The Sweet Featuring "Little Willy" & Blockbuster - 1973
So, Sweet had a hit across the pond. "Little Willy" reached #4 on the US Singles charts, #1 in Canada, #3 US Billboard Hot 100 and was #18 for the year in the US. It was inevitable that that song, along with many other singles would get repackaged for sale.
This is that record.
Bell put it out and it does contain seven tracks that are on the previous albums we covered.
However, there are three that make this collection essential. "Need a Lot of Lovin', a Sweet penned track and two brilliant Chinn and Chapmans: First is the precursor to "Ballroom Blitz", the enormous "Blockbuster" and my favorite Sweet song, one of my favorite songs of all time, "Hell Raiser".
A couple things about Hell Raiser: First off, it was released in 1973. The same year as Rocky Horror Show. I don't know if O'Brien was listening to Sweet or if Chinn and Chapman heard the original songs from the stage show but Hell Raiser came out just before Rocky and they share the same DNA.
Here's the other thing. When my band played our version of Hell Raiser in concert, people would come up to us and ask us what that Motley Crue song was that we did. It was then that I realized the direct relationship between the original glam bands, with makeup and spandex and the 80s glam metal bands, who also wore spandex, makeup but added more hair spray. There's a direct line from Sweet and Rocky Horror to Crue and all the Glam Metal bands of the 80s.
And if you wanna hear our version, it's on our album. Which you can buy here: https://throttlebacksparky.bandcamp.com/
4.5 out of 5
A Side: Little Willy, Wig Wam Bam, Hell Raiser, Blockbuster
BlindSide: New York Connection, Done Me Wrong All Right, You're Not Wrong for Loving Me
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