The popular hard-driving glam rockers from the 1970s are back. Sweet are on tour with their hits Action, Fox On The Run, and Little Willy. Everyone who grew up with this band in the 1970s will surely have fond memories of hearing Little Willy on their parent’s car radio or on transistor radios at the beach. Slightly older people may remember dancing to their music at their high school dances and college frat parties.
The catchy melodies and hooky choruses are back on Sweet Live in America, a live CD released late in 2010. Original bass player Steve Priest has returned with an all new American line-up. With this CD recorded live at Morongo Casino in California during their 2008 Are You Ready, Steve? Tour, Sweet sound as fresh and vibrant as ever. Lead vocalist Joe Retta, with his born to sing high pitched pop vocal, is an able substitute for the late Brian Connolly. Retta channels the original vibe of these songs without ever falling to the level of imitation.
These songs all have that sound that reminds of the 1970s but the songs also have an individual flavor that always made the latest Sweet single the most popular song on the radio. The band had nailed that ability to write with originality and play with creative excellence while still maintaining that quality of being just a group of young guys having fun at their local music club. “Teenage Rampage” has the hooky chorus it’s always been known for. “Little Willy” has the rocking rhythm section that makes you picture Willy wondering all around town all night. “Ballroom Blitz” still plays out with the frenetic energy and high range vocals, only here it gets a knobby bass solo and a call and response from the audience.
Lesser known gems like “Hellraiser,” “Wig Wam Bam,” and “The Sixteens” benefit from crack ensemble performances. “The Sixteens” here receives all of the muscle of talent the band has to give. Vocal harmonies on the chorus are rich, sweet, and precise. Retta’s lead vocal rides those dramatic cresendoes with warmth and respect for the song, making it ring out like an anthem for a generation. A seven plus minute version of “Sweet F.A.” showcases Sweet’s potential to jam.
Lead guitarist Stuart Smith, a protégé of Ritchie Blackmore’s, brings a crackling energy and his crack talent to each track. Keyboardist Stevie Stewart maintains a boiling froth of keyboards and synthesizer textures throughout the show. His sprightly organ swirls and zesty synths on “Windy City” make him ‘da man’ during these keyboard excursions.
That the band rocks right out to an enthusiastic crowd indicates they mean musical business. Sweet rocks with precision in their twisy, orchestrated number “Love Is Like Oxygen,” one of the most exciting songs on this disc of exciting songs. This is no cheesy reunion band focused on a few hit singles and giving short shrift to the rest of their set. Sweet Live In America is one of the best live CDs of 2010 and Sweet will likely be touring for some time to come.
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