Theez geezers rok. They rok ‘ard an’ no mistake. They don’t go in fer any of that intullek-shoe-ul stuff and play really lawd wif nuffin’ ta git in the way — Nuffin’ extra or fanzy just’ rok, and I loike it loike that an’ think Slade ar grate: Trooly, drooly grate. They carry a toon sumetimez an’ there’s nuthin’ but a big ol’ boot stomp an’ clappin’ to carry it along and you can scream along if ya loike. They raize the raftuhs wif their spirited barbearean soul chantz, coz our Noddy ‘Older’s gotta set of pipes to dwarf any katheedrawl organ wif a big sole ‘oller. When ‘e “warms up” for “Get Down With It” ya know it’s a pisstake and a ‘arf as he immediately letz looze wif a fear-row-shus bellowing mad instrukshuns to rok like a hyperthyroid pirate cap’n barkin’ orders to jib the jive boom n’all that to make you fergit Daltree’s cauter-isin’/wailin’ on “Won’t Git Fooled Agen” …in other wordz, strate from the bollox. Aboot as much bollox as it took Dave Hill to sport an ‘aircut of such klass to match his 6‑string assalt. Jim Lea’s bass runz zoom to clear your lower intestinz with a bottom string bass zoom like “19th Nervus Brakedun” only he dos it frew the ‘OLE bluddy song, mate. Ta! And Cheerz, Jim: you geezers weren’t pub rok, you didn’t care even ‘arf as much as that and ya only wanted to rok so ya did. Who carez if this plattur woz recorded in sum studio wif some ‘angers on leapin’ an’ bellowin’ aboot, gittin’ there kickz all ovuh the place? They made it the best rok’n’rol show, anyroad: they slit up ‘Born To Be Wild” up a treet an’ it’s far and away the best vershun I ever did here. It roks roight brootal, loike. And Slade Rools, OK?!! And if they don’t they did and shuld cos they know what it’s all about and serve up a ram-bunk-shus din to get yer blud movin’, kleer yer head an’ mov yer bod.

Ten Yearz After also get axed here with as the openin’ barnstormer is “Heer Me Calling” (from “Stoned’enge”) an’ it’s luvvly thing to here somebody drag THAT awld carcass outta the sooperstar pit and hurl it against the booted lejuns of Slade as a ton of clappin’, hootin’ idjuts –who are in fact ‘arf the song when Jim carries the song on bass alone – in a glooreeus wave of unity in th’ moment. “In Loike A Shot From My Gun” is just like the title sez, and it’s a WONDERFUL strate up raver wif nowhere to go. Perfect. They even got the ‘eart to cool off all tearful loike with Johnnie Sebasshun’s “Darlin’ Bee ‘Ome Soon” from that ancient soundtrack “You’re A Big Boy Now” and wind up beltin’ it out for the second ‘arf in caze sum of ya git too misty-eyed…An’ if you take Slade’s advize wif their heartening “Know Who You Are” you’ll never git lost, ever. And side two’s a whallopin’ stash of mindless barnstormin’ clash: onetwofree they lay ya flat out with “Keep On Rokkin’” and “Git Down Wif It” and “Born To Be Wild.” Pow! Crash! Bang! Whallop!…Chekk yer brane at the door cuz this is a roight screamer, this side. I play it loud cuz I know they meant it to, an’ who am I to argue with jeenyuses, I ask ya?

“Ballzy” woz the name of one of there first records, and ballzy is wot Slade dun are ‘ere too: They do Lil’ Richurd roight proud and wiffout no peeano cos it wuld just get in the way and beesizes Dave and Noddy clash an’ storm it up real gud on the gitarz. An’ thoz bootz were made fer stompin’ up a storm squire so look lively, keep it fun and grab yer partner and let it all go coz there’s no better way to kick up sum noize and boot yer trubblez strate in the bollox. An’ Slade were The Sweet meets a future Ay-cee/Dee-cee but wif ‘art the chords of either and twize the energy of both so natch they weren’t too shabby in the ezzooburanze dept. And “Slade Alive!” is all that, kiddies — Ruff’n’reddy (an’ I don’t mean ‘Elen), stripped down and loike I said befor: ballzy. An’ these geezers rok so wave gudbuy t’ yer brane, let yer hair hang wayyyy down an’…GITDOWNANDGITWIFIT…!

Theze raverz woz just too early — but roight in the nick of time al’ the same.