Sorry, this is long overdue...

Radcliffe’s ye olde glam mix review

Let me preface this all with the fact that when it comes to making comparisons among artists, I truly suck at it, so you’ll have to forgive me for being naïve and uninformed on some of this.

roxy music - remake/remodel
well, roxy in the early days certainly showed a bit of gender-bending, and I'd never really paid attention to the lyrics of this song. References to the "sweetest queen" certainly conjures images of drag queens. What does CPL593H reference? Overall a good song, but not necessarily the best thing I've heard from Roxy.

t. rex - sunken rags
I'd never heard this song before, but typical Bolan with a nice, rhythmic motion to the song.

suzi quatro - 48 crash
well, what can I say? It makes me want to put on tight leather pants and push boys around. Her voice is a bit tinny and whiny compared to someone like Joan Jett, but I actually prefer that. If I wanted to hear a girl growl like a guy, I'd listen to a guy. I can't say for sure since I wasn't cognizant of her music in her heyday, but I don't think she got the props she deserved. I like this one a lot.

the sweet - hellraiser
I told Rads before that I remember reading in that damned Motley Crue biography that they derived a lot of inspiration from the Sweet. I can actually hear it, but Motley bastardized it, and not in a good way. This is quite the rocker, and I turn this one up loud in the car.

alice cooper - under my wheels
I find it remarkable that Alice was considered "scary" back in his day compared to today's standards, but it doesn't change that fact that I too thought he was weird as a youngster. The thing about guys who "look scary" is that their music usually isn't, which is unfortunate, if the exterior is a deterrent for digging deeper. I don't know a ton of AC songs except "I'm Eighteen" and "No More Mister Nice Guy." This one's a nice one, full of aggro.

be bop deluxe - panic in the world
had never heard of this band before. This is a good one. Sounds ahead of its time, but I'm not sure when it was recorded. I wouldn’t necessarily have lumped them into the glam sound. Guess I wasn't too knowledgeable on what glam encompassed.

cockney rebel - psychomodo
not real familiar with their music, although I'd heard of them before. I really dig this track though. This sounds like what a lot of “new wave” bands tried to achieve in the early 80s.

the new york dolls – who are the mystery girls?
Well, I must admit, I was quite ashamed to not know very many Dolls songs, considering they’ve had a huge influence on many of the bands I like. Of course, one can’t get over the fact that they are some butt-ugly men in drag, but the music speaks for itself. Again, because I’m not real familiar with the genre in general (aside from Bowie and maybe T. Rex), I’m finding a lot of songs that have an almost retro/fifties sound, and this one is included. I dig.

slade – mama weer all crazee now
Well, of course, this is one of the few songs I’d actually heard (we won’t mention that hideous Quiet Riot cover or even claim to have heard it, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought). This song makes me think that the lead singer’s throat must have been raw after singing this song. Good.

sensational alex harvey band – last of the teenage idols parts 1-3
This is almost like a stage musical of a song. It’s almost a bit too over the top for me.

roy wood – rock down low
this sounds like a real down and dirty rocker… I’m sensing that vibe throughout the mix actually. Is that what you were trying to achieve? Weird hearing strings come up in the middle of the song, but hey, improvisation and creativity is appreciated.

the winkies – trust in dick
I really like this song! Actually when I first heard it, I thought the lead singer sounded a lot like Pete Townshend. Is that a fair assessment?

artful dodger – honor among thieves
I think Rads even said that he wasn’t sure if this song belonged. I dunno, it kinda fits with the rest of the vibe. Still has that gritty rock’n’roll sound. I don’t find this song to be particularly remarkable though.

doctors of madness – waitings
Again with the weird retro sound…at least to me. Almost hear a bit of a punk vibe at least with the rhythm and cadence of the song. I’m a sucker for a killer solo bassline though, so color me impressed.

the faces – you’re so rude
oh, I like this one. Very cheeky. Very teenager. Very naughty.

mott the hoople – i wish i was your mother
Again, another artist I *should* know more about, but don’t. Clearly I could draw comparisons to Bowie’s sound, but perhaps it should be the other way ‘round? I don’t know who came first. I really like the sentiment of this song too.

