Description

Sweet will always be remembered as a glam rock band, no more, no less. Yes the group enjoyed huge success in the early to mid-70s, but there was always a classic hard rock band trying to get out. Indeed some of Sweet's best material, particularly their LP output, was written "after they were famous".

"Cut Above The Rest"("CATR") came out in September 1979 over 19 months after Sweet's last album "Level Headed" whose hit single "Love Is Like Oxygen" should have seen the band re-invent themselves as classic rock gods.For some inexplicable reason "Love Is Like Oxygen" was not followed up in the UKmore… with another single from "Level Headed". There were potential singles aplenty on "Level Headed", but the band's management or record company saw fit to commit commercial suicide and the impetus was lost.Throw in the ever so slight problem of lead singer Brian Connolly leaving the band (sadly his voice was wrecked through his well documented drink and drug problems)it was no surprise that the music press and radio ignored "CATR".

Despite mediocre reviews at the time "CATR" could easily have been a "classic" rock album, but in 1979 the music press had already dismissed Sweet as "has-beens", their teenybop fans had deserted them and the majority of the supposedly "cool" hard rock fraternity were too worried about their credibility to admit that this album was, actually, rather good !

"Call Me" and the lush ballad "Big Apple Waltz" were the obvious single releases, but both failed to re-establish Sweet in the UK charts. The guitar dominated rock cut "Play All Night", a fans' favourite, or "Mother Earth" (potentially the band's "Stairway To Heaven" or "Bohemian Rhapsody" - I kid you not) would have been bolder steps to release as 45s and may just have tipped the balance in Sweet's favour.

All 3 band members handle lead vocals and backing vocals superbly and each song is well crafted with Andy Scott's guitar breaks taking his playing into another stratosphere.

If you buy this excellently re-mastered CD expecting a "Wig Wam Bam" or a "Ballroom Blitz" you may be disappointed, but Sweet's songs like "Dorian Gray" or "Stay With Me" have enough power and melody to keep any hard rock fan happy.

If you're still not convinced "hard rock" friends and associates over the years have always enquired, if I've played them "Cut Above The Rest",'who is this band' and were/ are always surprised by the answer................!!!

Tracks

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Info:

Category:

Music > Albums

Case Type:

CD

Release Type:

Retail

Comments:

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Cover Info:

Title:

Sweet - Cut Above The Rest (2010) Retail CD

Part:

CD

Dimensions:

1426 x 1400 px

Size:

731 KB

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Report a Problem Wrong Cover Duplicate Image Bad Quality Wrong Info

23/06/10 by pontiacc

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