Glam Rock, Part 1

Uncle Rob of 105 The Fox featured Sweet's Desolation Boulevard (1974) as his Wax Wednesday LP yesterday, and after seeing his post, I pulled out my copy of the album and put it on the turntable.

Many listeners to FM radio will recognize Ballroom Blitz and Fox on the Run, but the album contains a number of other really strong tunes, including The 6 Teens, Set Me Free, and A.C.D.C. Sweet were a major influence on Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx, which is apparent when you listen to the opening line of the album's side two opening track Sweet F.A.: 

"Well it's Friday night, I need a fight..."

After spinning Desolation Boulevard, I needed some more glitter and glam, so next up was Slade's Sladest (1973). Managed by former Animals' bassist and Jimi Hendrix manager Chas Chandler, Slade were a major influence on many hair metal bands of the 80's, even though the band's success in North America was nowhere near what it was in Europe during the early to mid-70's (the band had 17 consecutive top twenty hits and 6 number ones).

Although Quiet Riot were a top draw at L.A. clubs in the late 70's, the band never achieved any mainstream success until their 1983 cover of Slade's Cum on Feel the Noize, a song the band was dead set against covering when they recorded Metal Health (1983). Lead singer Kevin DuBrow would later admit he tried singing the song as poorly as possible to avoid having it on the record. The track eventually became the first heavy metal song to reach the top 5 of the Billboard 100 chart and propelled Metal Health to the #1 spot on the Billboard album chart. The success of Noize spurred the band to cover another Slade song Mama Weer All Crazee Now on their follow-up LP Condition Critical (1984).