Desolation Boulevard



Desolation Boulevard is the third studio album by the English glam rock band Sweet originally released in the United Kingdom 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 July 1975, includes the 1973 hit single "The Ballroom Blitz" and the single version of "Fox on the Run".

Desolation Boulevard is considered by many to be the band's best album. Andy Scott, Sweet's guitarist, 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 and Led Zeppelin. The background photo was shot near the entrance of a rock music club called The Central, 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.

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" (Andy 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

 * 1) "Burning" – 4:07
 * 2) "Rock & Roll Disgrace" – 3:50

Bonus tracks on 1999 reissue

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

Bonus tracks on 2005 reissue

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

Capitol release
The Capitol version of Desolation Boulevard was released in the United States in July 1975. It was different from the U.K. version and included several songs from their previous album Sweet Fanny Adams in addition to the "Ballroom Blitz" and "Fox on the Run" singles.
 * Side one
 * 1) "Ballroom Blitz" (Chapman, Chinn) – 4:07
 * 2) "The Six Teens" (Chapman, Chinn) – 4:06
 * 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

 * Brian Connolly – lead vocals (except as noted)
 * Steve Priest – bass, lead vocals (UK tracks 9, 18; US track 3), backing vocals
 * Andy Scott – guitars, lead vocals (UK tracks 5, 6; US track 9), backing vocals
 * Mick Tucker – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Chart positions

 * 1973 The Ballroom Blitz – #1 DE+AU, #2 GB+BE, #3 CH, #4 NL, #5 US, #10 FI
 * 1974 The Six Teens – #4 DE, #6 CH+BE, #7 NL, #8 FI, #9 GB, #48 AU
 * 1974 Turn It Down – #2 DE, #10 FI, #41 GB
 * 1975 Fox on the Run – #1 DE+AU, #2 GB+NL, #3 CH, #5 US, #10 FI