Slade

Man! What an extraordinarily rare occurrence. A bootleg CD that is totally essential. As many Slade fans around the world know, this band had many of their finest moments on 7". Polydor U.K. has a veritable treasure trove of amazing master tapes just waiting to be made into a B-sides collection. Well, they haven't bothered to do it yet, which is where Gospel According to Noddy comes in. Filled to the brim with smash hits and some big misses this collection is well worth seeking out. The disc consists of classic B-sides such as "I'm Mee I'm Now and That's Orl" and "Raining in My Champagne" right alongside the more extremely rare late-'70s singles that were melted down after not selling. In particular, "Rock N Roll Bolero," a single A-side released in 1978, is heard here (by many) for the first time. Queen's Roger Taylor has been known to close shows with this track. Even more amazing is the B-side, "It's All Right By Me," which is unbelievably catchy and just cooks. There's plenty more here too. twenty-three tracks in all make it tough to beat. Only four of these tracks have ever appeared on an album, including the bands biggest hit, "Merry X-Mas Everybody," a certifiable British holiday institution at this point. Clearly this disc was made from the singles themselves, so vinyl noise is there. On the other hand, at this point, ain't no other way to hear these songs. ~ Geoff Ginsberg, All Music Guide