bak 'Ome", the band soon finished recording their next studio album Slayed?. In August 1972, the lead single "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" was released and was another UK chart topper. Slayed? followed in November and reached No. 1. A second single, "Gudbuy T'Jane", was also released that month and reached No. 2 in the UK.[7]
In October, "The Whole World's Goin' Crazee" was released as a free 7" Flexi disc with the Music Scene magazine. The B-Side was "Bonnie Charlie" by Mike Hugg.[8] In August 1973, "Let the Good Times Roll" was released as a single in America where it reached No. 114.[9] In November, "Move Over" was released as a single in Japan.[10]
Song information
[edit]"How D'You Ride" had originally been considered as a potential single, with Chandler particularly keen on seeing it released as one.[11] In a 2006 interview, drummer Don Powell revealed of "I Won't Let It 'Appen Agen": "If you listen to the start of that one you can hear somebody shout, 'Yeah!' That's me shouting, because it felt so good when we started, that I just couldn't help saying it. And it was kept."[12]
The idea for "Gudbuy T'Jane" came to Lea while the band was in San Diego. He completed the song on the flight home to the UK. Holder's lyrics were inspired by a woman called Jane who demonstrated a sex machine on a TV show on which the band appeared.[13] The idea for the lyrics of "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" came from the band's show at the Boston Gliderdrome in Lincolnshire, where a bouncer had told them about another act who'd appeared there drunk – "crazy with whiskey".[13]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A−[15] |
| The Guardian | |
Upon release, Record Mirror described the album as "all pretty stomping, insistent and bawled out stuff", adding "they deliver the goods here, alright".[17] In the Record Mirror poll results of 1974, Slayed? was listed at No. 4 on the Top 10 list of best British albums.[18] New Musical Express said the album was "one of the greatest rock 'n' roll releases ever".
Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times felt that aside from some "effective moments" on side one, side two best displayed Slade's "power and direction". He concluded: "If you've been missing the solid, raunchy rock sound in recent months, get slayed and play it loud."[19] Tom Von Malder of The Wheeling Herald (Illinois) felt the album recalled the "kind of raw music that the Rolling Stones used to play when they did "Street Fighting Man"." Malder concluded: "Slade is punk, street rock at its best and loudest."[20] American rock critic Robert Christgau felt the album showcased "boot-boy anthems that are every bit as overpowering as has been reported, and also more fun. Noddy Holder can wake up the crazee in my neighborhood any time he wants." Henry McNulty of the Hartford Courant described the album as a "fierce, unrelenting type of rock", as well as a "total body assault, leaving the mind free to wander in the void where the meaning ought to be."[21]
In 2010, Classic Rock considered the album an "essential classic", adding that it featured "party-hard tracks, and even something approaching a ballad with "Look at Last Nite", ensuring that Slayed? inarguably ticks all the right boxes." The Guardian noted the album's singles and other tracks as being "deservedly party riff monsters", but added: "Slayed?'s majesty lies in the melancholy ballads. "Look at Last Nite's" haunting refrain fingers both empty celebrity and fame's creeping downside."