blue oyster cult – dominance and submission
I had no idea BOC would be considered part of the glam genre. I was talking with a co-worker about this song (co-worker is around 50ish), and he said he remembered cranking this song with his housemates when he was in college, and how all the neighbors were afraid of them. I don’t know much about BOC, but perhaps I should delve a bit further.

the tubes – white punks on dope
Another band that totally changed their sound once the 80s rolled around. I remember hearing this one before though. Wild abandon. Again, this sounds like something Bowie would have recorded. I dig.

mott the hoople with david bowie – all the young dude
An all-time favorite of mine. Perfect ending for the cd.


Overall, I found this to be a very ambitious, intriguing and informative assemblage, even if I do feel rather ignorant not having known most of it. But then again, that was the point of the mix, to educate me. Excellent… thanks, Rads.

Thanks for the review! Lots to react to...


I'm pretty sure CPL593H is a reference to a car's license plate. Don't know if it has any further significance.

Yeh - she pretty much scuttled her cred by A) doing the Leather Tuscadero thing and B) releasing that duet with Rex Smith. I hope the immediate cash was worth it to her.


Oh definitely - Be Bop Deluxe were part of the glam scene. Exhibit A:

[img][275:205]http://www.bobbyshred.com/images/Glam.jpg[/img]

Although this song came a couple years later ('76, I think) than that pic. Be Bop Deluxe were led by Bill Nelson, who you may have noticed getting pimped big time by mcaputo in the Best Album of the Year threads. The guy is an overlooked genius.


That updating of straight '50s rock'n'roll is what glam had in common with early punk. It's a very similar set of influences, and not surprising that punk followed so soon after the expiration of the glam scene.


Those Quiet Riot covers still sting. Noddy Holder should've been a household name just on the basis of that crazy-ass voice.


Yeh, SAHB has a tendency to go over the top. Way over. They were the most theatrical of the Brit scene (and also, along with Slade and Mott The Hoople, the most working class). You should hear their version of Jacques Brel's "Next" for over the top.


We're both benificiaries of PopTodd's generosity with this one. It's from the Boulders album - and, yeh, down and dirty is an apt description. From my experience, most of the early '70s glam scene was way more down 'n' dirty than the gender bending dress sense would lead you to believe.


Sure, I can hear that. The Winkies were Brian Eno's back-up band for his aborted Here Come The Warm Jets tour.


I put this on pretty much every '70s mix I make, and I'll keep doing it until I make another fan for Artful Dodger.


A lot of people will argue that the Faces don't belong on a glam mix, but they'd be wrong.


Quick history: Mott the Hoople started out as a dirty, denim-clad bunch of working class punks back in '69, and Bowie saw them as a British example of the "real rock 'n' roll" he was trying to emulate at the time (also evidenced by his aping of Lou Reed) - but by '71 the band was ready to call it quits. Bowie saved them, more or less, by pushing them into the new glam trend. He presented them two songs for their new album (the VU's "Sweet Jane", which was still fairly obscure, and "Suffragette City" - but Mott the Hoople turned down "Suffragette City" and held out instead for a song called "All The Young Dudes"). The song was a UK hit - and Mott the Hoople, somewhat reluctantly and complaining all the way, became known as a glam band.


Another band that isn't thought of as glam these days, but back in the day there was no argument about it. Their first 3 (generously 4) albums are all pretty great. Some of it hasn't dated all that well, but a lot of it stands up. They also featured a young Patti Smith as a lyricist back in those days, which might account for titles like "Quicklime Girl (Mistress of the Salmon Salt)".


That's the original Bowie guide track vocal on there. It's from the Mott boxset.

Again, thanks for taking the time to jot down your thoughts and reactions. It was great to read!

Still haven't given the proper "sit down and listen completely" focus to the Dolls/Brats cd, but soon. That's the horrible thing about obner... there's too much music to be shared and not enough time to absorb it all. But I'm not complaining...

An interesting aside, Radio Birdman lifted the title "Radios Appear" from the refrain in "Dominance and Submission". Birdman was aces, not glam, but aces nonetheless.

This mix is dynamite, btw. Nicely done.