Sweet
Wolf Den
Uncasville, Connecticut
19 July 2011
Tony Pijar
Steve Priest’s Sweet is an appropriate and very acceptable version, and positively represents the legacy of the band. Sometimes it’s hard to stomach a musicial unit with only one original member, especially when they have the audacity to call themselves the real deal, but not the case here. Priest has assembled a great cast of musicians who, collectively, leave little to doubt regarding the authenticity of the music and heritage.
And, of course, there is a plethora of hits to put forth – “Little Willy”, “Love is like Oxygen”, “Sweet F. A.”, “Fox on the Run”, “Hell Raiser”, “Teenage Rampage, “Wig Wam Bam”, “Action”, “The Sixteens”, “Ballroom Blitz”, etc. Stuart Smith, ex-Heaven and Earth, is an unbelievable guitarist who is the rock side of Blackmore incarnate. He added a flare, heaviness, and preciseness to the compositions played. Vocalist Joe Retta is a superior front man with the pipes and stage presence of a true veteran, and Stevie Stewart rocked on his old school Hammond Organ. The backbone of the band is Priest on bass and Richie Onori on drums; solid and proficient. Priest still dresses the part of the original glam god – frizzed hair, eyeliner, and lipstick intact.
Not sure if this version of Sweet will make it over to Europe any time soon, but if they do you should catch them and relive these incredible, legendary songs in a live setting.
