First up is "How D'you Ride". The titles of Slade songs reflect British slang, a very interesting and unique characteristic of the band. The song is loud and in your face, showing the great racket the band made. The song is a decent introduction to the band, but fairly short and lyrically limited, not a stand-out for me. Next is "The Whole World's Goin Crazee". A great boogie, the song is very characteristic of the glam era, but with much more balls and power. Slade took glam rock and turned everything up to 11. Singer Noddy Holder sounds great on the album, but the power of his voice is really apparent on this track. Holder sounds like a more ragged version of his peer Brian Connolly from Sweet. A great rock voice, but definitely a bit too gravelly at times. In any case, a good track, it picks up the album into full-on rock mode.
"Look At Last Nite" slows down the action. Very bass-heavy, the song seems to be about someone looking for a bit too much attention in the wrong ways. The bass-lines are very good, with bassist/keyboard player Jim Lea providing some very hypnotic bass work. A decent track, but much slower and more introspective than the party songs that Slade is most famous for. "I Won't Let It 'Appen Agen" is a fairly cryptic song about what seems to be being mistreated by rock's archetypical evil woman. Very short like most songs on the album, but a interesting grove and dark lyrics make for an interesting song. "Move Over" closes the album, and it is a true gem. Very loud and over-driven, the raw, almost punk-like song has a great bluesy vocal from Holder. That was the great thing about Slade, they really did have one foot in the past, and one in the present. Their songs drew on early rock and roll, but also helped inspire punk and metal by turning up the tempo and distortion, a highly influential sound. "Move Over" is a great track, one of my favorite on the album.
Side 2(you gotta listen to Slade on vinyl, c'mon) begins with "Gudbuy T'Jane". A T-Rex style romper, the song represents Slade perfectly. An upbeat guitar riff and tinkling piano atop a solid, chugging rhythm section is the perfect mix for Holder's vocals. Very catchy, the song was a fairly big hit for the immensely successful band. A classic early 1970's tune. "Gudbuy Gudbuy" is a pretty heavy song. A heavy-metal riff drives along the song, with Holder basically telling a woman to get lost. Very pissed off, I especially enjoy drummer Don Powell's kit bashing, a bloody good romp on the skins. "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" was famously covered by Quiet Riot in the 1980s. The original has more analog warmth and kick, but I do like both versions. A smashing tune, the song is pure rock and roll in its most unadulterated form.
"I Don' Mind" slows down the album a bit. A nice groove of a riff provides a funkier side of Slade. Like Pink Floyd through a Marshall stack, the song is incredibly loud, causing my speakers to crack and hiss. Holder sounds great on the track, imitated by many, but there is no substitute. A great rock voice. The album closes with "Let The Good Times Roll". A party anthem, the song is enjoyable enough, but not exactly an amazing songwriting feat, a fairly basic rocker.
"Slayed?" is a great album. A tad overrated in my opinion, but it is chock full of rock classics. Any fan of classic rock owes it to themselves to listen to this album in any capacity.
Rating-8.5/10
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