Certif1ed Rock and Roll album par excellence - to get any better than this you had to wait a year or two for The Sweet's "Fanny Adams".

Driving it all is that "Whoompah-Doompah" Glam Rock beat, and Noddy's unique and highly distinctive voice is absolutely at it's peak here, dripping with excitement, and, conversely, sounding almost exactly like Suzi Quatro on the incendiary "The Whole World's Goin' Crazee".

The album romps through several stylistic changes - this isn't just a bunch of similar sounding songs, there's real variety within the Slade remit.

The somewhat melancholy "Look at Last Nite", reflects during the morning after the Nite before, with sumptuous harmonies and tasty bass runs, then "I Won't Let It 'Appen Agen" packs an exciting melody, predicting some of the songs on The Scorpions' mighty "Virgin Killers".

Rounding off side 1 is a cover of the Janis Joplin song "Move Over", which Slade completely own, while staying faithful to the original - Holder's voice is probably the only male voice in history which could follow on from Janis, although he doesn't quite get the same spine-tingling factor she had, this is a killer cover with crashing goodness. Play the two back to back - it's amazing how great they both sound.

Flipping the vinyl over, the mayhem continues. "Gudbuy t'Jane" and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" are two of Slade's biggest hits - the former a lightweight rocker, and the latter a drop-tuned, barnstormin' classic. Sandwiched between these chart toppers is the stompin classic that never was, "Gudbuy, Gudbuy".

The more alert among listeners will have noted the deliberately mis-spelled song titles, a practice which was widely adopted among NWoBHMers and Glam Metallers in later years. It's worth noting, especially in tracks as heavy as "Gudbuy, Gudbuy" that Slade's influence went far beyond the interesting naming conventions.

The final Slade original on the album, "I Don' Mind" is a down tempo throbber, reminiscent of early Priest.

Rounding things off is a blitzing cover of "Let The Good Times Roll" - again, you'd be forgiven for thinking this was a Slade orginal, as it gets the complete assimilation treatment. The guys really kick some ass on this one.

Slayed? is a tremendous album, bridging the gap between hard rock and metal, with a boot firmly planted in each camp - but the main focus is on letting the good times roll rather than contemplating anything of a serious nature, hence my marking is "Great, but not essential".

Certif1ed This is a great album.

It reveals more with subsequent listens, rewarding the listener with arrangements and performances of surprising quality and rock-ness.

It gets better the louder you play it - true to the title, and the more time and patience you give it, the more it gives back, like a kind of musical buddy.

The metallic moments are few and far between, hence the rating - for itself, I'd give it a solid 4 or even 4 and a half stars. It's not quite a masterpiece, as there's nothing that I could comfortably describe as outstanding. It is an enjoyable and reasonably raucous romp in rock, Holder's distinctive larynx qualities and occasional towers of "crunch" being the main attractions here.

"Raven" has moments of pure power that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stick up, causing a draught down the back of your T-Shirt. It also has moments of pub-band silliness, and irritating chickin-pickin-ness - but it's a great intro to the Spinal Tapness of "See Us Here", a bass-driven crunch fest.

Holder's voice really impresses here, like he's screaming through a truckload of gravel - and there are some tingly vocal harmonies in the chorus among other sumptuous arrangement details.

"Dapple Rose" is the first of many highlights - a ballad that turns and twists through various Beatles stylings. The violin solo could be lost, but otherwise, the arrangement is superb, as the violin works better in it's counter-melody setting.

It's back to the R-O-C-K for "Could I", a twisted stomper, like a Turbocharged Beatles number bent around a sledgehammer.

The album flows well into "One Way Hotel", which has a load more original twists among the Beatles cues and bluesy passages - and hints somehow at David Bowie's later Glam albums.

"Shape Of Things To Come" is the song from the film "Wild in the Streets", originally from the album of the same name by fictional rock band Max Frost and The Troopers. The song was later released by Dave Allen and The Arrows - Allen getting much credit for being the missing link between Link Wray and Jimi Hendrix as Fuzz box innovator.

Holder's voice, the cranked guitars, the vocal harmonies and the tasteful arrangement details dominate the remaining tracks, none of which stand out from the others, as they are all of a similarly high quality - making this album a rewarding listen for any rock fan.

Metal fans may feel a little short-changed, however, so should look to Slade's later releases for the "proper" proto stuff.

Certif1ed Interesting debut from the 1970s Kings of Loud, under their initial moniker, Ambrose Slade, with immediate influences worn on their sleeves, but a really nice, tight style of their own audible from the get go.

The first song on Beginnings is a cool, bouncy number with the catchy title "Genesis" - possibly influenced by The Gods album of the same name. The unmistakable strains of Deep Purple's "Woman From Tokyo" drift out at you a few years early - this is nothing like the Glam band most people know. A massive wash of phase, and a hard "dum-da-dum-da-dum" monotone chug suggests influences from Status Quo and Steppenwolf.

Like Judas Priest's Rocka Rolla, this debut from Ambrose Slade is not what you'd expect; It's rooted in that 1960s psychedelic pop/rock sound, with the pounding drums and hard-edged blues of Fleetwood Mac, Cream, Small Faces and the Yardbirds, and some nice sharp-lined riffs, like creases ironed into denim jeans.

The covers are really interesting, off-the-wall numbers, including the fabulous "Knocking Nails into Walls", originally by The Idle Race, two Steppenwolf numbers - the obligatory "Born To Be Wild", and the (now) less well known "Everybody's Next One", The Moodies' "Fly Me High", Marvin Gaye's "If This World Were Mine", Ted Nugent's Amboy Dukes classic "Journey To The Center of Your Mind", The Beatles' "Martha My Dear" and, incredibly bravely, even a Zappa cover, "Ain't Got No Heart".

The remaining orignals are a mixed bag - while "Genesis" is a strikingly original piece, "Roach Daddy" is a simple, nice piece of blues rock with the distinctive tones of Noddy Holder just starting to assert themselves.

"Pity The Mother" is the standout piece though, with crashing guitar chords, and a dark, Sabbathesque metallic flavour running through a kind of Beatles in their darkest hour feeling. A really amazing song, with all the instrumentalists coming together to produce something *gasp* progressive, dramatic and cathartic.

By way of complete contrast, "Mad Dog Cole" is a stomper, more akin to the music the band would become famous for, based around a standard 12-bar progression. But man, check out the vocals! Now that's unexpected!

As to the covers, with the band members all involved in the production, there's an unrealised if rather diffuse vision beneath all the music, and they are all well done - although I find the Marvin Gaye one grates.

If I'd written a review at the time of release, I would have said something like "An incredible debut, full of promise, but altogether too many covers to provide a good picture of what this band are really capable of. That said, all the covers are so well done that what we have here is a top notch Rock and Roll party album. Buy it - this band are going to be big!".

To metal fans, I'd say it's a really interesting curio - if you have a taste for late 1960s hard rock, then it's a must-have, otherwise, have a listen - it's not a metal album, but there are some great moments.

Avoid "If This World Were Mine" - Noddy has never been Marvin Gaye, and it's the only painful moment on the album, although the cover of "Martha My Dear" is so close to the original that you wonder why they bothered except to show they could.

Two and a half stars - collectors only, but what a collector's piece!