Desolation Boulevard


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" – 4:02
  2. "Solid Gold Brass" – 5:33
  3. "Turn It Down" – 3:30
  4. "Medusa" – 4:45
  5. "Lady Starlight" – 3:12
;Side two
  1. "The Man with the Golden Arm" – 8:27
  2. "Fox on the Run" – 4:47
  3. "Breakdown" – 3:06
  4. "My Generation" – 3:59

    Bonus tracks on 1997 reissue

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

    Bonus tracks on 1999 reissue

  9. "I Wanna Be Committed" – 3:10
  10. "Teenage Rampage" – 3:32

    Bonus tracks on 2005 reissue

  12. "Teenage Rampage" – 3:52
  13. "Own Up, Take a Look at Yourself" – 3:58
  14. "Burn on the Flame" – 3:37
  15. "Someone Else Will" – 3:25
  16. "Medussa" – 5:51
  17. "Burn on the Flame" – 3:57
  18. "I Wanna Be Committed" – 3:10
  19. "Fox on the Run" – 3:24
  20. "Miss Demeanor" – 3:17

    Capitol release

The Capitol version of Desolation Boulevard was released in the United States and Canada in May 1975. It was different from the U.K. version and included several songs from their previous album Sweet [Fanny Adams |Sweet Fanny Adams] in addition to the "Ballroom Blitz" and "Fox on the Run" singles.
;Side one
  1. "Ballroom Blitz" – 4:00
  2. "The Six Teens" – 4:04
  3. "No You Don't" – 4:36
  4. "A.C.D.C." – 3:28
  5. "I Wanna Be Committed" – 3:14
;Side two
  1. "Sweet F.A." – 6:16
  2. "Fox on the Run" – 3:28
  3. "Set Me Free" – 3:59
  4. "Into the Night" – 4:25
  5. "Solid Gold Brass" – 5:35

    Personnel

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales