Sweet - New York Connection (As Is) ***

Sweet is still managing a record here and there. Andy Scott is the only original member left at this point, but he's soldiering on, and much power to him. This album is a compilation of covers that in one way or the other represent New York.

It opens up with Hello's "New York Groove," but is probably more known for Ace Frehley covering it on his solo album. There is no better song to open with if New York is your theme. The songs sound good, but they don't necessarily add anything new to the overall sound. There are some strange choices such as "You Spin Me Round," which is a fun song, but not sure why Sweet is doing it. "Sweet Jane" and "Blitzkrieg Bop" are very much tied to New York, but stylistically very different from what people expect out of Sweet. The same argument could be repeated for the majority of the songs.

The album is a good listen, and when you're driving, and want something up beat to go with the tempo, but it's probably not something Sweet fans were asking for. But being a life-long Sweet fan it's hard to ignore either. Great to see the band still doing things, but give me some original material next time.

Mark Kadzielawa