Desolation Boulevard

Desolation Boulevard is the third studio album by the British glam rock band Sweet, originally released in the United Kingdom in November 1974. Two noticeably different versions of the album were released: one by RCA Records in Europe, and another by Capitol Records in the United States, Canada and Japan.

Desolation Boulevard
Original UK Cover
Studio album by
The Sweet
ReleasedNovember 1974
Recorded1974
StudioAudio International Studios, London
GenreGlam rock, hard rock, heavy metal
Length41:09
LabelRCA
ProducerMike Chapman in association with Nicky Chinn
The Sweet chronology
Sweet Fanny Adams
(1974)		 Desolation Boulevard
(1974)		 The Sweet Singles Album
(1975)
Singles from Desolation Boulevard
  1. "The Six Teens"
    Released: July 1974
  2. "Turn It Down"
    Released: November 1974
  3. "Fox on the Run"
    Released: March 1975
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB-[2]
Soundblab[3]
The Vinyl DistrictA-[4]

The RCA version contains the single "Turn It Down" and the original recording of "Fox on the Run." The Capitol version, released in the United States in July 1975, includes the 1973 hit single "The Ballroom Blitz" and the single version of "Fox on the Run." In the U.S., the album peaked at #25 on October 25, 1975.

Desolation Boulevard is considered by many to be the band's best album. Andy Scott, Sweet's guitarist, said of Desolation Boulevard: "Such diversity only proves that the band was never going to be just formulaic, giving this album a definitive place in Sweet history".[5]

Cover artwork

The album artwork was done by art design group Hipgnosis, famous for working with the likes of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. The background photo was shot near the entrance of a rock music club called The Central, located at 8852 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. Today, it is the site of The Viper Room, which is where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on Halloween morning in 1993.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Brian Connolly, Steve Priest, Andy Scott and Mick Tucker except where noted.

RCA release
Side one
  1. "The Six Teens" (Mike Chapman, Nicky Chinn) – 4:02
  2. "Solid Gold Brass" – 5:33
  3. "Turn It Down" (Chapman, Chinn) – 3:30
  4. "Medusa"[6][7] ("Medussa", on remastered CD editions 1999 and 2005[8]) (Scott) – 4:45
  5. "Lady Starlight" (Scott) – 3:12
Side two
  1. "The Man with the Golden Arm" (Elmer Bernstein, Sylvia Fine) – 8:27
  2. "Fox on the Run" – 4:47
  3. "Breakdown" – 3:06
  4. "My Generation" (Pete Townshend) – 3:59

Bonus tracks on 1997 reissue
  1. "Burning" – 4:07
  2. "Rock & Roll Disgrace" – 3:50

Bonus tracks on 1999 reissue
  1. "I Wanna Be Committed" – 3:10
  2. "Teenage Rampage" (single A-side) – 3:32

Bonus tracks on 2005 reissue
  1. "Teenage Rampage" (Chapman, Chinn) – 3:52
  2. "Own Up, Take a Look at Yourself" (B-side of "Teenage Rampage") – 3:58
  3. "Burn on the Flame" (B-side of "The Six Teens") – 3:37
  4. "Someone Else Will" (B-side of "Turn It Down") – 3:25
  5. "Medussa" (home demo – previously unreleased) – 5:51
  6. "Burn on the Flame" (home demo – previously unreleased) – 3:57
  7. "I Wanna Be Committed" (Chapman, Chinn) – 3:10
  8. "Fox on the Run" (7" version) – 3:24
  9. "Miss Demeanor" (B-side of "Fox On The Run") – 3:17

Capitol release
Desolation Boulevard
Capitol version cover
Studio album by
Sweet
ReleasedJuly 1975
RecordedRecorded in England 1973, 1974, 1975
GenreHard rock, glam rock, heavy metal
Length43:01
LanguageEnglish
LabelCapitol
ProducerMike Chapman, Nicky Chinn, Sweet
Singles from Desolation Boulevard
  1. "Ballroom Blitz"
    Released: April 1975
  2. "Fox on the Run"
    Released: 1 November 1975

The Capitol version of Desolation Boulevard was released in the United States in July 1975. It was different from the U.K. version and included several songs from their previous album Sweet Fanny Adams in addition to the "Ballroom Blitz" and "Fox on the Run" singles.

Side one
  1. "Ballroom Blitz" (Chapman, Chinn) – 4:00
  2. "The Six Teens" (Chapman, Chinn) – 4:04
  3. "No You Don't" (Chapman, Chinn) – 4:36
  4. "A.C.D.C." (Chapman, Chinn) – 3:28
  5. "I Wanna Be Committed" (Chapman, Chinn) – 3:14
Side two
  1. "Sweet F.A." (Scott, Tucker, Connolly, Priest) – 6:16
  2. "Fox on the Run" (Scott, Tucker, Connolly, Priest) (single version) – 3:28
  3. "Set Me Free" (Scott) – 3:59
  4. "Into the Night" (Scott) – 4:25
  5. "Solid Gold Brass" (Scott, Tucker, Connolly, Priest) (with guitar overdub) – 5:35

Personnel
  • Brian Connolly – lead vocals (except as noted)
  • Steve Priest – bass, lead vocals (UK tracks 9, 18; US track 3), backing vocals
  • Andy Scott – guitars, lead vocals (UK tracks 5, 6; US track 9), backing vocals
  • Mick Tucker – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Chart positions

Albums
Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 13
  • 1973 The Ballroom Blitz – #1 DE+AU, #2 GB+BE, #3 CH, #4 NL, #5 US, #10 FI
  • 1974 The Six Teens – #4 DE, #6 CH+BE, #7 NL, #8 FI, #9 GB, #48 AU
  • 1974 Turn It Down – #2 DE, #10 FI, #41 GB
  • 1975 Fox on the Run – #1 DE+AU, #2 GB+NL, #3 CH, #5 US, #10 FI

Certifications
Organization Level Date
RIAA – USA Gold[10] May 25, 1976

References
  1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/desolation-boulevard-mw0000198761
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 13 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. https://soundblab.com/reviews/albums/classic-albums/21261-sweet-desolation-boulevard
  4. http://www.thevinyldistrict.com/storefront/2016/06/graded-on-a-curve-sweet-desolation-boulevard
  5. https://ultimateclassicrock.com/sweet-desolation-boulevard
  6. Desolation Boulevard, German LP pressing, 1974. Discogs. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  7. Desolation Boulevard, UK CD edition, 1989. Discogs. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  8. Desolation Boulevard. EU CD edition, 2005 Discogs. Retrieved 201-12-19.
  9. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 302. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  10. "RIAA searchable certification database: Sweet". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
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