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   One of the interesting things about Sweet’s Desolation Boulevard is that the American version is almost a different album from the one released in the U.K. The U.S. edition, released by Capitol in 1975, was created in part because Sweet’s previous album, Sweet Fanny Adams, had never been released in America. So, Capitol essentially took five songs from Sweet Fanny Adams and combined them with selected material from the U.K. Desolation Boulevard, along with the big singles “The Ballroom Blitz” and  a new version of “Fox on the Run.” And it worked, selling over 500, 000 copies and charting two top ten hits here in the States.

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Jeff:  I have always had a soft spot for Sweet’s Desolation Boulevard, especially the American version. Opening with “The Ballroom Blitz” is such a perfect choice because that song grabs you immediately. It is one of those songs that sounds like a party breaking loose the second the drums and guitars kick in. Then you get “The Six-Teens,” “No You Don’t,” and “A.C.D.C.,” which show that Sweet could be much heavier and tougher than their glam-rock image sometimes seen in rock magazines of the time. “No You Don’t” in particular has some great guitar work and a real hard-rock punch. Anyone getting a cassette from me at the time got “I Wanna Be Committed”, there’s something surprisingly catchy about the chorus, and the song has a slightly manic quality that fits the subject perfectly. The second side just keeps on rockin! “Sweet F.A.” is a fantastic heavy rocker, and then “Fox on the Run” comes along with that incredible hook that made it sch a huge hit. Hands down my favorite Sweet song. I also really like “Set Me Free,” which gives Andy Scott a chance to show off some serious guitar muscle. The last two songs, “Into the Night” and “Solid Gold Brass” never really connected with me, always picked up the needle after “Set Me Free”.

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   What I really enjoy about this record is the balance between the catchy pop side of Sweet and the harder rock side. You get the big hooks and harmonies, but underneath all of that is a band with some serious musicianship. Mick Tucker’s drumming is terrific, the guitars have plenty of bite, and Brian Connolly’s voice gives the songs that unmistakable Sweet sound.

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   So even though the American Desolation Boulevard is technically a patched-together album, I still consider it my favorite Sweet album. The production still holds up, I think it sounds great for being recorded in 1973 - 1975! This album gives me the Sweet songs I love to hear, and when I put it on, I’m not thinking about which album each song originally came from. I’m just enjoying Sweet doing what they did best, making catchy, loud, fun rock and roll with enough muscle to keep it from becoming just another glam-pop record. For me, this is Sweet at their best.

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B+

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Mark: Sweet is one of my favorite bands for sure. Their run of albums from Desolation Boulevard onto Waters Edge are dearly ingrained into my teenage years. Desolation Boulevard might be their most liked or maybe well-known of the bunch. And why not? It’s great bunch of melodic, crunchy hard rock tunes that stay with you as you cruise the strip picking up chicks to partying with you best buds at whose ever house their parents left and foolishly trusted their son. With a final farewell they menacingly uttered “No Parties!” Yes Dad of course not you can trust me. Please no judging…

 

   For me this what I think of as a bridge album. Or maybe a rebirth from there early pop singles like: Little Willy to I’m sure a more satisfying direction with tracks like “No You Don’t” "Ballroom Blitz" and the “Six Teens” are written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. The rest of the album are from the band themselves, and are excellent! The first side still maintains the glossier sheen while side B the guitar is way up in the mix. I am so grateful for this. Andy Scott guitar tones are amazing! I know I say that a lot, but this time there can be no doubt. Super fuzzy but tight and heavy hard hitting and slamming. Ahh just in time bassist Steve Priest and drummer Mick Tucker are so synced and punch so hard they’ll knock most the lint from your belly button.  Sorry for the visual! And we can’t forget the voice. Brian Connolly is instantly recognizable. He’s got the hard rock grit and suaveness to get the chicks (man, I got to get off the chicks thing). On a side note, all these guys can pull off the hair bangs thing. I’m mean come on that’s so hard! It’s like Betty Paige and Sweet and maybe Karen Carpenter. That’s it! If you feel inclined to dip your toes into the oh so sweet raging waters of Sweet the band. This is a great place to start. 

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B+

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Kip: My write up for the band Sweet (I will be leaving “The” off their name to further emphasize my being a novice) will be another example of my being almost bereft of knowledge concerning any background of the band. My memory of first hearing them is even faulty. When we discussed them for this posting, my contribution was of first hearing it in the basement of my friend's house. I recalled hearing “Fox on the Run” as part of a novelty song called “Mr. Jaws.” Upon further research, no Sweet song was part of that track, so it must have been part of the stack of singles we would put on his turntable to serve as the backdrop for our full contact nerf basketball games. Whatever my first exposure to the band, it was followed by almost no further listening, as “Fox on the Run” and “Ballroom Blitz” from the radio were the only two songs I knew. Jeff kindly made me a “sampler” CD from most of their albums, and when gifting it to me, commented that he had left a couple of more well known songs off, since I had heard them already. Nope. Our listening to the U.S. Version of Desolation Boulevard  was my first hearing of any of the songs, besides those mentioned above. “The Six Teens” surprised me, as had I not known whom we were listening to, I would have assumed it was an Alice Cooper track or, upon hearing the chorus, a Roger Taylor solo piece, because of the unbelievably high harmony parts. I immediately understood why “No You Don't” is a favorite of Jeff's, as that was a strong rocker, while AC/DC was an immediate favorite of mine, even with it's rather daft lyrics. I must admit that I had committed the error that many people had made with Kiss, of judging them on their appearance without really listening to any songs. I did the same with Sweet. I had seen pictures in the magazines, and lumped them in with other androgynous glam bands from that era without knowing their songs. I remember being appalled at seeing Ritchie Blackmore on stage with them in a pub and being disappointed at him for stooping to their level. Upon hearing their playing, I understood the attraction for him. The rhythm section is absolutely top drawer and the vocals by all four members is stunning at times. The more proggy “Sweet F.A.” is a showcase for those talents and was definitely a favorite for me. It was also interesting hearing the differences sonically from side 1 to side 2, as the album was an amalgamation of the two earlier U.K. Releases. While definitely not in my wheelhouse in terms of genre, I have much more appreciation for the talent and diversity of Sweet. And “Fox on the Run” is in the running with several others for the title of Perfect Pop Song. This was enlightening.

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B

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