Slik

No matter how much history, and the various bandmembers' subsequent activities, have changed our perception of this mid-'70s teeny bop sensation, Slik remain one of the silliest, not to mention superficial, bands ever to have tickled the fancy of the prepubescent pop crowd. Look, for example, at the album's cover -- '50s style American baseball kit may or may not have been a grand image to project upon a provincial English audience. But whoever came up with the nicknames and slogans daubed across the shirts? Move on to the music, though, and it's a whole new game. "Forever and Ever" was, is, and will always be a classic single, mournful monkish chanting, a ballad that goes bop, the saddest singalong in the weeny pop canon. The knucklehead funk of "Dancerama," the growling energies of "The Kid’s a Punk," and the shocking island skank of "Bom Bom" are a feast of unadulterated pop joy, while a spunky version of the Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved" has more in common with Rockpile than the band's more commonly noted target -- the tartan throne of the Bay City Rollers. Eighteen songs round up more or less the entire Slik catalog, adding a string of singles and B-sides to the album's bodyweight, and it's a pleasure indeed to hear the debut 45 "The Boogiest Band in Town" once again. It was scarcely autobiographical, of course, but it had a kick and a punch that threatened great things, and the rest of their output came close to delivering them. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide