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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Nazareth - Close Enough For Rock'n'Roll [7 bonus tracks] (1976)

Year: March 1976 (CD 2002)
Label: Eagle Records (Germany), EAMCD138
Style: Hard Rock
Country: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Time: 64:27
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 520 Mb

WHILE I’VE never been one of Nazareth’s most fervent fans, I’ve always admired them for knowing and keeping within their obvious limitations. The band are but adequate musicians and Dan McCafferty is just an above-average vocalist — but together, they fuse quite tightly and create, if not inspiring, then some very reasonable rock music.
The theme of ‘Close Enough For Rock ‘N’ Roll’ is, oddly enough, one of disillusionment and boredom — yet this is hard to credit, once you bear witness to the highly raucous sounds.
`Telegram’ is the album’s major track. In four parts, ‘On Your Way’,`So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star’, ‘Sound Check’ and `Here We Are Again’, it tells the graphic, if at times musically cumbersome, tale of an American tour. It begins with a 747 flight and deals with immigration hassles, the limousine trip from airport to hotel (during which the car’s radio, tuned to an FM station, plays a snatch of ‘This Flight Tonight’), a Press reception and — finally — a concert itself, which ultimately degenerates into a boozy clapalong and fades. To Nazareth, the story that `Telegram’ describes is one of routine, of extreme familiarity — and yet the band attack the multi-faceted tale with a good deal of venom, perhaps venting their frustrations in this hard musical manner.
Except for a short Manny Charlton guitar instrumental, `Vicki’, and the commercial cut `Carry Out Feelings’, the rest of the album follows the same pattern — driving, below-the-belt rock music, hardly innovative, but at the same time not having enough apparent cliches for it to matter.
A good album, and one that should consolidate Naz’s position as a first division band.
(geirmykl.wordpress.com/2021/12/16/article-about-nazareth-from-sounds-april-3-1976/)

01. Telegram (Parts 1-4) (07:54)
02. Vicki (02:24)
03. Homesick Again (04:31)
04. Vancouver Shakedown (04:03)
05. Born Under The Wrong Side (03:57)
06. Loretta (03:19)
07. Carry Out Feelings (03:19)
08. Lift The Lid (03:53)
09. You're The Violin (04:47)
10. My White Bicycle [single] (05:21)
11. You're The Violin [edited A-side] (03:35)
12. Loretta [alternate single version] (02:36)
13. Carry Out Feelings [US single edit] (03:18)
14. Lift The Lid [alternate single version] (03:29)
15. My White Bicycle [orginal single version] (03:28)
16. Telegram [edited version] (04:28)

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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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Nazareth - Rampant [8 bonus tracks] (1974)

Year: May 1974 (CD 2010)
Label: Salvo Records (Europe), SALVOCD034
Style: Hard Rock, Classic Rock
Country: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Time: 79:54
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 557 Mb

Charts: CAN #80, US #157, AUT #1, GER #11, NOR #3, UK #13. CAN: Gold.
Rampant is the fifth studio album by the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth, released in 1974. It was their third album to be produced by Roger Glover, and proved to be the last time they would work with him. The track "Loved and Lost" was sampled by DJ Shadow on "Enemy Lines" from his 2011 album The Less You Know, The Better.
It was recorded in 1974 on the shores of Lake Geneva in Montreux, Switzerland, with the help of the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio and produced by former Deep Purple's bassist Roger Glover, whose last collaboration was with the group.
With this album, Nazareth make a slight musical change incorporating Southern rock intonations into some of their songs ("Glad When You're Gone", "Jet Lag" or the title that opens the "Silver Dollar Forger"). AllMusic critic Donald A. Guarisco compares the sound of the album as a cross between the sound of early AC/DC albums and Lynyrd Skynyrd's most "Hard rock" titles.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rampant_(album))

01. Silver Dollar Forger (05:37)
02. Glad when you're gone (04:17)
03. Loved and lost (05:12)
04. Shanghai'd in Shanghai (03:44)
05. Jet lag (06:42)
06. Light my way (04:09)
07. Sunshine (04:15)
08. (A) Shapes of things (B) Space safari (06:18)
09. Down (B-Side of Love hurts) (03:54)
10. Razamanaz (BBC live recording) (04:32)
11. Night woman (BBC live recording) (04:00)
12. Alcatraz (BBC live recording) (04:22)
13. Vigilante man (BBC live recording) (05:43)
14. Morning dew (BBC live recording) (07:38)
15. Broken down angel (BBC live recording) (04:26)
16. Woke up this morning (BBC live recording) (04:58)

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