Nazareth - Play 'n' The Game [Japanese Ed. 5 bonus tracks] (1976)

Year: 13 November 1976 (CD May 17, 2006)
Label: Air Mail Archive (Japan), AIRAC-1207
Style: Hard Rock, Classic Rock
Country: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Time: 57:55
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 371 Mb

PLAY ‘N’ THE GAME is an enjoyable and varied collection of songs that are more upbeat and playful than their two prior releases. While there is a bit less of the plodding hard rock riffing these Scots are known for, the songs they’ve chosen here make for nice Album Rock fare. It’s a nice change after the moodier CLOSE ENOUGH FOR ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, which was released earlier in 1976.
The record opens with the catchy and incessant riffing of “Somebody To Roll”, which is easily a highlight. This is followed with an amusing rendition of the Butler/Leiber song “Down Home Girl”, which The Rolling Stones covered back in 1965. The lyrics here hardly seem that they would be a flattering come on for any Southern girl. (“Lord I swear, the perfume you wear is made out of turnip greens” / “And every time that I kiss you girl it tastes like pork and beans”.) “Flying” is a fairly standard Nazareth ballad and probably one of the less memorable moments. The original first side of the record ends with the thumping bass groove of “Waiting For The Man”, which is a rare, but interesting funk experiment. Maybe John Deacon was listening to this bass line when he came up with "Another One Bites The Dust" a few years later? They are melodically different, but both have a similar groove.
“Born To Lose” is an up-tempo hard rocker that finds the band returning to their trademark sound, if just briefly. The Joe Tex cover “I Want To (Do Everything For You)” is a slow, pulsing R&B shuffle that works surprising well for them and play live for many years. “I Don’t Want To Go On Without You” finds the band playing much in the same vein as “Love Hurts” and possibly trying to recapture that magic again. It’s a nice track, but not quite on the same level. The Beach Boys cover “Wild Honey” is a catchy pop/rock tune that works alright, but not something I’m likely to cue up on its own. Ending the album is the Nazareth penned “L. A. Girls” that is another less memorable song that tries to be catch and is punctuated with hand claps.
Nearly half of this record is cover songs, which leads me to wonder whether the band lacked their own material or just wanted to have fun with this album. I will admit that it’s that element of playfulness that I enjoy about this record, even if doesn’t rock quite as hard as RAZAMANAZ or HAIR OF THE DOG. Overall, it’s an enjoyable collection of songs, if not always a consistent one.
(sputnikmusic.com/review/68179/Nazareth-Play-N-The-Game/) Review by Robbit. August 15th, 2015

01. Somebody To Roll (03:54)
02. Down Home Girl (05:03)
03. Flying (04:20)
04. Waiting For The Man (04:53)
05. Born To Love (03:58)
06. I Want To Do Everything For You (04:18)
07. I Don't Want To Go On Without You (03:46)
08. Wild Honey (03:03)
09. L.A. Girls (03:56)
10. Good Love (03:52)
11. I Don't Want To Go On Without You -Alternate Edit Version- (03:24)
12. Waiting For The Man (Alternate Edit Version) (06:13)
13. Somebody To Roll (Edit Version) (03:31)
14. Born To Love (Edit Version) (03:36)

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Kaleidoscope - Faintly Blowing [Japanese Ed.] (1969)

Year: April 11, 1969 (CD Aug 10, 2005)
Label: Air Mail Archive (Japan), AIRAC-1122
Style: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 44:44
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 254 Mb

Kaleidoscope are an English psychedelic rock band from London that originally were active between 1967 and 1970. The band's songs combined the elements of psychedelia with whimsical lyrics. The band were also known at various times as The Sidekicks, The Key, I Luv Wight and Fairfield Parlour.
Having performed since 1963 under the name The Sidekicks, they became The Key in November 1965, before settling upon the name Kaleidoscope when they signed a deal with Fontana Records in January 1967 with the help of the music publisher Dick Leahy. The group consisted of Eddy Pumer on guitar, Steve Clark on bass and flute, and Danny Bridgman on drums and the vocalist Peter Daltrey, who also played various keyboard instruments. Most of the band's songs were compositions of Pumer's music and Daltrey's lyrics. While the group did not achieve major commercial success in its time, it retains a loyal fan base and its recordings are still held in high regard.
The band's first single "Flight from Ashiya" (b/w "Holidaymaker") was released on 15 September 1967 by Fontana Records, a little earlier than the band's first album Tangerine Dream. The single, with its lyric about an impending plane crash, got critical acclaim and quite an amount of radio airplay but failed to reach the charts.
Two months later, Tangerine Dream—also produced by Dick Leahy—was released. The album included "Flight From Ashiya", "Please Excuse My Face" and "Dive into Yesterday," now considered some of the band's best songs. Meanwhile, the band performed live on several BBC Radio shows. A new single was released in 1968 called "Jenny Artichoke" (b/w "Just How Much You Are"), inspired by Donovan's, "Jennifer Juniper". After the release the band traveled around Europe, supporting Country Joe and the Fish at the Amsterdam Concert Hall while in Netherlands. Faintly Blowing, also produced by Leahy, was released in 1969 by Fontana Records. This time the band's sound was heavier, but the tracks still included psychedelic elements with striking lyrics but it failed to reach the charts. After the failure of Faintly Blowing, they released two more singles.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaleidoscope_(British_band)#Discography)

01. Faintly Blowing (04:10)
02. Poem (02:55)
03. Snapdragon (02:45)
04. A Story From Tom Bitz (03:47)
05. (Love Song) For Annie (02:36)
06. If You So Wish (03:43)
07. Opinion (00:20)
08. Bless The Executioner (03:00)
09. Black Fjord (03:15)
10. The Feathered Tiger (05:12)
11. I'll Kiss You Once (01:00)
12. Music (06:15)
13. Do It Again For Jeffrey (03:17)
14. Balloon (02:23)

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Nazareth - Hair Of The Dog [Japanese Ed. 5 bonus tracks] (1975)

Year: 3 April 1975 (CD 2006)
Label: Air Mail Archive (Japan), AIRAC-1205
Style: Hard Rock
Country: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Time: 63:27
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 428 Mb

Charts: US #17, CAN #20, AUT #7, GER #27, NOR #5. CAN: Gold; US: Platinum.
01. Hair Of The Dog will immediately grab your attention with its memorable riff and swaggering attitude. Dan McCafferty's raspy vocal perfectly complements the heavy, bluesy instrumentation, that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Plus, who doesn’t love their famous refrain "Now you're messin' with a son of a bitch,” for it’s a masterstroke of lyricism and ensures Hair Of The Dog is a quintessential hard rock anthem.
Guns N’ Roses would cover Hair Of The Dog on their 1993 covers album, The Spaghetti Incident? and as much as I love the original, I’ve got to say that I prefer the slightly more rhythmic presentation that Guns N’ Roses were able to bring to the tune as it further emphasises the undertone of aggression that is present within the song.
02. Miss Misery launches with a killer riff before McCafferty’s soaring vocal enters the mix with the rest of the band launching into an incredibly rhythmic thunderous performance. Filled with passion and intensity, that is highly addictive, Miss Misery is a monster of a song that will have you coming back for more as it’s a flawless hard rock tune.
03. Guilty slows down the pace with its bluesy groove and soulful vocals. Featuring a memorable guitar riff and a laid-back vibe, Guilty will appeal to those of us who appreciate a diverse styling throughout our hard rock albums. Some may dislike it because it is considerably different to the songs that have come before it, but McCafferty's raw and emotive vocal delivery is simply magnificent and the sign of an exceptional hard rock vocalist is often found in slower-styled ballad recordings such as Guilty.
04. Changin' Times sets the pace back to that of a driving rhythm featuring a catchy melody and infectious rhythm. As solid as Changin' Times is, the most notable aspect is McCafferty’s vocal prowess as the man could certainly belt out a tune, with clarity and finesse, like few others within the hard rock and metal genres can.
05-06. Beggars Day/Rose In The Heather is a hard-hitting rocker with a driving rhythm and infectious energy. McCafferty's vocals are, as is the case throughout the entire album, full of attitude and swagger, while the band's tight musicianship keeps the song charging forward with unstoppable momentum.
07. Whiskey Drinkin' Woman is a blues-infused track featuring a gritty vibe. The song's laid-back groove and soulful instrumentation make it a standout on the album, but as you listen to the song you’ll soon come to realise that it would be perfectly played in any drinking establishment, anywhere in the world.
08. Please Don't Judas Me features a stripped-down haunting atmospheric presentation that blends some incredible musicality with McCafferty's emotive vocal presentation. As McCafferty pleads, "Please Don't Judas Me," the song builds to a powerful climax, leaving a lasting impression long after the music fades away. Masterpiece, while often overused, is the only way to describe this sensational song.
09. Love Hurts (Single Edit) is one of my all-time favourite Nazareth tunes and while there will be some that dislike ballads, I love them. This one, in particular, showcases McCafferty's vocal prowess with its poignant lyrics and haunting melody that will strike a chord with music lovers and is a core reason why this version has become a timeless classic.

It is, however, a cover that first appeared on the Everly Brothers’ 1960 release, A Date With The Everly Brothers. Their original is lovely but as with other renditions, I feel that Nazareth took the song, added their unique styling to it, and made it their own. Granted, there isn’t a bad interpretation to be heard, but Love Hurts is an ideal closing tune for the album; even if it wasn’t the closer for the record in all regions.
Hair Of The Dog, subsequently, is a must-have for any hard rock music fan. Its combination of hard-hitting rockers and heartfelt ballads makes it a timeless classic that continues to resonate with audiences decades after its release and Nazareth's signature sound and powerful performances ensure that this album remains a standout in their discography and a cornerstone of 1970s rock music.
(subjectivesounds.com/musicblog/nazareth-hair-of-the-dog-album-review)

01. Hair Of The Dog (04:09)
02. Miss Misery (04:42)
03. Guilty (03:38)
04. Changin' Times (05:59)
05. Beggars Day (03:45)
06. Rose In The Heather (02:44)
07. Whiskey Drinkin' Woman (05:29)
08. Please Don't Judas Me (09:51)
09. Love Hurts (03:53)
10. Down (B-side to 'Love Hurts' single) (03:55)
11. Holy Roller (single A-side) (03:25)
12. Railroad Boy (B-side to 'Holy Roller' single) (04:08)
13. Hair Of The Dog (single edit) (03:22)
14. Holy Roller (extended alternate mix) (04:20)

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