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Rating: High boots and stiletto heels, tight and glittery clothes, heavy makeup, and very sixties bangs... This is how the Sweet presented themselves in 1974 when they decided to make a significant shift in their identity and musical label, establishing themselves as one of the most renowned glam groups of all time. The group was born back in 1965 as offspring of an unknown Ian Gillan: they primarily played psychedelic music and R&B. When the vocalist decided to form Episode Six (and later join Deep Purple), drummer Mick Tucker and guitarist Andy Scott brought into the band (along with the article "The"), Brian Connolly on vocals and Steve Priest on bass/vocals... Thus giving birth to the myth.
"Fanny Adams" is by far the hardest and most distinctive album by the Sweet, and it could almost be defined as a gem from another era: its precocity in sounds is truly marked, given the heavy metal lines and the use of early synthesizers.
And it's precisely with "Set Me Free", the quintessential metal track by the Sweet, that Fanny Adams opens: powerful breaks, drum rolls that travel on their own, and distorted guitar serve as an intro to aggressive and captivating singing, immediately followed by powerful and almost lyrical choral sections, and a musical line that doesn't let you catch your breath for a second, providing an unexpected surge of energy... it’s truly one of those pieces approaching the prototype of a perfect song.
The entire album is nonetheless a succession of great emotions and songs worthy of being called such: "Heartbreak Today" is a very loaded piece, accented by well-achieved verses and the incessant phrasing of Scott's guitar... Then moving on to a "No You Don't", which manages to illustrate another evident characteristic of the band, namely the personal and deeply felt interpretation of vocal lines: credit goes to bassist Steve Priest, who often dramatically or sarcastically emphasizes the accents and tone of voice.
Amidst the various masterpieces, there's always room for a moment to catch a breath, like "Peppermint Twist", a simple and raw rock'n'roll, which with its engaging rhythm, the background pachuapapapapachuuaaa, and Cuck Berry's words, always manages to drag the listener along. Transitioning again to a piece with more serious atmospheres, "Sweet F.A." manages to amaze once more during the course of listening: the synthesizers succeed in making the song innovative and mysterious, giving it that spacey touch that fits perfectly. Another great piece worthy of praise is "Into The Night", where a black-sabbath-like resemblance in the vocals is recognizable, while Tucker with the drums continues to perform miracles and Connolly and Priest vocalize sublimely between choirs and lead vocals. And as a closure, the amusing AC/DC, concerning the life of a beautiful bisexual girl: musically it's always well-played, but as a finale, one could indeed expect much more, and it can actually be considered the weakest point of the album.
In short... Fanny Adams is a milestone, which unfortunately is too often forgotten... Perchance because glam is the most prejudiced genre of all??
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Set Me Free (03:58)
Andy Scott
Gagged, ball and chained
Feel just the same
Heads on the wall
Maybe you're just playing games
Set me free
Mauled by a hound
Hangin' around
Is this for real
I don't know when I'll be found
Set me free
Set me free
Set me free - from you
Taken by force
By you of course
Far from my bed
I know I'd rather be dead
Set me free
Set me free
Set me free - from you
Fire in my brain
Burn me insane
Making your mark
Don't leave me here in the dark
Set me free
Call me a saint
That's what I ain't
Inside my head
Maybe I'll feel better dead
Set me free
Set me free
Set me free - from you
04 Rebel Rouser (03:25)
Inside out gonna burn tonight
'Cause the heat is on and the time is right
Who is the face that's gonna set the pace
"I'm a rocker, I'm a roller, I'm an outer space"
Come on, come on, well you come on strong
With my knees all weak from your lightning streak
Like a thunder flash, supersonic crash
He appears, you'll freeze
Knock your head over heels
Allright, allright, allright, allright
Rebel rouser, rebel rouser
High speed king worship everything
'Bout the rebel rouser, rebel rouser
Juvenile jive
Gotta be a rebel rouser �
He got u.v. eyes that can hypnotise
And his sky high lies infra-red disguise
Who is the guy who's gonna catch your eye
"I'm a supersonic racer lasered from the sky"
Look out, look out, when the rebel's out
He can chill your veins, explode your brain
He was born to rule, baby, he's no fool
He was heaven sent, but his soul's hell bent
Allright, allright, allright, allright
Rehel rouser, rebel rouser
High speed king worship everything
'Bout the rebel rouser, rebel rouser
Juvenile jive, gotta be a rebel rouser
Gotta be a rebel rouser �
He's a rebel - he's a rebel...
