Description
Reduced price due to a ding in lower right corner and cover being vg+
Rare Norwegian 1976 pressing with printed innersleeve
Nobodys Fools has some really great songs on it, but all things considered it was the band’s worst album at that point (at least under the name Slade). Basically misguided from the get-go, Nobody’s Fools is constantly trying to free itself from the oppressive production and arrangements. Slade had been living in the U.S.A. for a couple of years at this point. Their mega-success everywhere else in the world was never duplicated in the U.S. While they were here and trying to figure out how to crack the American market, someone came up with the brilliant idea of making a record with a California sound. Unfortunately, not meaning Montrose or the Flamin Groovies — that would’ve been cool. No, this means the dreaded Eagles and Jackson Browne. Many of the numbers on this record are loaded with Dobros, mandos, and female background vocals, and, frankly, it just doesn’t work. As was stated before, the album does have some really strong material (though not as consistent as usual). The title track is excellent, but marred by a bad arrangement. Do The Dirty is a foot-stomping rocker with a little funkiness thrown in for good measure. The album’s best track is Get On Up, which has an absolutely brutal riff. Check out the version on Slade Alive II if you want the straight-up version. Scratch My Back is pure Slade, even with the out of place arrangement. And Lets Call It Quits is a real screamer where Noddy Holder coughs up a great vocal. Ironically, the band was really hitting its stride as a seasoned live act, but that didn’t matter much, since this album accelerated the drift toward irrelevancy. The world would again awake to the power of a rock n roll good time, but it would take several years. For the fan, this album is worth it for several of the tunes. For the uninitiated, skip this one — all in all, it’s not one of their best.
Track list:
1. Nobodys Fool
2. Do The Dirty
3. Lets Call It Quits
4. Pack Up Your Troubles
5. In For A Penny
6. Get On Up
7. L.A. Jinx
8. Did Ya Mama Ever Tell Ya
9. Scratch My Back
10. Im A Talker
11. All The World Is A Stage