Desolation Boulevard

Desolation Boulevard
Original UK Cover
Studio album by
The Sweet
Released15 November 1974
Recorded1973–1974
StudiosAudio International Studios, London
Genres
Length41:09
LabelRCA Records
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: 5 July 1974
  2. "Turn It Down"
    Released: 1 November 1974
  3. "Fox on the Run"
    Released: 7 March 1975
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar
Christgau's Record GuideB−
SoundblabStarStarStarStar
The Vinyl DistrictA−

Desolation Boulevard is the third studio album by English glam rock band Sweet, released in the UK 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.

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 May 1975, includes the band's 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 25 October 1975.

Sweet's guitarist, Andy Scott, 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".

Cover artwork

The album artwork was done by art design group Hipgnosis, famous for working with the likes of Pink Floyd, Genesis, The Alan Parsons Project, and Led Zeppelin. The background photo was shot near the entrance of a rock music club called Filthy McNasty's, 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.

The US front cover was slightly altered to add extra road signs and an altering of the album's title and band logo.

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" ("Medussa", on remastered CD editions 1999 and 2005) (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

  2. "Burning" – 4:07
  3. "Rock & Roll Disgrace" – 3:50

Bonus tracks on 1999 reissue

  2. "I Wanna Be Committed" – 3:10
  3. "Teenage Rampage" (single A-side) – 3:32

Bonus tracks on 2005 reissue

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

Capitol release

Desolation Boulevard
Capitol version cover
Studio album by
Sweet
ReleasedMay 1975
Recorded1973–1975
Genres
Length43:01
LanguageEnglish
LabelCapitol
ProducersMike Chapman, Nicky Chinn, Sweet
Singles from Desolation Boulevard
  1. "Ballroom Blitz"
    Released: June 1975
  2. "Fox on the Run"
    Released: November 1975

The ten-song Capitol version of Desolation Boulevard was released in the United States and Canada in May 1975 and included several songs from their previous album Sweet Fanny Adams in addition to the "Ballroom Blitz" and "Fox on the Run" singles. The first side featured songs written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and the second side contained group compositions.

Side one
  1. "Ballroom Blitz" (Chapman, Chinn) – 4:00
  2. "The Six Teens" (stylized as "The 6-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

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA) Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "BPI".
  2. ↑ Dolan, Joe; Martoccio, Angie; Sheffield, Rob (20 November 2024). "The 74 Best Albums of 1974". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  3. ↑ Paste Staff (17 October 2023). "The 30 Greatest Glam Rock Albums of All Time". Paste. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  4. ↑ Popoff, Martin (16 November 2010). The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time. ECW Press. p. 503. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  5. ↑ "Desolation Boulevard – Sweet | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  6. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. robertchristgau.com. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  7. ↑ Penczak, Jeff. "[21261] Sweet – Desolation Boulevard – Classic Albums – Albums – Reviews". Soundblab.com. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  8. ↑ Little, Michael H. (17 June 2016). "Graded on a Curve: Sweet, Desolation Boulevard". The Vinyl District. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  9. ↑ Swanson, Dave (30 November 2014). "Sorting Through Two Versions of Sweet's 'Desolation Boulevard'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  10. ↑ Desolation Boulevard, German LP pressing, 1974. Discogs. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  11. ↑ Desolation Boulevard, UK CD edition, 1989. Discogs. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  12. ↑ Desolation Boulevard. EU CD edition, 2005 Discogs. Retrieved 201-12-19.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ "Top Albums/CDs. Volume 24, Issue 20 (1976-02-14)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  15. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  16. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Sweet – Desolation Boulevard" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  17. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Sweet – Desolation Boulevard". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  18. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Sweet – Desolation Boulevard". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  19. ↑ "Sweet – Se alla låtar och listplaceringar". NostalgiListan (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  20. ↑ "Sweet Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  21. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. 1975. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  22. ↑ "Top Albums/CDs. Volume 26, Issue 14 & 15 (1977-01-08)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Sweet – Desolation Boulevard". Music Canada.
  24. ↑ "British album certifications – Sweet – Desolation Boulevard". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Desolation Boulevard Sweet in the "Search:" field.
  25. ↑ "American album certifications – Sweet – Desolation Boulevard". Recording Industry Association of America.