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Another Hair of the Dog A Tribute To Nazareth Various Artists |
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The order of the day seems the almighty tribute-yes, seemingly no one is safe from annals of homage and the latest, and in this case deservedly so, Nazareth, one of Rock's long standing, long in the tooth and unexpectedly durable commodities is the feature here. Throughout a three-decade recording career that began back in the early seventies, or dawn of time for anyone having existed through said era, Nazareth's legacy is one of respectability if not exactly elite million selling status. But surely somewhere along the lines one of their songs had an influence on you-"Hair of the Dog," "Love Hurts," "Piece of My Heart…" All represented here by a wealth of predominantly British artists, a cast of veteran instrumental and vocal talent spanning the likes of Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Motorhead, Ozzy and UFO at one time or another. The set begins with a "Piece of My Heart," cover which highlights the still glowing vocal talents of Glenn Hughes outlasting a relatively flat verse and lazy production… but we're just getting warmed up here, maybe. "Hair of the Dog," the track, or at least one of the two Nazareth's claim to fame will be forever known for, conversely, features a potent rhythm section while Paul Dianno's vocals get lost in the mix-an unacceptable failing considering how the original McCafferty chorus demands a more extensive effort. "Love Hurts" however seems to get things right. Former Rainbow vocalist Doogie White's compelling croon lights the way on this soulful and accomplished of ballads, the musicianship and backing vocals in fine form, carry this one through its appointed rounds… instant heartache with no immediate sign of recovery. "Let Me Be Your Dog" returns to hard rockin' edge and is a respectable version overall… you know, the more I think about it and acknowledging that I haven't been up on the many tribute records in recent months, I think while it's a daunting task to assemble such a roster of musicians to come together, at one point or another, to do the recordings, there needs to be more time applied to the production process. Nazareth's gone by way of the cover themselves over the years and while no one could argue their knack for making versions of a Joni Mitchell or Stones tune their own, it's odd to see them appear on a Nazareth tribute, as does "This Flight Tonight," or "Ruby Tuesday," both well done in fact, and obvious versions true to the way Nazareth did 'em the first go round… just odd. Dianno's voice is still exhaustive and MIA on "Broken Down Angel," which I believe necessitated him being dulled down in the final mix. Containing twelve tunes overall, "Another Hair of the Dog" is respectable enough at times, specifically on the Hughes, Steve Overland and Doogie White performances, but suffers at times from a lack of cohesiveness. It does feature a few interesting twists (risks?)-the ramped up version of "Ruby Tuesday" to close it out-but doesn't quite escape a few too many vocal shortcomings, rushed production and sloppy mixes. Released by Deadline Records Review by Vinnie Apicella
[va85@columbia.edu] |