Sweet: 3 Remastered & Expanded CD (1979-1982) [2010, 7T's Records]

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Sweet: 3 Remastered & Expanded CD (1979-1982) [2010, 7T's Records]

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In some ways, the Sweet epitomized all the tacky hubris and garish silliness of the early '70s. Fusing bubblegum melodies with crunching, fuzzy guitars, the band looked a heavy metal band, but were as tame as any pop group. It was a dichotomy that served them well, as they racked up a number of hits in both the U.K. and the U.S. Most of those hits were written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, a pair of British songwriters that had a way with silly, simple, and catchy hooks. Chinn/Chapman and Sweet were smart enough to latch on to the British glam rock fad, building a safer, radio-friendly and teen-oriented version of Queen, T. Rex, and Gary Glitter. By the end of the '70s, the group's time at the top of the charts had expired but their hit singles lived on not only as cultural artifacts, but also as the predecessors for the pop-metal of the '80s.

Originally, the Sweet were called the Sweetshop and consisted of Brian Connolly (vocals), Mick Tucker (vocals, drums), Frank Torpey (guitar), and Steve Priest (bass). In 1970, the group truncated their name to Sweet and signed a record contract with Fontana/EMI, releasing four unsuccessful singles. Following the failure of the four singles, Torpey left the group and was replaced by Andy Scott. The new lineup of Sweet signed to RCA Records in 1971, where they were placed under the direction of songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Chinn and Chapman wrote a number of light bubblegum pop songs for the group, the first of which, "Funny Funny," reached number 13 on the U.K. charts. Following "Funny Funny," the duo wrote five more Top 40 hits for the group – including "Little Willy" and "Wig-Wam Bam" – which were all lightweight bubblegum numbers loaded with double entendres. During this time, Sweet were writing their own B-sides and album tracks. All of the group's compositions were harder than Chinn and Chapman's songs, featuring crunching hard rock guitars. Consequently, the duo decided to write tougher songs for the group. "Blockbuster," the first result of Chinn and Chapman's neo-glam rock approach, was the biggest hit Sweet ever had in the U.K., reaching number one on the charts in early 1973 and eventually going platinum. For the next two years, Sweet continued to chart with Chinn and Chapman compositions, including the Top Ten hits "Hell Raiser," "Ballroom Blitz," "Teenage Rampage," and "The Six Teens."

By the summer of 1974, the members of Sweet had grown tired of the control Chinn and Chapman exerted over their career and decided to record without the duo. The resulting album, Sweet Fanny Adams, reached number 27 in the U.K., but it yielded no hits. In the spring of 1975, Sweet had their first self-penned hit with "Fox on the Run," which reached the Top Ten in both the U.K. and the U.S. "Fox on the Run" appeared on the collection Desolation Boulevard; in America, it's release helped "Ballroom Blitz" reach the Top Ten in the summer of 1975. Strung Up, released in the fall of 1975, continued the group's move toward album-oriented rock. For the rest of the decade, the group continued to churn out albums, which were all less successful than their predecessor. Sweet bounced back into the charts in 1978 with "Love Is Like Oxygen," but the single proved to be their last gasp; they never reached the Top Ten again, neither in the U.S. or the U.K.

Connolly left the band after "Love Is Like Oxygen" and the group replaced him with keyboardist Gary Moberley. The group carried on for three more years, releasing three more albums that all achieved little success. After several years of little success or attention, Sweet broke up in 1982. In the decade following their breakup, Sweet reunited on various occasions. In 1985, a dance club medley of their hits called "It's the Sweet Mix" became a British Top 50 hit and, following the single's success, the group re-formed for a tour that proved to be less anticipated than expected. Later in the decade, Scott toured as part of the group Paddy Goes to Holyhead. In 1989, Scott and Tucker re-formed Sweet to record a live album at London's Marquee Club.

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG

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Sweet: 3 Remastered & Expanded CD (1979-1982) [2010, 7T's Records]

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Sweet: 3 Remastered & Expanded CD (1979-1982) [2010, 7T's Records]

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After recording Level Headed, an album that mostly forsaked their hard rock leanings for pure pop, longtime lead vocalist Brian Connolly left Sweet for good. The rest of the group decided to press on as a trio, combining their pop/rock sound with a variety of other musical styles in a bid to gain a more progressive image. The result was Cut Above the Rest, a bizarre combination of the hard-rocking pop that dominated classic Sweet singles with progressive flights of fancy in a 10cc/Electric Light Orchestra vein, plus a dash of lounge lizard-ish soft rock balladry thrown in to cover all the pop/rock bases. There's no way an album that tries do so many things at once could succeed at all of them, but Cut Above the Rest is a surprisingly listenable affair. When the elements jell, the songs are positively addictive: "Play All Night" is a blistering rocker that contrasts glam rock guitar riffs with candy-coated vocal harmonies worthy of Queen, and "Mother Earth" is an odd but fascinating hybrid of pop hooks and prog instrumental virtuosity that sounds like Electric Light Orchestra collaborating with Manfred Mann's Earth Band. "Eye Games" is another successful experiment, a purely acoustic tune with perceptive and witty lyrics about the dating rituals that take place in nightclubs. On the downside, Cut Above the Rest is weighed down by an unfortunate penchant for melodramatic balladry: the attractive harmonies that light up "Big Apple Waltz" are undone by its sappy romance lyrics, and "Hold Me" is histrionic to the point of being unintentionally funny. Despite these lapses, Cut Above the Rest is a distinctive and memorable outing whose experimental edge and strong craftsmanship make it stand out amongst Sweet's late-'70s output. It is too erratic for the casual listener, but hardcore Sweet fanatics will find plenty enjoy on this album.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

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Sweet: 3 Remastered & Expanded CD (1979-1982) [2010, 7T's Records]

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By the time of 1980's Waters Edge, the Sweet had lost pretty much all of their fan base and had cast aside the experimental edge of their previous record, going back to a more straightforward approach that played to their strength, namely, bashing out memorable pop tunes. They didn't sound much like the Sweet of old, but tracks like "Sixties Man," "At Midnight," "Getting in the Mood for Love," and "Hot Shot Gambler" are hooky, streamlined '80s pop that are surprisingly good. They stack up well next to the artists of the day like ELO (whom they ape convincingly well on "Tell the Truth" here) or Rick Springfield. Fans of the Sweet of "Ballroom Blitz" or "Little Willy" may find this slick, radio-friendly approach somewhat off-putting, but then they always aimed to be radio-friendly. Don't let any preconceived notions let you pass this minor gem by.

by Tim Sendra, AMG

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Sweet: 3 Remastered & Expanded CD (1979-1982) [2010, 7T's Records]

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Identity Crisis is the ninth and final album by Sweet. Originally released only in Germany and Mexico via Polydor Records it was recorded from 1980–81 and finally released after the band's break-up in 1981.

~ wiki