When Slade left the UK to seek fame and fortune in America, it was a move slightly less successful than New Pepsi. A spell in the wilderness followed and was a period only broken when the band stepped in as last minute replacements for Ozzy at 1980 Reading Rock festival. That proved to be a triumphant (and surprise) return that won Slade a whole new audience. Now armed with a heavier, muscular sound, the band started to rebuild their reputation as one of Britain’s best bands, and with their tenth album, Till Deaf Do Us Part, their stature was set in stone.

Opening track, ‘Rock And Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I’m On Fire)’ finds Noddy Holder preaching from his pulpit, rolling his tongue and welcoming us to the church of rock and roll. It is a persona that suits him very well and makes for the perfect introduction. After the success of previous album (1981’s We’ll Bring The House Down), Till Deaf Do Us Part (also released in ’81) found the band toughening up even more and heading in a heavy metal direction. Noddy’s and Dave Hill’s guitar work would seem out of place on AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock, and with his lovely throaty rasp it’s perhaps unsurprising that Noddy was one of the lead candidates to replace Bon Scott, but on the strength of this album, he was right to stick with Slade.

To call Slade revitalised would be something of an understatement. The riff that powers ‘Lock Up Your Daughters’ (a UK Top 30 hit) is the stuff that rock n’ roll dreams are made of and proved the band hadn’t lost the knack of writing catchy tunes, and that’s precisely what stitches this album together. It unleashes banger after banger that almost trip over themselves in a race to tumble out of your speakers; ballsy rock music rarely comes better than the majestic title-track, ‘Ruby Red’ is a certified stomper while ‘She Brings Out The Devil In Me’ totally smokes the opposition. In fact, it is not until we hit the seventh cut the bluesy interlude ‘M’Hat M’Coat’ that the listener is given a breather, of sorts, but it is soon back to the rock action with ’It’s Your Body Not Your Mind’.

After the failure of the ‘Knuckle Sandwich Nancy’ single (a sure fire hit, certainly), Slade parted ways with long term manager/producer Chas Chandler and opted to produce this record themselves. That could have been a recipe for disaster, yet it has worked out rather well. The band have given this album “needles-in-the-red” type vibe that places the band centre stage, and for a record as hard as this, that was a wise move. Despite its relative failure, ‘Knuckle Sandwich Nancy’ packs a real punch (pun intended) and only serves to highlight the folly of the record buying public. Yet, living up to its title, Till Deaf Do Us Part is a loud album that places emphasis on volume, and those who really mattered (i.e. the denim and leather brigade) knew the score.

Their first album of original material since their appearance at Reading Rocks, Till Deaf Do Us Part marked a welcome return to form. Slade would release another strong album in 1983 titled The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome (reviewed here), but if you want to experience their glorious rebirth, it’s right here.

• Till Deaf Do Us Part is released via BMG on 23rd February 2024.
• Official Website

Track List:

Vinyl Version:

Side A:

1. Rock And Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I’m On Fire)
2. Lock Up Your Daughters
3. Till Deaf Do Us Part
4. Ruby Red
5. She Brings Out The Devil In Me

Side B:

6. A Night To Remember
7. M’Hat M’Coat
8. It’s Your Body Not Your Mind
9. Let The Rock Out Of Control
10. That Was No Lady That Was My Wife
11. Knuckle Sandwich Mary
12. Till Deaf Resurrected

CD Version:

As vinyl, tracks 1 through 12.