21 September 1972
If Slade are the Oasis of glam, then with ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’ they seem to be getting their Be Here Now era in early. The substance of choice here, as per the lyrics, may be whiskey, but this tired and tiring trudge is redolent of the most coked-up of rock bands. Normally I love glam riffs, but the one here just seems to irritate me; there’s something at the sub-atomic level in the particular guitar sound on this that jars my vibe. We get to the chorus, which feels like the purpose of the enterprise, but convention requires us to endure that try-hard verse again.
The following calendar year will bring us four number one singles in Ireland by Slade, and goodwill for the two best-known of those, and for this band in general, and for Dave Hill’s haircut, is all that’s stopping me from throwing a shoe at ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’. Teedeeus.
