Best of Sweet [Cema]

Performer: Sweet
Distributor: Gotham Distributing Corp.

Notes: The Best of Sweet on Collectables contains the group's two biggest hits, "Ballroom Blitz" and "Fox On the Run," as well as some of their classic '70s glitter sleaze cuts like "Teenage Rampage," "Love Is Like Oxygen," "Action," and "The 6-Teens." Unfortunately, it omits any of the band's early bubblegum classics and in general is too brief to be of much use to anyone who wants to get a real feel for what the band was all about. You may end up spending a bit more money, but it will be worth it to get a more comprehensive collection of the Sweet's underrated catalog. [The issue on Collectables is a straight reissue of 1998's The Best of Sweet on CEMA.] ~ Tim Sendra Capitol's Best of: 10 Best Series of Sweet is a rather weak collection of tracks that out of necessity, perhaps, focuses only on the band's recordings made for Capitol in the mid- and late-'70s. This approach leaves off much of the band's most exciting recordings, namely their early bubble-glam hits like "Little Willy" and "Wig Wam Bam." Still, for all its faults, the music that is here is pretty darn rocking as it contains three of their best songs and biggest hits ("Ballroom Blitz," "Fox on the Run," and "Love Is Like Oxygen"), as well as the breathtakingly frantic "Action" and a couple of fine rockers ("Sweet F.A." and "The G-Teens"). The best bet for someone who wants to hear a more complete picture of the Sweet's music should turn to 1993's The Best of the Sweet (also on Capitol). It is a mark of how their back catalog has been mishandled in America that the Capitol Best Of is still the best collection available. ~ Tim Sendra CEMA Special Markets' The Best of Sweet may have "Ballroom Blitz," "Fox on the Run," "Love is Like Oxygen," "The 6-Teens" and "Teenage Rampage," but the other five songs are simply average, which sinks the overall value of this budget-line disc. Most casual fans will be better off with a slightly more expensive and more comprehensive collection, which will offer more bang for your buck. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

In the early 1970s, the Sweet were a massive UK pop success under the baton of the Chinn-Chapman writing/production team, but by '74 the band was pursuing a heavier rock sound and concentrating on its own compositions. In the process they became one of the key groups of the '70s British glam-rock scene. Their popularity waned by the end of the decade, but various members engaged in reunions in the '80s. When singer Brian Connolly died in 1997, though, it was truly the end of the Sweet era.

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