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Sweet

Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be

Review by Gary Hill

This new reissue features both extra tracks on the main disc and a second disc of early recordings. This was back when they were called “The Sweet” instead of just “Sweet” but in order to keep from having two different artists listed, I’ve included it under Sweet. These guys were definitely drawing from 1960s pop in their style of glam rock at the time. They hadn’t reached quite the heights of powerhouse hard rock that they got to later, but they sure knew how to craft a pop song.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2015  Volume 2 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Disc 1

 
Co-Co

Starting with some percussion, this has a definite Island vibe. It’s definitely the pop side of Sweet. It’s also catchy and rather fun.

Chop Chop
Glam rock is the order of business here. This is pretty much trademark Sweet. It’s catchy and yet hard rocking.
Reflections
There is a real soulful vibe to this. It’s very much a late 1960s early 1970s pop song.
Honeysuckle Love
This pop rocker feels a bit like Tommy James to me. It’s another fun rocker.
Santa Monica Sunshine
Here we get another cool pop rock tune. It has some definite rockabilly built into it at times. It’s also got some great hooks. This is pop rock in the style of the late 1960s.
Daydream
This cover tune is done exceptionally well. It’s got a lot of magic and charm.
Funny Funny
This reminds me quite a bit of Tommy James. It is bouncy and fun.
Tom Tom Turnaround
This one has some of that glam sound, but also a lot of folk music. It’s a great cut. It’s very catchy for sure.
Jeanie
Another bouncy and fun pop tune, this has some hints of country music in the mix.
Sunny Sleeps Late
There is a galloping sort of percussion line here. Otherwise, this is a pretty standard pop song in the Sweet tradition.
Spotlight
A harder rocking tune, this is powerful. It’s trademark Sweet. It’s edgy and classy. It’s this kind of song that makes me think Queen was heavily influenced by Sweet.
Done Me Wrong Alright
The first bonus track, this is scorching hard rock. It’s more like the edgy glam sound that was such a part of the Sweet sound. I love the vocal arrangement and the guitar soloing. In fact, I just really love this song.
Be With You Soon
This combines the sound of the previous couple tunes with the more pure pop sounds of some of the rest of the music here. It’s another effective piece.
You're not Wrong For Lovin' Me
Another that feels very much like pretty standard 1960s pop rock, this is good.
Alexander Graham Bell

I really love this cut. It has a dramatic kind of vibe to it. It’s glam rock with a real Sweet sound.

Poppa Joe
Combine Sweet pop with an Island vibe and you’ll have an idea of what this bouncy number is like. It would be hard to listen to this and stay in a bad mood. It’s just such a cheery cut.
Little Willy
If you know only one song from Sweet (or The Sweet), this might be it (although it’s hard for me to believe that there is anyone who doesn’t know this and “Ballroom Blitz.”). This bouncy, rocking number is catchy and hook laden. It still holds up pretty well all those years later.
Man from Mecca
This screaming hard rocker is more like the kind of thing you get with “Ballroom Blitz.” This is classic Sweet for sure.
Wig Wam Bam
I’ve always loved this song. It’s a lot like “Little Willy,” but it’s also just about as good as that tune, too. In fact, in a lot of ways, it’s reworking of “Little Willy.”
New York Connection
This is one of that most straightahead rockers of the whole set. It’s also very good.
Disc 2
   
Slow Motion

Older rock and roll sounds are the idea behind this. It’s good stuff, but not really recognizable as Sweet to me. It kind of calls to mind the difference between the first Moody Blues album and the rest of their catalog.

It's Lonely out There
The guitar brings a bit of psychedelia. Otherwise, this is a pretty cool 1790s pop rocker.
Lollipop Man
There is a lot of 1950s rock in this. It’s very much the kind of thing that would have come out in that decade or the early part of the 60s. It has an almost doowop vibe at times.
Time
More of a meaty 60s rock sound is the basis for this one. It’s more recognizable as Sweet.
All You'll Ever Get from Me
This bouncy little number feels like the 60s pop sound I often associate with Sweet.
The Juicer
And, this one is more of the 70s glam rock sound of the band. It’s a killer tune that makes me think of Grand Funk just a little.
Get on the Line
A 1960s pop rocker, this is good, but not all that special.
Mr. McGallagher

There is almost a Southern rock vibe to this cool rocker. It has some great jamming built into it.

 
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