Metal Sludge Gossip Board

I've never really explored the glam rock genre much. I know a few songs by Slade, Sweet, Mott The Hoople, T. Rex. Mainly thanks to covers by sludge bands. I'd like to delve a little deeper. What's the best stuff? Seems like the genre was mostly just a handful of UK bands?

Heard a lot of good things about the Sensational Alex Harvey band, not sure how glam they are, but were out during that timeframe

SchenkerFan wrote: ↑Tue Aug 26, 2025 6:33 am I've never really explored the glam rock genre much. I know a few songs by Slade, Sweet, Mott The Hoople, T. Rex. Mainly thanks to covers by sludge bands. I'd like to delve a little deeper. What's the best stuff? Seems like the genre was mostly just a handful of UK bands?

This is a great compilation, and probably all you need:

https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best ... 0001034773

CD
https://www.worldofbooks.com/products/b ... 0000FYGOVG

The Tubes were pretty good sometimes.

Roxy Music

SchenkerFan wrote: ↑Tue Aug 26, 2025 6:33 am I've never really explored the glam rock genre much. I know a few songs by Slade, Sweet, Mott The Hoople, T. Rex. Mainly thanks to covers by sludge bands. I'd like to delve a little deeper. What's the best stuff? Seems like the genre was mostly just a handful of UK bands?

STFU. There's no such thing as 70s glam rock. Glam rock is an 80s thing.

You can't talk about 70's era glam rock and not mention the New York Dolls. I would start there.

REO Cokewagon wrote: ↑Wed Aug 27, 2025 9:44 pm

SchenkerFan wrote: ↑Tue Aug 26, 2025 6:33 am I've never really explored the glam rock genre much. I know a few songs by Slade, Sweet, Mott The Hoople, T. Rex. Mainly thanks to covers by sludge bands. I'd like to delve a little deeper. What's the best stuff? Seems like the genre was mostly just a handful of UK bands?

STFU. There's no such thing as 70s glam rock. Glam rock is an 80s thing.

Wrong.

https://www.amazon.com/Very-Best-SWEET/ ... 09&sr=1-10

https://www.amazon.com/Desolation-Boule ... 09&sr=1-13

https://www.amazon.com/Action-Ultimate- ... C84&sr=1-4

Black Stuff wrote: ↑Tue Aug 26, 2025 7:26 am Heard a lot of good things about the Sensational Alex Harvey band, not sure how glam they are, but were out during that timeframe

There was a poster here who had that band listed in his signature and used a picture of the guitarist, who painted his face like an old-timey/theatrical (not to be confused with traditional circus) clown, as his avatar. That and the fact that the guitarist would later join Nazareth are the only things I know about this band. Maybe it's about time I check them out too.

BlackdogRDC wrote: ↑Wed Aug 27, 2025 11:35 pm You can't talk about 70's era glam rock and not mention the New York Dolls. I would start there.

Could put him off completely if that is the starting point.

I always think of the seventies as glitter and the eighties as glam....I know people used glam in the seventies, too, but I don't care.

I also don't think there were American glitter bands...stuff like Alice Cooper or the Dolls were the closest, but they are a whole different thing to Sweet, Slade, Bowie, T.Rex, Wizzard, Mud, Gary Glitter et. al.

It definitely wasn't an identifiable scene in the states like it was in the U.K.

A fun single from the era that most have not heard is this one, Rebel Rule by Iron Virgin: https://youtu.be/p2Ckj8SxWbc

Nah, it was a shitload of bands and its fair to give it its own genre.

This is the ultimate collection, IMO. Has it all: Mott The Hoople, Trex, Suzi Quatro, Slade, Hello, as well those weird one-off songs by people like The Quick, Ricky Wilde, Glitter Band, Brett Smiley, Jobriath (LOL), etc. There's some modern revival stuff towards the bottom, but the first hundred songs are so are pretty much the genre in a nutshell.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4aNxy ... be03654075

This is a Spotify playlist of a 3 CD compilation called "All The Young Droogs", its a deep dive of songs by mostly smaller bands in the scene, crazy how many groups there were they no one ever heard of.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5RuBf ... df640642ee

pieceofme wrote: ↑Thu Aug 28, 2025 11:23 am

BlackdogRDC wrote: ↑Wed Aug 27, 2025 11:35 pm You can't talk about 70's era glam rock and not mention the New York Dolls. I would start there.

Could put him off completely if that is the starting point.

Agreed. They had a different vibe than Sweet, T Rex, and Slade.

BOWIE & FUCKING RONSON!!

pieceofme wrote: ↑Thu Aug 28, 2025 11:23 am

BlackdogRDC wrote: ↑Wed Aug 27, 2025 11:35 pm You can't talk about 70's era glam rock and not mention the New York Dolls. I would start there.

Could put him off completely if that is the starting point.

This. A good idea and one guy with great hair. The rest is shit.

Johansen should have started a Stones tribute band instead. He might have at least found some weekend gigs.

You could live 3 lifetimes as a ‘70s glam fan without ever hearing the dolls and you wouldn’t be missing anything.

I don’t deny their influence, but they were a pretty terrible band with shit songs.

Wiseacre wrote: ↑Thu Aug 28, 2025 2:19 pm

pieceofme wrote: ↑Thu Aug 28, 2025 11:23 am

BlackdogRDC wrote: ↑Wed Aug 27, 2025 11:35 pm You can't talk about 70's era glam rock and not mention the New York Dolls. I would start there.

Could put him off completely if that is the starting point.

This. A good idea and one guy with great hair. The rest is shit.

Johansen should have started a Stones tribute band instead. He might have at least found some weekend gigs.

You could live 3 lifetimes as a ‘70s glam fan without ever hearing the dolls and you wouldn’t be missing anything.

I don’t deny their influence, but they were a pretty terrible band with shit songs.

Always said the best thing about the New York Dolls is that album cover. Their songs are tuneless.

Slade have fantastic songs.
Start with one of their greatest hits albums.
Noddy Holder has a fantastic voice...

El Vampiro Blanco wrote: ↑Fri Aug 29, 2025 4:35 am Slade have fantastic songs.
Start with one of their greatest hits albums.
Noddy Holder has a fantastic voice...

100%

If they had looked like Duran Duran they probably would have sold 100 million albums