The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[22]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "How d' You Ride" | Noddy Holder, Jim Lea | 3:11 |
| 2. | "The Whole World's Goin' Crazee" | Holder | 3:35 |
| 3. | "Look at Last Nite" | Holder, Lea | 3:05 |
| 4. | "I Won't Let It 'Appen Agen" | Lea | 3:16 |
| 5. | "Move Over" | Janis Joplin | 3:45 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Gudbuy T'Jane" | Holder, Lea | 3:32 |
| 7. | "Gudbuy Gudbuy" | Holder, Lea | 3:28 |
| 8. | "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" | Holder, Lea | 3:44 |
| 9. | "I Don' Mind" | Holder, Lea | 3:05 |
| 10. | "Let the Good Times Roll / Feel So Fine" | Leonard Lee | 3:46 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Take Me Bak 'Ome" (non-album single) | Holder, Lea | 3:16 |
| 12. | "Cum On Feel the Noize" (non-album single) | Holder, Lea | 4:25 |
| 13. | "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" (non-album single) | Holder, Lea | 4:30 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "My Life Is Natural" (B-side of "Coz I Luv You") | Holder | 3:17 |
| 12. | "Candidate" (B-side of "Look Wot You Dun") | Lea, Powell | 2:52 |
| 13. | "Wonderin' Y" (B-side of "Take Me Bak 'Ome") | Lea, Powell | 2:49 |
| 14. | "Man Who Speeks Evil" (B-side of "Mama Weer All Crazee Now") | Lea, Powell | 3:17 |
| 15. | "Slade Talk to 'Melanie' Readers" (Issued on a single-sided flexi-disc) | 6:46 |
Personnel
[edit]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
- Gered Mankowitz – cover photography
- Chris Charlesworth – liner notes
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[37] | Gold | 20,000[37] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Slade Scrapbook Website". sladescrapbook.com. Retrieved 10 August 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Slade Fan Club Newsletter February–March 1973
- ^ Whitburn, Joel; Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955-1996; p. 717. Published 1997 by Record Research Inc.
- ^ "Slade Fan Club Archive". Weebly. Retrieved 10 August 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Slade Fan Club Archive". Weebly. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
- ^ Slade Fan Club Newsletter April–May 1973
- ^ "Slade | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Slade – Weer All Crazee – Main Page". Slade-weerallcrazee.co.uk. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ^ "Billboard – Google Books". 1 September 1973. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ "Slade – Move over".
- ^ Powell, Don; Falkenberg, Lise Lyng (11 October 2013). Look Wot I Dun: Don Powell of Slade – Don Powell, Lise Lyng Falkenberg – Google Books. ISBN 9781783230006. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ "Slade: Remaster interview with Don!". Bigboyzbignoize.blogspot.co.uk. 1 September 2006. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ a b Slade's 1997 compilation Greatest Hits booklet
- ^ Thompson, Dave. "Slayed? – Slade". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 12 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Dave Simpson (25 August 2006). "CD: Slade, Slayed? | Music". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
- ^ Record Mirror Magazine review 2 December 1972
- ^ "Rocklist.net...Steve Parker...1001 Albums". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 January 2006. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
- ^ Los Angeles Times – Rock 'n' Roll: Following Elton John's bouncing ball – Robert Hilburn – 28 January 1973 – page 42
- ^ The Wheeling Herald – Tom Von Malder – 9 March 1973 – page 43
- ^ Hartford Courant newspaper – 17 February 1973 – page 20
- ^ Dimery, Robert (2005), 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, United Kingdom: Universe Publishing, ISBN 1-84403-392-9
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 277. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Slade – Slayed?" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4828". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Slade". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 237. ISBN 978-952-7460-01-6.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Slade – Slayed?" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Slade – Slayed?" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Slade – Slayed?". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Slade Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Albums". Cash Box. Vol. 34, no. 43. 14 April 1973. p. 39. ISSN 0008-7289.
- ^ "The Album Chart". Record World. Vol. 28, no. 1346. 7 April 1973. p. 34.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1973. Archived from the original on 23 May 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Slade" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
Slayed?
