Slade

Odds and sods about the British rock band Slade

Thursday, November 23, 2006


The "new" Crackers Posted by Picasa

Crackers

In the series of remastered Slade CDs from Union Square Music Crackers is now out on Metro. Most fans don’t really rate Crackers, but I’ve always found the album quite okay. This new release is an okay album as well, but…it’s not really Crackers. At least it’s Crackers on a diet as it has lost 5 tracks!
So the new album has only 11 tracks as opposed to 16 on the original vinyl album. All John Punter-produced tracks as well as We’ll Bring The House Down are missing, but the remaining tracks are all (as usual) perfectly remasted by Tim Turan.
I must admit that I’m a little disappointed with the album. I perfectly understand the “business”-idea of altering and thereby aiming it directly at Christmas and thus the Christmas sales instead of reissuing the original Crackers which was more like a “broader” party album than just an album for Christmas. But as a fan it’s annoying that my collection of USM’s brilliantly remastered Slade CDs with bonus tracks and all is now going to have a huge gap where Crackers ought to have been. Furthermore the artwork is somewhat boring, no good pics at all and – let’s face it – a rather horrid cover. I suppose the red-white-green is to symbolize Christmas in some way, but the warm, festive feel of the season doesn’t come across, instead it seems cold, almost clinical.
Before I drift away in negativity I do want to stress that I actually find this “new” Crackers quite a nice little thing, perfect for a Christmas present or even better, a present before Christmas, so the receiver can listen to it all December. And as the sound is great and the tracks well chosen, I think it’ll be a welcome present, also for none Slade fans.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006


Slade in Munich, Germany, 1992 Posted by Picasa


Don't kick Rudi, Dave! Posted by Picasa


Dave, Munich, 1992 Posted by Picasa


Don, Munich, 1992 Posted by Picasa


Jim, Munich, 1992 Posted by Picasa


Noddy, Munich, 1992 Posted by Picasa


"Universe", Gottschalk Show, 1992 Posted by Picasa

Slade in Munich, 1992

Wilfried Mende, former president of the German fan club, made it possible for me to see some footage that he and friend Rudi Breiteneicher shot of Slade in February 1992 in German city Munich. Here Slade were to perform ”Universe” on the Gottschalk Show and Wilf and Rudi followed the band before, during and after the performance. Thanks for letting me see this, Wilf.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006


Don, Jim, Nod and Rudi, Portland Studios (c) Rudi Breiteneicher Posted by Picasa


Wilf, Nod and Rudi (c) Rudi Breiteneicher Posted by Picasa


Nod, Dave, Don and Rudi (c) Rudi Breiteneicher Posted by Picasa


Sound check (c) Rudi Breiteneicher Posted by Picasa


Don on drums (c) Rudi Breiteneicher Posted by Picasa


Tired? (c) Rudi Breiteneicher Posted by Picasa


Don and Dave (c) Rudi Breiteneicher Posted by Picasa


Don (c) Rudi Breiteneicher Posted by Picasa


Dave (c) Rudi Breiteneicher Posted by Picasa


Rudi, Jim and Wilf, 1992 (c) Rudi Breiteneicher Posted by Picasa


That's all, folks! (c) Rudi Breiteneicher Posted by Picasa

German photos of Slade

Rudi Breiteneicher from Germany recently sent me some pics that he shot of Slade over the years. Here you see a few. Thanks for letting me use them, Rudi.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006


Not so great Posted by Picasa

The world’s worst DVD about the world’s greatest album

I had a look through the DVD ”The World’s Greatest Albums - Slade Alive!”, 2005. The DVD runs 80 minutes and man is it bad!
The band had absolutely nothing to do with it and you can tell. The DVD is supposed to be ”the ultimate critical review” of Slade Alive!, but instead the critics (Sam Blue, Chris Charlesworth, Les Davidson, Tony Dolan, Malcom Dome, Jerry Ewing and Pip Williams) spend more time discussing songs not on the album than talking about what is actually there! The lack of knowledge about the band is really ridiculous, and when somebody credited both In Like A Shot From My Gun and Look Wot You Dun to Nod, I almost had it! I’m so sick and tired of people getting even the most obvious things wrong! On the cover they even manage to spell both Get Down And Get With It and Mama Weer All Crazee Now wrong!
The footage is no better. Of course there is nothing from the actual taping of Slade Alive!, but the DVD DOES promise ”previously unreleased performances from TV archives around the world”. Ha! There was nothing there that I hadn’t seen before! The footage is based on Set of Six and added a few clips from Beat Club, Beat Box and the likes.
This DVD gets a big “thumbs down” from me. I’m glad that I borrowed it from Don instead of buying it, because it isn’t worth the money. On the other hand, if I had bought it, I would have been allowed to wreck that bl**dy DVD, and that was what I felt like doing several times while viewing it!