USA, 29th July 1972
From the moment Slade Alive! was released it spent the rest of 1972 in the UK Top 40, much of that time in the Top 20 and a good chunk of it in the Top 10. With the release of Take Me Bak 'Ome, their Great Western appearance and their return from Germany and France for a UK tour, the album re-entered the Top 10 and settled for #2 at one point.
In America, the stage was set for the Slade takeover. Polydor were releasing Slade Alive! and promoting the group as a live act. The groups first tour of the US revolved around three weeks of arena dates as 'third on the bill' support playing 20 minute sets.
In America, the stage was set for the Slade takeover. Polydor were releasing Slade Alive! and promoting the group as a live act. The groups first tour of the US revolved around three weeks of arena dates as 'third on the bill' support playing 20 minute sets.
"By the autumn of 1972, we were starting to get a sniff of radio play in the States. We had been releasing records there since day one. Even our Ambrose Slade album Beginnings, had come out there, with the title changed to Ballzy. I have no idea what was wrong with Beginnings. No one ever explained it to us. The cover was totally different too. It had two big balls on it?
I don't think Play It Loud got an American release, but Slade Alive definitely did. It wasn't a big hit, but it caused some waves. It had also got us quite a bit of press and it had done really well in Canada. 'Coz I Luv You' and 'Take Me Bak Home' had both been played a lot by a few big radio stations in the States and Polydor wanted us to go out there to do some promotion. Apart from the fact that we were going to miss the release of 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now', it was a good time for us to go. We had just finished the Take Me Bak Home' tour and done a European tour. But we were determined not to disappear off to America and ignore our British fans. A lot of bands went over there for twelve months. We couldn't afford to do that. We were riding the crest of our career in both Britain and Europe. Plus, we were very much a singles-orientated act, so our fans expected to see us on Top Of The Pops at least every couple of weeks."Noddy Holder: Who's Crazee Now?
"Slade rank with T.Rex in England as hit makers and concert attractions, and they convey much of their in-person excitement on their US debut LP. A rock band in the old fashioned sense, Slade set an aura from the opening, 'Hear Me Calling', to the 'Born To Be Wild' finale, showing equal skill on the melodic 'Darling Be Home Soon'. This could be the set that opens the US market for them."
Billboard, July 29th, 1972
"Coming off their trans-continental hit single, "Take Me Bak 'Ome" Slade really delivers with their dynamite new album, SLADE ALIVE! Pick up the album that's bringing people to their feet all over the world. Slade is outrageous. And so are the sales.
SLADE ALIVE! PD 5506"We defy you to be unmoved... Turn the volume way up...blast yourself into a damn good time."
CASH BOX
"Superhot British group should soon be equally popular in this country."
BILLBOARD
"Slade now find themselves in a position which could be paralel to that of the Rolling Stones in 1964."
MELODY MAKER
"New SLade ('Slade Alive!') is a killer."
Jon Tiven, NEW HAVEN ROCK PRESS
"Guitarist Dave Hill maintains an insane grin on his face while jumping on and off his speaker cabinets and scattering silver confetti around at regular intervals... a natural festival band."
MELODY MAKER
"Going to see Slade is like attending a drunken party. You can see what's happening but you don't believe it."
Julie Webb, NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS
"This is definitely the album of the year... The louder you play it the better it sounds... You'll know in the first three seconds as I did, when I found myself stomping and clapping along with the audience..."
Lilian Roxon, N.Y. SUNDAY NEWS
"Slade... They're fantastic performers and make very good records. They're everything a group should be...Slade...take your choice from rumbustious, rollicking, rowdy, rude, rough."
Mike Chapman & Peter Jones
RECORD MIRROR
"Energy. Flash and fun."
DISC
Slade
Polydor PD 5508
by Jon Tiven
"Despite what you may have heard of 'skinhead rock' or 'Seventies teddies', Slade is exactly the opposite of a gimmick band. You'll not find synthesizers, guillotines, or the like near these four fine fellows, but you will find screaming younguns and loud, raucous rock & roll in the immediate vicinity of any Slade appearance. Having taken England quite by storm, Noddy & James & Donald & David are certain to do the same in America as they're bursting to the hilt, living proof that although pop musicians may peter out and become unreliable, certain astute talent noses are usually consistent in bringing new blood to the brain. The ace cat responsible for Slade's big push is none other than Chas Chandler (of Animals/Hendrix fame, of course), who has recruited Irish O'Duffy as engineer (responsible for the knob twisting on Something Else By The Kinks, Beggar's Banquet, and much of the Immediate Records catalogue) on Slade's new block-busting long player.
Slade Alive! is a true recreation of concern visceral release, possessing much of the spirit of those two other great concert LP's, Rockin' The Fillmore (by the Pie) and Five Live Yardbirds, with none of the phoneybaloney Bangla Desh faked applause; this is the genuine thing from start to finish. I guarantee that it will knock the drawers off many a rock writer from a certain rival Motor City journal, possibly encouraging them to ditch their Black Sabbath/Alice Cooper/J. Geils collections for at least a little while to listen to this gem.
Who would ever guess that one of the best opening tracks on a live disc was written by Alvin Lee, but that's what's been done here. Slade builds Hear Me Callin' with the dynamics and high spark that Ten Years After never had, and continues to break tradition by rocking out with John Sebastian's Darlin' Be Home Soon, (More than slightly tongue 'n cheek, eh wot?) Know Where You Are is one of the finest songs Slade have ever written, and therefore have recorded it on each of their three albums, each time better than the previous effort.
The closing tune is another brain-beater, that standby Born to Be Wild, but with rawness and excitement to completely erase the memory of Steppenwolf’s version in the same way that Humble Pie's rendition of “Desperation” made John Kay's vocal belch obsolete. Slade are the furthest thing from mild that’s come to America in a long while, and this new album stands head and shoulders above any disc Polydor has released in these United States recently. As sure as Dave Cousins is the best finger-picker in Great Britain (he of The Strawberry Hill Boys), Slade is the mutha of the month for September!"
ROLLING STONE OCTOBER 12, 1972
STOP LOOK LISTEN"Coming off their giant two-continent hit single 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now', Slade STOPS everyone wherever they go.SLADE-ALIVE! PD 5508"
According to Allmusic the album peaked at #158 after 11 weeks* in the US chart.
* Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955-1996; p. 717. Published 1997 by Record Research Inc.
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