View on GrokipediaBackground and production
Development
Following their breakthrough single "Get Down and Get With It" in 1971, which peaked at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart and marked Slade's first top 40 hit, the band gained significant momentum in the glam rock scene. This success propelled them toward recording their debut live album, Slade Alive!, capturing performances from late 1971 that showcased their high-energy stage presence and audience interaction.[7] Released in March 1972, Slade Alive! achieved massive commercial acclaim, further solidifying Slade's rising popularity and prompting the decision to quickly follow with a studio album to build on this live triumph.[3] Vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, the band's primary songwriting duo, composed the majority of the material for what became Slayed? amid their intensive 1972 touring schedule, drawing from the raw excitement of their concerts to craft anthemic tracks.[8] Manager and producer Chas Chandler, formerly of the Animals, guided the project's creative direction with a focus on replicating the band's visceral live energy in a studio setting, emphasizing unpolished riffs and crowd-pleasing hooks to evoke the chaos of their performances.[9] This vision influenced songs like "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," where Lea's melody stemmed from observing fervent audience sing-alongs at a Chuck Berry concert, while Holder's lyrics reflected the frenzied crowd response during Slade's own Wembley show earlier that year, including smashed seats from overzealous fans.[10]Recording
The recording sessions for Slayed? took place at Olympic Studios in London during the summer of 1972, spanning approximately two weeks under the production of Chas Chandler.[11][12] Chandler, who had previously managed and produced Jimi Hendrix, focused on capturing the band's explosive live energy by employing techniques that prioritized raw performances with minimal overdubs and heavy amplification to achieve a gritty, unpolished sound reflective of their stage shows.[11] The Slade members aimed to translate their concert intensity into the studio, highlighted by drummer Don Powell's thunderous, propulsive style that drove the rhythm section and guitarist Dave Hill's innovative effects, including his signature mirror-spangled guitar for added visual and sonic flair during tracking.[11] To preserve spontaneity, several tracks were captured in quick takes; for instance, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now"—co-written by vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea—was recorded in just 30 minutes, with the second take selected for its immediate vitality.[11] Another notable incident occurred during the tracking of "I Won't Let It 'Appen Again," where Powell's instinctive "Yeah!" shout bled into the drum microphones and was retained in the final mix due to the era's technical limitations in isolating it.[11] These moments underscored the album's ethos of harnessing the band's unfiltered dynamism rather than over-refining in post-production.Composition
Musical style
Slayed? is a seminal example of glam rock fused with hard rock elements, featuring stomping rhythms inspired by football terrace chants, driving power chords, and anthemic, sing-along hooks that pay homage to 1950s rock 'n' roll.[13] The album's energetic sound captures the raw vitality of Slade's live performances in a studio setting, marking a departure from the less polished production of their earlier releases like Play It Loud (1970).[3] Clocking in at 34 minutes and 30 seconds, it delivers a concise burst of high-octane tracks that amplify the band's working-class rock ethos.[14] Central to the album's groove are the instrumental contributions of its core members: Jim Lea's bass lines lead the propulsion on opening tracks, providing a hypnotic foundation that underscores the rhythmic drive.[15] Don Powell's thunderous drumming delivers a marching, pounding backbone, evoking the thunder of crowd participation.[16] Dave Hill's jagged guitar riffs and solos add a gritty, distorted edge, while Noddy Holder's raspy, unrestrained vocals command attention with their hoarse power and crowd-engaging delivery.[3][17] Track-specific styles further define the album's sonic palette. "Gudbuy t'Jane" exemplifies a fast-paced rocker with its super-catchy melody, prominent power chords, and a sing-along chorus propelled by energetic drumming.[13] Similarly, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" stands out as a heavy riff-driven anthem, incorporating hand claps and a terrace-chant chorus that invites audience participation, blending hard rock intensity with glam accessibility.[13] These elements, rooted in the band's evolution toward a more confident studio sound, solidify Slayed? as a cornerstone of early 1970s British rock.[17]Lyrics and themes
