Slade Smashes!
| Slade Smashes | ||||
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| Compilation album by Slade | ||||
| Released | 1 November 1980 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Slade | |||
| Slade chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Sounds | |
| Record Mirror | |
Slade Smashes was a compilation album by the British glam/hard rock group Slade. It was released 1 November 1980 and reached number 21 on the UK charts.
The album was issued in the wake of the band's new-found success following their appearance at the annual Reading Festival, filling in for Ozzy Osbourne. The album featured most of the band's big hits from their early and mid 1970s heyday in the UK as well as less successful tracks from the band's "down period" in the late 1970s. This collection, alongside the band's subsequent release We'll Bring the House Down, further cemented Slade's comeback in the UK and Europe (and shortly afterwards, newfound success in the United States).
The compilation was created by Polydor and did not feature much input from the actual band. According to the Slade January–February 1981 fan club magazine, Polydor spent £250,000 on promotion for the compilation.
The album was certified UK Gold by BPI in December 1980, selling 200,000 copies.
In a 1980 fan club interview, Noddy Holder was asked why Polydor were releasing a compilation now. He said:
It's not been the Reading Festival that has prompted the release of the Hits album – they had already made plans to release the album before we decided to do the show.
In a November 1980 Sounds magazine interview, Holder was asked if he was at all depressed at this preoccupation with past glories. He replied:
Depressed? No. This compilation will be great for the fans, a chance to get all the hits on one record. But we don't relate to them in the same way any more, the way we play them now is bugger all like the records anyway.
The album was released because all Slade's singles were deleted except for "Merry Xmas Everybody".
Some songs on the album were slightly remixed in the studio to give a more "1980's feel".
In December 1984, guitarist Dave Hill had sold his personal UK Gold Disc award for 250,000 sales of "Slade Smashes!" for charity, which sold for a total of £385 at the time. This was shown on the UK show Saturday Starship.
Upon release, Record Mirror wrote "People keep telling me there's a Slade revival going on, but it's hard not to laugh. It's more than interesting to watch those who've seen them live attempt to convert those who keep their look of bemusement and incredulity intact during the discourse. It's also funny to watch the curious become fervent disciples whose faces light up at the mention of Slade. They're the ones who stumble across the truth, via the experience, that there is no Slade revival. The word revival always implies that the band were redundant for a period between their 'hey-day' and their current 'resurgence' but Slade have remained constant throughout. They slogged up and down the toilets and flea-pits of this country for five years before their first hit 'Get Down And Get With It' gave everybody the opportunity to realise that they are one of the best live attractions in this land. Their aggressive, energetic and enthusiastic stage show was successfully translated into a string of raucous singles that celebrated the mythical rock 'n' roll spirit with a vengeance. Songs like 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now', 'Cum on Feel The Noize', 'Take Me Bak 'ome', 'Gudbuy T' Jane' and the others contained on this 20 track precis of the time when Slade and the record buying public connected are the best reminders of the power some felt and others ignored. Those who have realised the power of Slade will already have the majority of the songs on this collection. Those who have only recently caught up with the fact that Slade have remained constant and those that have reconnected with a fundamental lynch-pin of that mess we call rock 'n' roll will find this set a useful but ultimately unsatisfying reminder of the joy and exuberance of the Birmingham quartet of Noddy, Jimmy, Don and Dave. Those who have yet to find out had better start here and then grasp the opportunity to 'feel the noize' at the first chance."
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