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Peter Jones in the liner notes: "Is it because the
boys are such good musicians that they get away with a variety of material?
There's a Frank Zappa thing herein - Ain't Got No Heart - that comes of
beautifully."
This is what Jim Powers of the All-Music Guide has to say
about Slade: "One of the most successful British bands of the early '70s,
Slade made it to the top of the charts after several years on the road. The band
formed in 1966 in Wolverhapton as the N'Betweens. After taking on former Animals
bassist Chas Chandler as their manager, they changed their name to Ambrose
Slade, then shortened it to Slade. Many of their records were a variations of
upfront lead vocals, fat, loud, distorted guitar chords, a basic foot-stomping
beat, and anthemic choruses. The simplicity of it all was played up even further
by the deliberate misspelling of words in the song titles. At the turn of the
'70s, 'Get Down and Get with It' cracked the UK Top 20 and there was no turning
back. Their next dozen singles were UK Top Five hits, six of them reaching
number one. Their success wasn't limited to the singles charts, either; three of
their albums also topped the charts during the same period. Their holiday song,
'Merry Xmas Everybody', has entered the UK charts seven times, as well. Despite
their British success Slade barely cracked the US Hot 100. Even in England, the
big hits stopped coming during the punk revolution in the late '70s. They
enjoyed a brief revival in the early '80s when Quiet Riot covered 'Cum on Feel
the Noize' and took it to the top of the charts around the world. This revival
even enabled Slade to chart in the American Top 40 with 'Run Runaway' and 'My Oh
My'.
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- slade: slade box anthology 1969 - 1991
(2006, 4cd, uk, salvo)
- Frank Zappa is mentioned in the booklet that comes with the
box:
Equally, Jim seldom forgets a sleight or a compilement, like when
Frank Zappa expressed admiration for his bass playing after a
performance at the London Speakeasy club.
"It was one of those great moments in my life when Zappa called
me over and said he liked my playing, because I so admired his work with
The Mothers Of Invention", says Jim. "I had Dave at my elbow,
who kept saying, 'He looks like Frank Zappa,' and I was going, 'Shup up,
it is Frank Zappa.'". |
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