The lyrics of Slayed? predominantly explore themes of youthful rebellion, exuberant party anthems, and working-class escapism, drawing from the band's roots in the skinhead subculture of late-1960s Britain. These motifs reflect Slade's appeal to a demographic of young, blue-collar fans seeking release from everyday drudgery through raucous, communal energy, as seen in tracks like "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," which captures the frenzy of a rowdy concert audience with its chant-like declarations of collective madness.[13] The album's songwriting echoes the terrace chants and pub camaraderie associated with skinhead hooliganism, even after the band distanced itself from the style's more violent connotations, emphasizing instead a defiant, high-spirited camaraderie.[13][3] A distinctive feature of the lyrics is the use of phonetic spelling to replicate regional working-class accents, enhancing accessibility and relatability for British youth. Titles such as "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" and "Gudbuy t'Jane" employ deliberate misspellings like "Crazee" and "t'Jane" to evoke the Black Country dialect spoken by vocalist Noddy Holder and his bandmates, transforming standard English into a playful, immediate form that mirrored the speech patterns of their audience and fueled sing-along participation at live shows.[13] This approach, a Slade hallmark, extended to the album's overall verbal style, making the content feel raw and conversational rather than polished.[18] The album's words were primarily crafted through the collaboration of Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, who prioritized straightforward, repetitive phrasing designed for audience engagement and live interactivity. Their process focused on crafting "chantable" hooks that amplified the record's anthemic quality, as in the repetitive "Mama, mama, mama" outro of the title-inspired track, ensuring lyrics served the communal thrill of performance over intricate storytelling.[13][18] This simplicity reinforced the themes of escapism, allowing fans to join in effortlessly during concerts.[15]Release and promotion
Singles
The lead single from Slayed?, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", was released on August 25, 1972, and became Slade's third UK number-one hit, topping the charts for three weeks.[5][19] The track, backed with the non-album B-side "Man Who Speeks Evil", was promoted through high-energy performances on BBC's Top of the Pops, where the band's chaotic stage presence—complete with Noddy Holder's gravelly vocals and audience interaction—helped propel its success and build anticipation for the album.[20][10] The follow-up single, "Gudbuy t'Jane", arrived on November 17, 1972, shortly after the album's release, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart and spending 13 weeks in the top 40.[6][21] Paired with B-side "I Won't Let It 'Appen Agen", it featured similar promotional efforts, including another Top of the Pops appearance that December, emphasizing the song's stomping rhythm and phonetic spelling to align with Slade's glam rock image.[22] Radio airplay on stations like BBC Radio 1 further tied the single to the album, contributing to Slayed?'s chart dominance.[23] Following the album's success, Slade released "Cum On Feel the Noize" in February 1973 as the lead single from their next compilation Sladest, though it was closely associated with the Slayed? era due to its stylistic continuity and the band's ongoing momentum; it debuted at number one on the UK charts. These efforts, including additional Top of the Pops slots, sustained Slade's visibility and linked single sales directly to album consumption.[24]Artwork and packaging
The cover art for Slayed? features the band members—Noddy Holder, Dave Hill, Jim Lea, and Don Powell—posed in glam rock outfits against a stark black background, captured in a photograph by Gered Mankowitz in London during 1972.[25] The title appears in bold, handwritten-style font, aligning with Slade's longstanding tradition of phonetic misspellings in song and album titles to convey chaotic fun and phonetic working-class expression.[26] The inner sleeve includes photos evoking the band's live energy and raw rock aesthetic to complement the album's high-octane vibe. The original release came in vinyl LP format on Polydor in the UK (catalogue 2383 163) and Warner Bros. in the US, presented in a gatefold sleeve with printed lyrics for fans to follow along.[27]Commercial performance
Chart performance
Slayed? entered the UK Albums Chart on 9 December 1972 and reached number one on 13 January 1973, where it held the top position for a total of three non-consecutive weeks, spending 34 weeks on the chart in total.[4] In the United States, the album peaked at number 69 on the Billboard 200 in 1973 and charted for 26 weeks.[28] The album also performed strongly in other international markets, reaching number one in Australia for six weeks starting in February 1973, number three in Austria for one week with a total of 12 weeks on the chart, peaking at number three in Norway with a total of 24 weeks on the chart, and number 10 in the Netherlands for one week.[28][29][30][31] On the UK year-end albums chart for 1973, Slayed? ranked at number 19, underscoring its sustained popularity following the late-1972 release.[32]Sales and certifications
