You Boyz Make Big Noize - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

Holder stated in a 1987 fan club interview about the album "We've had some good reviews and a couple of so-so reviews. The reviews we've had in the press have been on the whole very favourable. We've had good feedback from Europe as well, particularly Germany and Scandinavia. It's not coming out in the States until July or August, but CBS certainly like it. CBS are going to put out 'Ooh La La in L.A.' as the first single out there. In Germany at the moment, 'Ooh La La in L.A.' is at number 2 on the radio playlist and 'Still the Same' is at number 4, so things certainly seem to be going well over there."

An American review from Circus magazine wrote "Perennial English favorites who might take credit for the glam rock movement (and even more credit for eventually dropping the look) back in the early 70s, roar back with another blast of galvanized stomp-rock. Slade do not write bad songs - every chorus is custom designed singing along in your favorite watering hole; every solo constructed to have even the most jaded listener bobbing his head. It's about time America caught up with the rest of the world."

Another American review from Guitar magazine listed the album performance as "shouting and jolly", the hot spots: Love is Like a Rock, Won't You Rock with Me, and Me and the Boys, and the bottom line as "a dinosaur keeps on dancing". The review wrote "For 21 years Slade has been shouting out nursery rhyme choruses and engaging us with grinningly simple hooks and You Boyz Make Big Noize carries on their spirit with amazing vibrancy. Noddy Holder and Jim Lea are masters of schoolboy hooks, big shouted choruses that anyone can latch onto. They jam their catchy one-liners into an assortment of ball busting rhythms creating a riotous collection of trebly anthems. No one will ever mistake this for compositional brilliance, but Slade's consistent ability to suck you into their friendly carousing is impressive. It starts with the muscular riff of Love is Like a Rock and never lets up through raspy Holder chorus after chorus. Only the setting is changed, from simple sing-song pop to the arch hard rap of the title cut, through the soul bomp of Won't You Rock With Me and Sing Shout's Bo Diddley shimmy. All four Slade members are originals- guitarist Dave Hill can be heard exerting his clever skills at various depth's in Noize's stadium choruses. The album offers no social profundity, nor even anything of musical worth, but there is no stopping the simple rock hijinks of this spritely dinosaur."

On 3 January 1988, American newspaper Record-Journal, a daily newspaper of Meriden, Connecticut in America, gave the album a B grade and wrote "Twenty-one years of hard rock, do you believe it? It’s hard to imagine, but true. Not only has Slade - especially original members Jim Lea and Noddy Holder - come back to rock like from some 1970s doldrums, they’ve made other bands famous in the process. Remember Quiet Riot’s "Cum On Feel the Noize"? Well, it wasn’t Quiet Riot’s; it was a Slade original. "You Boyz Make Big Noize", produced by Queen/Cars boardman Roy Thomas Baker, proves that these rocking old-timers still have what it takes in the world of pop metal. Songs, such as side one’s "Still the Same" resplendent in its anthemic arrangement and heavenly harmonizing chorus, is not only a hook-filled, powerful tune, it’s a primer for anybody who wants to be Jon Bon Jovi someday. Likewise for "We Won’t Give In". Other songs on this LP - the title cut and "She’s Heavy", for example - are more rock-rap novelty cuts, though there’s still some album-rock hit potential. Perhaps the thing that Slade does best and what makes their playing so entertaining is the mixture of rocking sincerity and good humor about what it all means. "Sing Shout (Knock Yourself Out)" describes this philosophy in song, and boy does it make you want to move. If this were a just world, Slade would still be making hit records. That they’re not just doesn’t seem to be their fault."

Joe Geesin of Get Ready to Rock wrote of the remaster "1987's You Boyz Make Big Noize was perhaps not the swansong the band would have wanted. The complete flop of two singles meant label RCA lost interest in promoting it and the single 'You Boyz Make Big Noize' would be put out later on a different label. While some good moments, classic Slade in others, most of the album is mediocre at best. The anthemic big choruses just weren't as catchy. Plenty of keyboards, layering and whatever just wasn't Slade, with or without the classic Slade harmonies. If they'd more of an album of 'Fools Go Crazy' maybe fans and label wouldn't have deserted Slade so drastically. They had enough personal problems without that. Sadly Slade went out with a whimper, at least until 1991's 'Radio Wall Of Sound' (sadly not included amongst the 9 bonus cuts here)."

In the Slade International Fan Club newsletter for July, August and September 1987, several fan reviews were posted with the statement that the majority was positive.

• "In my opinion, it is an excellent rock album which proves yet again that Slade are a great rock and roll band and in Noddy they have the best rock and roll singer in the world. Although I liked the two singles already released, I feel they were the wrong choice."
• "With You Boyz Make Big Noize, Slade have done themselves and their fans proud. There is not one track I did not like, each track has something good to offer. I honestly feel that Slade should release something more hard-edged as a single."
• "It's great. I am amazed for every album Slade make, they just get better."
• "I have just got the new album. It is a marvellous L.P. Twenty-one years and still making more noize than anyone else."
• "Being a Slade fan, what can i say about the new L.P. apart from I love it - great stuff. If I was not a Slade fan, I would say it is a very good album for a band that is still searching for a new image."
• "My only bad point about the L.P. is that I would have liked to have seen the songwords printed on the cover. Apart from that, a great album, well worth waiting for."
• "The album sleeve is excellent!"
• "The L.P. is their best yet. My favourite was 'Till Deaf Do Us Part' but this one knocks it off. It's totally brilliant. Keep up the good work boize."
• "In my view the heavier songs on the album are the best, the ones with the faster beat like 'Fools Go Crazy', 'Me and the Boys', 'She's Heavy' and 'Love is Like a Rock'. Forget the ballads unless they have the same content and guts approach as 'Still the Same'."
• "I think the tracks that Jim Lea produced sound the best."
• "It is a good album but I feel the recording equipment was not powerful enough to capture the Slade loudness we are used to hearing."
• "Good album, sound up to date but too 'folklorie'. Songs not rocky enough like the 'Till Deaf Do Us Part' album."
• "I am really pleased with this album, it was certainly worth waiting for. Don's drums have definitely been put to good use. Great sound."
• "Excellent album as usual but not enough drumming from Don Powell. He is one of the most skilful drummers around and I thought he could have shown a bit more of his skill and talent, like on 'The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome' album. I thought it should have been a heavier album."
• "Simply the best album Slade have ever produced although I was a little bit disappointed with the packaging. Just keep 'em coming."
• "It took me longer to get into this new album than with previous albums but I love it now and I can't stop playing it. Just one moan, I would have liked the lyrics included."
• "Slade's best album in ten years. I hope it is the success that they so rightly deserve."
• "With regards to the single 'That's What Friends Are For' and the new album, I think they are both excellent but the promotion seems practically non-existent with hardley any mention in the music press. How are people meant to know the album exists when most shops do not stock records until they are in the charts. (A view shared by many)."
• "I think within some of the tracks Slade have lost faith in their own writing talents. Some tracks are sounding a bit like Queen or The Police. I think it would be better to follow the original rock sound. Slade are the godfathers of heavy rock and that is something they can be proud of."
• "I am really pleased with the new album. It is much better than 'Rogues Gallery' with, in my opinion, at least five brilliant songs. There is not a bad record on the album."
• "I think the latest album is the best released in the 80's and possibly even Slade's best ever album."
• "A magnificent album - deserves a great deal of publicity and recognition. Simply superb as always."