The Sweet – ‘Teenage Rampage’

14 February 1974

The key information you need in advance for ‘Teenage Rampage’ is that, this time around, Steve Priest’s pre-chorus bit is not camp. I repeat: not camp. Even in the TV appearances, such as the video below, he’s not fluttering his fingers while staring down the camera straight into your there-to-be-corrupted soul. Without that essential weapon from The Sweet’s arsenal, you might as well not bother. This thing bores me.

It being a Chinn & Chapman joint, the vibe is Americanised theatrical rock n’ roll, although at times you may find yourself thinking of Queen’s ‘Killer Queen’, released later that year. (I try never to think of Queen.) The lyrics are excruciating: “revolution” is rhymed with “constitution”, and the would-be call to youthful rebellion of “Recognise your age!” in the chorus arguably means the opposite of what its writers intended, assuming they put any mental candlepower into the words. ‘Teenage Rampage’ is a waste of a fine title and a camp bass player. And just to reiterate: in parts it sounds like Queen. Eeek.