Sweet
Sweet Fanny Adams

THE REVIEW

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??