Slade: Dave Hill, Don Powell, Jim Lea, Noddy Holder.

Recording information: 1970 - 1977.

Neither a best-of nor a rarities comp, Slade's IN FOR A PENNY: RAVES & FAVES collects deep album cuts and b-sides from the band's '70s heyday. And, wow, is it a rip-roarer! By foregoing the hits and concentrating on great lesser-known tracks, Shout! Factory has created the perfect stepping-stone for casual fans to get deeper into this undeniably great band without having to sift through a multitude of records to find the good stuff. All comps should be this well done.

The tracks, nary a clunker among them, reveal a band that could do far more than raise fists and hack the English language, although they were no slouches in those regards either. Early gems like "Shape of Things to Come" and "C'mon C'mon" show that Slade could hang with AC/DC and the MC5 in terms of primitive energy and power, while the trippy "Wonderin' Y" demonstrates a surprising tender side. Naturally, boogie stomps such as "Don't Blame Me" and "Do We Still Do It" are all over the place and nobody does them better. This comp is the ideal place to feel Slade's awesome "noize."