Nazareth "Big Dogz"

I've got eleven Nazareth albums in the collection, so yeah, me likes.  I found it hard to believe there was a new recording when I saw this.  The drummer had passed away and vocalist Dan McCafferty must be in his mid-60's, and that rasp of his COULD NOT possibly hold up after squalling like that for decades.  Jeez, I saw them live in the late-70's at the Orlando Jai-Alai fronton when McCafferty had to sing from a chair due to falling off the stage at the previous show in Miami.  Didn't stop him from wailing and swiggin' from a bottle of Jack all night. 

So I pulled the trigger on this release the moment I saw it and was encouraged by the brief samples I played.  Unfortunately, after plowing past the first thirty seconds of the songs, the musicianship was so simplistic I thought Dan had his grandchildren playing with him.  You know, those awkward teenage years when you first attempt to play guitar...whew, disappointing to say the least.  He sounded great vocally, though, rivaling and besting Brian Johnson's squeal with ease, but AC/DC has a guitarist who can still play, Naz doesn't. 

The songs themselves are typical Nazareth tunes, albeit from an older-age viewpoint.  The obvious single called "Radio" reminisces about DJ's and old songs being your friends from yesteryear.  Another asks, "Was it really that easy back then?"  Then there's the pissed-off, old fart bitching of "Lifeboat", which dogz Big Government, "Look at those clowns, screwing around."  Hey, Tea Party, I have your theme song for next year...  And then there is this track, "When Jesus Comes To Save The World Again", a dig at the hypocritical religious types who prey on the stupidity of some humans, certainly one of the three selections I will keep from "Big Dogz."  Well, that's two of the keepers so I'll go ahead and add the other one.  When I got to this song for the first listen, it's #10 of 11, I was at home for my dad's funeral, and I sat in the car with tears in my eyes...



It struck me as a truly heartfelt delivery by Dan Mc, and if you go to the YT site, you'll see the comment at the bottom for its origin.  Yeah, I get it...

So to sum it up, I wish this had been a McCafferty solo and not one wrapped in the Naz jacket.  He is the star of this show and deserves the credit.  Heck, sell some of these songs and let another artist/band have a go at them.  Plenty of worthy options.  As the record ended, there is a looped line in the fade that kept repeating, "It's all a joke to you, isn't it?"  I don't believe it was, but it did cast a shadow of doubt...