Old New Borrowed And Blue

Slade are now known as the missing link between the Beatles and Oasis. This 1974 effort is the pick of their early albums: Noddy Holder’s girder-munching vocals are spread evenly between Black Country rock (Just A Little Bit), Macca-styled ballads (the hit Everyday), and the odd music-hall blunder. This is joyous, unshackled and unpretentious stuff that reminds you how they rattled off six No 1s. [Bob Stanley - The Times]

The sleeve notes written by Dave Ling are informative and amusing and more importantly the sound quality is exceptional particularly when the volume is cranked up high something that is always a consideration when playing Slade albums. [rockahead.net]

At last the Wolverhampton boys get a decent overhaul. [4/5, Jez Burr - bbc.co.uk/nottingham]

Each of these reissues is generously bolstered by B-sides never previously issued on CD, the best of which has to be the ONB&B bonus of Kill ‘Em At The Hot Club Tonite; Nod and Jim airing their perhaps surprising fondness for the jazz stylings of Stephane Grapelli! That’s the thing about Slade: the sheer force and bombast of the hits has, in many ways, blinded listeners to their other myriad joys. They could have been an altogether different prospect once they’d unlaced the big boots. [4 stars, Terry Staunton - Record Collector]