Slik - The Complete Slik Collection

After numerous personnel changes, and a shift away from hard rock to pop, in 1974 the Glasgow based band Salvation settled on a four-piece lineup and changed their name to Slik.  At this same time, The Bay City Rollers were ending their relationship with songwriters Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, who had been responsible for most of their hit songs.  This led to the four-piece, now consisting of Jim (Midge) Ure on guitar and lead vocals, Jim McGinlay on bass, Billy McIsaac on keys and Kenny Hyslop on drums, signing to the Martin-Coulter Productions company.  Over the next three years, they released one eponymous album and numerous standalone singles (many written by Martin and Coulter), including the UK hits "Forever and Ever" and "Requiem", hitting number one and twenty-four respectively, on the UK charts.  These are all included here as well as some bonus tracks from three bands that members formed after Silk.  While they definitely had plenty of songs that were reminiscent of the poppy glam of the Rollers (“Boogiest Band In Town”, “The Getaway”) and the more glam rock sound of the extremely catch “The Kid’s A Punk” (complete with sax), there was really a lot more diversity in Slik’s sound.  For starters, the two hit singles both had strong elements of prog but mixed in glam (“Forever and Ever”) and Beatles-like pop (“Requiem”).  There are also New Wave pop tracks like “Do It Again”, “Don’t Take Your Love Away” and “It’s Only A Matter Of Time” and ballads like the Beatles-esque “Darlin’” with its great harmonies and “Better Than I Do”, which is more of a power ballad.  “Everyday Anyway” found them dabbling in reggae, “Again My Love” is almost easy listening, and there were even dance tunes like “Dancerama”, which is pretty much disco, and “Bom-Bom”, a calypso cover of an Exuma song that also includes what sounds like a talkbox.  By the time the band recorded their last single they were starting to embrace the punk scene, something that is on full display on the b-side “No Star”.  Right before their last tour as Slik, McGinlay left and was replaced by Russell Webb, followed a short time later by their decision to change their name to P.V.C.2.  Under that moniker they released an outstanding three track single of raw, aggressive punk that’s included here among the bonus tracks.  By the time the single was released, Ure had left the band to join the Rich Kids, and the remaining members teamed up with singer / guitarist Willie Gardner to form Zones.  Rounding out the bonus tracks are a couple of Zones songs showcasing their infectious new age / power pop and the Rich Kids version of P.V.C.2’s “Put You In The Picture”, which is a little more polished than the original, but loses none of that raw punk edge.  While their time in the spotlight was very short, The Complete Slik Collection showcases a band that had alot going for them with song after song full of infectious hooks and strong harmonies.    

(7T's)