Sweet - Level Headed - 1978
If you've been listening to Sweet or The Sweet since the late 60s you wouldn't be surprised by the California Rock by way of Zeppelin opening of this record.
If, instead, you came to them from the Glam of Ballroom Blitz you would think...what in the fresh hell is this soft rock MOR sound?
You are right on both counts. This is Sweet sounding like the real Sweet they always wanted to be. Not the vessel for bubbleglam they would cut their teeth on.
This record contains one of their biggest hits, "Love Is Like Oxygen", a staple of classic rock radio. But here it's a nearly 7 minute opus that closely resembles earlier, Chinn and Chapman songs if they were squeezed through a prog rock wringer. And that's what makes it great.
This is the last time the full band would record together. Brian Connolly would leave and that would be it for this strangely inspiration band that is too often derided. It's not the end of Sweet, though. Not by a long shot.
ASide: Love Is Like Oxygen
BlindSide: Silverbird, Anthem No. I (Lady Of The Lake), Air On 'A' Tape Loop
DownSide: Dream On
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