Allright, allright, allright, allright
Rehel rouser, rebel rouser
High speed king worship everything
'Bout the rebel rouser, rebel rouser
Juvenile jive, gotta be a rebel rouser �
05 Peppermint Twist (03:29)
Joe Dee
Well, gonna do a dance and it goes like this
The name of the dance is the peppermint twist
In a night like this - a peppermint twist
Round and round, up and down
Round and round, up and down
Around and around, and a up and down and a
One, two, three kick, one, two, three go
Well, meet me baby on a Boni'bay Street
The dance where the peppermint twist is me
We wanna learn to do this - the peppermint twist
It's allright, all night
It's allright (allright, allright, allright)
It's okay all day
It's okay (okay, okay, okay)
You wanna learn to do this - the peppermint twist
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah, (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You wanna learn to do this - the peppermint twist
Come on everybody, lay your hands
Ah, you looking good
I'm gonna sing my song and it won't take long
I'm gonna do the twist and it goes like this
Round and round, up and down
Round and round, up and down
Around and around, and a up and down and a
One, two, three kick, one, two, three go
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah, (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I wanna learn to do this - the peppermint twist
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah, (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I wanna learn to do this - the peppermint twist...
07 Restless (04:29)
Connolly/Priest/Scott/Tucker
You know I've tried to cool it
I've been trying to settle down
But when I think I'm made it
It drives me crazy
Well, I'm staying on the wild side
Always hit the higher ground
Nothing I do
Could amaze me
I'm so restless, so restless
You know it's too late now
Too late now, too late now
Too late now...
Well I've always been outrageous
But a change has gotta come
Making up my mind
Was never easy
I was born to late to love you
The day will never come
It's love that I need
So don't tease me
I'm so restless, so restless
You know it's too late now
Too late now, too late now
Too late now...
I'm so restless, so restless
I gotta say it's too late now
Too late now, too late now
Too late now...
I gotta say ya too late now
Too late now, too late now
Too late now...
10 Teenage Rampage (03:36)
We want Sweet!
We want Sweet!
We want Sweet!
All over the land the kids have finally started to get the upper hand
They're out on the streets they turn on the heat and soon they could be completely in command
Imagine the sensation of Teenage occupation
At thirteen they'll be learning and at fourteen they'll be burning
But there's something in the air of which we all will be aware
But they don't care! No! No! No! No! So!
Come and join the revolution, get yourself a constitution
And join the revolution now!
And recognise your age, it's a teenage rampage.
Turn another page on the teenage rampage now!
So recognise your age, it's a teenage rampage.
Turn another page on the teenage rampage now (now, now, now...)!
They're getting it on, ain't doing it wrong, and they're gonna do it, it won't be long.
They've gotta be heard, they've got the word they really belong
And now they're coming on strong.
Imagine the formation of teenage legislation
At thirteen they were fooling but at sixteen they'll be ruling
And there's something in the air of which we all will be aware
But they don't care! No! No! No! No! So!
Come and join the revolution, get yourself a constitution
And join the revolution now!
And recognise your age, it's a teenage rampage.
Turn another page on the teenage rampage now!
So recognise your age, it's a teenage rampage.
Turn another page on the teenage rampage now (now, now, now...)!
There's something in the air of which we all will be aware
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so!
Come join the revolution, get yourself a constitution
And join the revolution now!
And recognise your age, it's a teenage rampage.
Turn another page on the teenage rampage now!
So recognise your age, it's a teenage rampage.
Turn another page on the teenage rampage now (now, now, now)!
Recognise your age, it's a teenage rampage now (We Want Sweet!)
And recognise your age, it's a teenage rampage now (now...now...now...now...now...now...now...now...now......)
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