Nazareth Albums (23)
What The Critics Say
Rock & roll can be a thankless business -- you can find yourself in the wilderness for a long stretch even if you have something like a decade's worth of classic top-notch work to be proud of. Nazareth found themselves in that situation, but, against considerable odds, managed to end ten years of recording absence in 2008 with The Newz, an unexpected return to form. (By the way, the same rather miraculous creative rejuvenation happened that same spring with their contemporaries Uriah Heep.) Although not at all new in stylistic content, this album is possibly their best since they started losing ground in 1981. It stands up really well in comparison to their classic '70s back catalog, and provides hope that they might just be poised to finally continue with that kind of quality after all those lean decades. Dan McCafferty still leads with the gravel-voiced charge that any AC/DC fan should appreciate, Pete Agnew still mans the bass, his son Lee Agnew now replacing the deceased Darrell Sweet on drums, and Jimmy Murrison, who joined in 1995 (having been in the same band as Lee Agnew at the time), is obviously up to fulfilling the challenge of keeping the sharp Nazareth guitar sound as vital as ever. Only one warning: when listening to the album in sequence (it's over an hour long), by the end of track five it seems (despite the rather good but heavy tracks "Going Loco" and "Liar") as if things are not really going anywhere, just as one would have feared from an old band that seemed pretty much finished. Then, with track six actually going by the title of "Warning," the excitement finally kicks in and the album remains a winner from there on in. Still the perennial touring band (worldwide, even during the last ten years without a record contract), Nazareth deliver the requisite "on the road" songs like "Road Trip" and "Keep on Travellin'" (with its neat appropriation of the riff from "Nutbush City Limits"). So again, no change there -- which is a compliment in their case, because they have quite a legacy of great songs on that subject. However, some of the songs do touch on contemporary topics, "Loggin' On" being the most creative highlight, adapting a kind of '80s synth pop-style rhythm (without the synths, mind you) to the Nazareth blues-rock sound. "The Gathering," on the other hand, is another of those tried and tested seven-minute "battle scene epics" so beloved in the world of hard and heavy rock, and the album ends with blues lament "Dying Breed," traditionalist in the best sense. So the triumph here lies not so much in any new(z)ness of the music style, but in the fact that this band can finally deliver again and has started recapturing the spirit and force it had during the '70s. ~ Alan Severa, All Music Guide
'Alive and Kicking'
Release Date 11/18/2003
Tracks 10
Label Direct Source
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Well past their mid-'70s prime, Nazareth is running on little more than fumes circa Boogaloo. The band's sound hasn't changed much since their heyday, and the songs here reflect this. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After Nazareth's 12-year association with A&M Records ended in 1982, the group signed with MCA Records, and shortly thereafter, they released what would be their last major-label collection on new material, Sound Elixir. By 1983, when this recording was first issued on MCA, Nazareth was clearly declining commercially and artistically. Yet, like every Nazareth recording, there are plenty of bright spots that fans of the band should enjoy. Highlights include powerful opener "Why Don't You Read the Book" and "Rain on the Window." While there's nothing really bad about Sound Elixir, it's very removed from the best Nazareth material of the '70s, both in terms of musical intentions and also technical and artistic execution. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After spending much of 1981 involved in a successful tour, Nazareth returned to the studio with a newfound sense of vigor the next year. The album they produced was 2XS, an outing that stands alongside Malice in Wonderland as one of their finest achievements during the 1980s. Although its sound goes for the sonic sleekness of AOR, it does not skimp on the hard rock elements. For instance, "Love Leads to Madness" boasts the kind of sumptuous power ballad melody that helped it become a radio favorite but is also layered with plenty of surprisingly heavy power chords. 2XS also finds the group cranking out some of their most furious rockers since the days of Expect No Mercy and No Mean City: "Boys in the Band" is guitar-fuelled declaration of intent that moves at a head-spinning double-time tempo, and "Gatecrash" is a party rocker that swings with the raucous verve of early hits like "Bad Bad Boy." Another surprising element of 2XS is the way it works a surprising new wave element into the group's style: "You Love Another" is a creepy, synthesizer-drenched breakup ballad that would have fit in fine on one of the Cars' early albums, and "Preservation" infuses the Nazareth rock sound with a churning bassline and burbling electronic sounds. The end result of all these elements is an album that creates an effective and personalized fusion of hard rock and AOR elements. It may not contain enough of either style for purist fans of those genres, but Nazareth fans and adventurous rock fans will find plenty to enjoy on 2XS. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Originally released on A&M records in 1981, Snaz is one of the better, and least recognized, live '70s (as a style, not necessarily a period in time) hard rock recordings. Unlike more recognized '70s metal artists like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, and others, Nazareth -- even in their Hair of the Dog heyday -- never were able to put much "heavy" into their heavy metal guitar attack when they recorded in the studio. There wasn't much of a thump coming from the drums and bass either, and the overall affect was a wimpy sound that didn't nearly serve the band's fine material as well as it should have. All of this left Nazareth's otherwise respectable '70s studio recordings with much to be desired sonically. Recorded live in Vancouver, Snaz is a production and engineering highlight in the band's career. The energy and recklessness of Nazareth's material is much more palpable on these live versions, and while things get a little sloppy at times, it's never distracting. Fans of Nazareth simply must add this record (most recently re-released by Castle in 1997) to their collection of essential band releases. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