Slayed? achieved notable commercial success, surpassing the sales of Slade's studio debut album while building on the momentum generated by their breakthrough live release, Slade Alive!. The album received several certifications reflecting its strong performance in international markets. In Australia, Slayed? was awarded Gold status shortly after release by the Australian Record Industry Association, denoting shipments of 50,000 units. In Finland, it earned a Gold certification from the IFPI for sales of 20,000 copies in 1973.[33] In the UK, the BPI certified the album Silver in early 1973, a recognition that aligned with the era's standards for sales thresholds of at least 100,000 units for albums. Long-term sales of Slayed? received a boost from the revival of interest in 1970s glam rock, sustaining its popularity among fans and collectors decades later. Peak chart positions, including No. 1 in the UK, further supported its enduring commercial impact.Reception
Initial reviews
Upon its release in November 1972, Slayed? received largely positive reviews in the UK music press for its raw energy and infectious hit singles. Charlie Gillett of Let It Rock described the album as "rock and roll at its very best, today," highlighting its vibrant distillation of the genre's spirit distinct from its 1950s origins.[34] In the United States, reception was more mixed, with critics appreciating the glam rock hooks but often critiquing the album's perceived lack of depth relative to contemporary American hard rock acts. Lenny Kaye in Rolling Stone acknowledged Slade's dominance in Europe, where their singles were "launched like tank shells" into the Top Ten, but suggested the studio recording did not fully capture their explosive live energy. Similarly, Greg Shaw of Creem lauded the album's role in Slade's "explosive streak of singles" and its anthemic hard rock drive, though he framed it within the band's broader, unpretentious appeal.[35] The album's party-oriented sound earned strong endorsements from fans and radio programmers, particularly through frequent plays on BBC Radio 1, including a live concert broadcast from London's Paris Theatre in August 1972 that showcased its rowdy, participatory vibe. Overall, the 1972 critical consensus positioned Slayed? as a high point in British glam rock's commercial ascendancy, cementing Slade's status as purveyors of unbridled, crowd-pleasing rock.[3]Retrospective reviews
In the 1981 edition of Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies, critic Robert Christgau awarded Slayed? an A− grade, praising the album's unpretentious fun and its embodiment of proto-oi energy as cruder and more boisterous than contemporaries like T. Rex.[36] He highlighted Slade's ability to deliver loud, dumb, yet infectious rock that connected directly with working-class audiences.[37] The album's influence on glam rock was affirmed by its inclusion in the 2005 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, edited by Robert Dimery, where it was selected for capturing the raw, stomping essence of the genre during its 1970s peak.[1] AllMusic's retrospective review, rated 4 out of 5 stars, emphasized the album's enduring vitality as a cornerstone of glam rock, noting its raw power and infectious anthems that maintained their appeal decades later.[1] In a 2006 reissue appraisal for The Guardian, the album was reappraised as a raw classic amid 1970s nostalgia, with its party-ready riffs on tracks like "Gudbuy T'Jane" and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" celebrated for their unfiltered energy and subtle reflections on fame's burdens in ballads such as "Look at Last Nite."[38] The piece underscored its lasting impact on later acts like Oasis, positioning Slayed? as a vital document of glam's gritty underbelly.[38]Track listing and personnel
Track listing
The standard edition of Slayed? contains ten tracks, with a total runtime of 34:30. All original songs were written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, except for the covers "Move Over" (written by Janis Joplin) and "Let the Good Times Roll" (written by Sam Theard and Fleecie Moore).[14][1]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | How D'You Ride | Holder, Lea | 3:11 |
| 2. | The Whole World's Goin' Crazee | Holder, Lea | 3:36 |
| 3. | Look at Last Nite | Holder, Lea | 3:20 |
| 4. | I Won't Let It 'Appen Agen | Holder, Lea | 3:18 |
| 5. | Move Over | Joplin | 3:46 |
| 6. | Gudbuy t'Jane | Holder, Lea | 3:32 |
| 7. | Gudbuy Gudbuy | Holder, Lea | 3:28 |
| 8. | Mama Weer All Crazee Now | Holder, Lea | 3:44 |
| 9. | I Don' Mind | Holder, Lea | 3:06 |
| 10. | Let the Good Times Roll | Theard, Moore | 3:47 |
