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| Track by Track Review
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Going Loco
The opening segment on this feels like some kind of twisted rock and roll “Flight of the Bumble Bee.” They launch out from there into a gritty, bluesy rocker that’s more typical Nazareth. This is a strong opener. I love the line, “I’m one stop short of a bus ride.” They turn the track off into some unusual little excursions here and there. The main groove riff on this one is oh so tasty. We get a resurgence of that opening motif later in the course of this jam, too and when it’s given a more full band treatment it almost feels proggy. An acapella segment ends it. |
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A Day At The Beach
This one is a bit more straightforward. It kind of feels like a more rocking ballad. It’s a good tune, but not up to the level of the opening stomper. |
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Liar
Now, this might well be the most metallic I’ve ever heard Nazareth. The riff that leads this off has a Naz sound in terms of the progression and groove, but the treatment could easily fit onto some raw metal album. When they drop it back to the verse they bring a more funky texture and it’s something that’s more pure Naz, but this is a great change up for them. It’s also one of the highlights of the disc. I like this one a lot. There’s a great drop down to a segment that has some spoken vocals in an old school rock and roll rap. We also get some of the tastiest guitar work of the disc on this. As they meld the various elements together for the final motif of the track this is just incredible. I’d put this song alongside anything the band have ever done. |
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See Me
Acoustically driven, this is a killer bluesy folk rock styled jam. Of course, since it’s Nazarath it still rocks out. This is another cool tune and the quality of the CD just keeps rising upward. |
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Enough Love
This comes in as a slower paced, balladic number, but with a gritty, hard edged feel to it. They build the track up like this and it’s another strong one. The track has more of those metallic leanings at times. This is cut that takes a very memorable rock hook and combines it with gritty, crunchy rock and roll for great effect.
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Warning
This one just plain hits you over the head with its smoking riff. It’s vintage Naz done up with a new look. This is another that could easily stand alongside the best they’ve done in the past. |
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Mean Streets
And the powerhouse rockers never end! This is another killer jam that’s part catchy pop rocker and part raw jam. Every bit of it is classy, though. We get some hints of jazz here and there and echoes of Jimi Hendrix on the guitar solo. |
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Road Trip
This pounds in feeling like Nazareth meets early AC/DC. It’s another screamer. |
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Gloria
Percussion starts this and makes one think that we’re headed into another Naz rocker. Instead, though, we get a cool ballad that’s very emotionally powerful. The lyrics are told from the viewpoint of man in prison. They rock out later in the piece. The lyrics to this one are simply incredible. |
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Keep On Travellin'
Here we have a bluesy rocker that even has some slide guitar. It’s another strong number. |
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Loggin' On
This has a rather playful feel to it. It’s about the information overload brought on by the internet. It’s a cool piece, but perhaps not one of the stronger ones on show here. An intriguing segment with spoken vocals adds some drama and elevates the number out of the playfulness for a time. |
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The Gathering
Just when you think they can’t do any better, they up the ante. This track has some killer metallic elements and is very dramatic and powerful. Lyrically it seems to be an anti-war piece. This may well be the best track Nazareth have ever done. It’s definitely the highlight of the CD and this one by itself is worth the price of admission. |
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Dying Breed
It would have been very hard to top that last cut, but Nazareth chooses to change gears here. This track is a slow moving balladic number that’s catchy and a bit melancholy. It’s a bittersweet sort of sadness that makes up this track. While it is often a better idea to end a disc with a rocker, somehow this feels an appropriate way to close it out in style. |
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