Metal Reviews
Metal Reviews
NAZARETH |
| Another blast
from the past from the label that’s made a career out of rejuvenating
rock and roll dinosaurs resurfaces in the form of Nazareth, one
of the British originals from the wave of the late sixties early seventies
rock acts. The band that created one of rock radio’s staples for the ages, “Love Hurts” and the well known “Hair of the Dog” album, returns with three fifths of their original lineup, living proof that you can go home again none the worse for wear—though they do look a bit worn even if it doesn’t show up in the music! Outside of a few of their big hits of the past, I knew little of this band and didn’t know what to expect upon hearing this new recording. But it looks like the son of a bitch is back for another bite! How will this new Nazareth album be received? That’s hard to answer but it’s a safe bet that it will need an awful lot of push and to land the band on some kind of big summer tour with other name acts from their generation. “Boogaloo” rocks surprisingly hard and consistently without the benefit of a real standout track to reach out and grab you by the balls. With the exception of “God Save the South” which rants beggingly for the good lord to acknowledge the lower portion of the Mason/Dixon line—Scotsmen singing about acknowledging the South? Though this album confusingly brings about a definite Southern rock and blues feel that had me swearing they were in fact old-tyme Southerners until I learned the truth, they’ve got the sound down very well. With singer Dan McCafferty’s persistent raspiness that doesn’t let up until “Nothing so good” and the last song “May Heaven Keep You” which mellows a bit, newcomers will immediately force comparisons with an early version of AC/DC’s Brian Johnson and more recently, renowned redneck Jesse James Dupree of Jackyl. Strong drumbeats and chugging guitar rhythms form a solid foundation to the music that gives some of the better material like “Light Comes Down,” “Open Up Woman,” and “Robber and the Roadie” a toughened makeup that could see Nazareth do well to pair up on the stage with the likes of a Molly Hatchet or even a ZZTop should the occasion arise. Released in the US on CMC International Records Website : http://www.cmcinternational.com Released in Europe by SteamHammer Distibuted by SPV GmbH, P.O. Box 72 1147, 30531 Hannover, Germany Website : http://www.spv.de Review by Vinnie Apicella |
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Question; when does a hobby stop becoming a hobby and turn into an obsession. Well to be honest I have no idea but the one good thing about any thing you dedicate a lot of time to is you always have some interesting tales to tell and you can guarantee that the chances are they will be of interest not only to your friends but thanks to the internet you can share your stories to a much wider audience. One such tale instantly comes to mind when I listen to this excellent compilation by one of the all time legendary blues rock bands, Nazereth. I can always remember going into my local branch of W H Smith, I must have only been about 9 or 10 at the time and very gingerly asking the assistant behind the counter for a copy of My White Bicycle. Handing over my 45p I returned home as quickly as possible and subsequently played that single over and over and over again, driving both my parents mad in the process. Quite what attracted me to Nazereth at such an early age, well I simply can't remember, maybe it was the music or maybe it was the distinctive vocals of Dan McCafferty but whatever it was it certainly left a lasting impression. Now thanks to those wonderful people at Eagle Rock we can all enjoy the classic hits such as the already mentioned My White Bicycle, Broken Down Angel, the excellent cover of This Flight Tonight and the superb vocals on the now legendary ballard, Love Hurts. But of course Nazareth are not dead not by a long way, if you are lucky enought to be in Canada this year (ha ha) you can see them playing live with the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd and a host of other classic bands. What Nazareth succeeded in doing so well was making music that was not only commercially acceptable but also appealed to a much wider audience, something that even by today standards is very rare. So go on you bad bad boy turn on your receiver and let Nazareth razamanaz you tonight and for many a night to come. Recommended for rock fans of all ages. Released by Eagle Rock Review by Andy Wagstaff
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