SWEET — Strung Up (review)

Boxset / Compilation · 1975 · Hard Rock

4/5 · 2010-05-29
AtomicCrimsonRush

“Strung Up” was released in 1975 as a double vinyl album by The Sweet to celebrate thier dynamic live performance. The live concert has since been released in many guises on CD, the best being Live at the Rainbow 1973 that is an unedited live triumph, the complete performance is the way to hear this. On “Strung Up” an expurgated version is presented with a live recording of the infamous Rainbow Theatre, London concert performed in December 1973. The second disc was a bunch of studio singles and B sides, along with their newly recorded material.

The live album begins with a very heavy version of ‘Hellraiser’ with Connolly sounding aggressive and out of tune. The guitars crunch relentlessly, Sweet are way heavier live. The crowd sound like screaming seagulls, 90 percent girls you might say, and the next song begins with a weird synth effect, a very obscene version of ‘Burning / Someone Else Will’ that used to bypass my innocent ears at the time. One of my favourites is launched into next, the blistering riffing, ‘Rock'n'Roll Disgrace’ and then a throwaway in ‘Need a Lot of Lovin’' that sounds way better in studio version. Next is the epic guitar blitzkrieg of ‘Done Me Wrong Alright’ my favourite on this. It features a huge lead solo and definitely the best of Andy Scott. I grew to adore every riff and lick on this solo and have never forgotten it. The pace slows and goes to gentle acoustic mode with the appalling sugar sweet harmony driven ‘You're Not Wrong for Loving Me’. Thankfully this saccharine girl magnetism pop dies and we are treated to a scorching version of ‘The Man with the Golden Arm’. The lead riffing is terrific as is Priest’s bassline, but the real star is Mick Tucker’s metrical drumming skill.

There was much more on the live performance but it would not be released in its entirety until 1997. The studio album is fantastic because there are so many singles on this, many of which did not see the light of day apart from the single format. As a teen in the 70s I was delighted to finally get hold of the proper version of ‘Fox on the Run’ and the brilliant ‘Action’ and ‘Blockbuster’. Other wonderful tracks are ‘Set Me Free’, ‘Burn on the Flame’, ‘Solid Gold Brass’ and ‘The Six Teens’, all released on previous albums. There are some rarities on this such as the B sides ‘Miss Demeanour, which is utterly boring, and ‘I Wanna Be Committed’, which is utterly brilliant. In fact this latter track is quite progressive in feel with many structural and time sig changes, and odd effects, gong echoes and a freakout ending. It remains one of my all time favourites and exists solely on this album.

Overall I rate this highly as an album with much to recommend. I feel that “Strung Up” is an outstanding example of The Sweet in their prime, one of their heaviest, one of their best.