Tag: Big Dogz
0 Nazareth – Big Dogz (2011)
Nazareth is back with the 22nd (gasp!) effort Big Dogz, and their first since 2008’s excellent, The Newz.
It blows my mind that Nazareth has been rockin’ since 1968. Dan McCafferty and company proves there is plenty of fire left in this awesome rock n’ roll band.
The Big Dogz that are Nazareth start howling right out of the gate with the song, “Big Dogs Gonna Howl”. This rocker gets better every time I listen to it. (It sounds great when blasted loudly on a car stereo I might add.)
McCafferty’s whiskey stained vocals really drive home the tune “No Mean Monster”. This is the type of rockin’ tune I have grown to expect from Nazareth over the years.
“When Jesus Comes to Save the World Again” starts off as a slow acoustic number that wouldn’t sound out-of-place in your local coffee shop. The song eventually breaks into a hard as nails number that eventually reverts back to its acoustic beginning. This a well written tune, and a an enjoyable listen in my opinion.
I would expect that my favorites off of Big Dogz would be one of the heavier numbers, but I absolutely love the song “Radio”. ‘Radio” is a very catchy mid-tempo number that could be an honest hit for Nazareth, if the boneheaded DJ’s of radio today still played their songs.
“Time and Tide” and its main lyric “Where does the time go” makes a lot of sense for a band that has been rocking as long as Nazareth. The older we get, the years just seem to disappear faster and faster. That lyric can pretty much apply to anyone at anytime, and it certainly makes you think, each time you hear it. I can just picture Dan McCafferty and Pete Agnew sitting around with a cocktail in their hands, reminiscing about the good old days .
“The Toast” is a fun, upbeat rocker, with a tongue in cheek ending, that is worth a lot of repeat plays.
“Butterfly” is a sad, but memorable piano based number that tells the tale of a lost loved one. It is a real tear-jerker, but a very powerful and emotional tune. This is song is one of the highlights of Big Dogz.
Big Dogz ends in an a great fashion with the upbeat rocker “Sleeptalker”. This is an infectious number that could easily become a fan favorite.
Overall, I have found Big Dogz to be an enjoyable record. It isn’t perfect by any means, and if you are expecting a repeat of Hair of the Dog, or No Mean City, you won’t find it here. If you are a Nazareth fan, and you enjoyed the band’s comeback effort, The Newz, you ought to check out Big Dogz. I think you will enjoy it!
Big Dogz was released on May 10th, and is available for purchase now! For more information on Nazareth, please check out the band’s website.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Big Dog’s Gonna Howl
- Claimed
- No Mean Monster
- When Jesus Comes to Save the World Again
- Radio
- Time and Tide
- Lifeboat
- The Toast
- Watch Your Back
- Butterfly
- Sleeptalker
Nazareth is:
Dan McCafferty – Vocals
Pete Agnew – Bass, backing vocals
Jimmy Murrison – Guitars
Lee Agnew – Drums
2 Nazareth to Release “Big Dogz” on May 10th!
Eagle Rock Entertainment, through earMusic, is proud to announce the release of Big Dogz, the new studio album from legendary Scottish rockers Nazareth. The CD hits stores May 10, 2011 [MSRP $13.98].
Produced by guitar player Jimmy Murrison and sound wizard Yann Rouiller, the album’s production avoids the trappings of traditional polish in an effort to capture the challenging edge of classic rock’n’roll. Obviously, this is one band that has stuck to its guns not giving an inch for trends and fashion. Like Motorhead, AC/DC or The Ramones, their personal vision supercedes any inclination whatsoever to follow the pack. The result of this hard-headed singularity? Sixty million albums sold in a glorious 41-year career.
Nazareth has invested their time in finding the original sound and spirit of the ’70s, when rock bands expressed values and ideas only through their instruments, an amp and a mic. To this end, they’ve completed an album with nearly no overdubs or multiple takes, no vocal lines or solos adjusted through a computer. The new Nazareth album is what the band really is: four men who live rock music, recording together in the same room at the same time, showing what they really are, and what they really want. One of the purest diamonds of Rock music, Big Dogz, will surely join their previous albums No Mean City and Hair Of The Dog in the most representative episodes of a glorious history.
Founder member Pete Agnew says “They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but having recorded the new Nazareth album Big Dogz, I don’t agree. We’ve got some tasty bones here! Our friends at earMusic offered us the opportunity to mark some new territory and the ‘Nazhounds’ are delighted to be back among their pack. We’re straining at the leash to tour this puppy. We reckon it’s bitchin’! So get ready, because in 2011 the Big Dogz gonna howl!!”
Nazareth is:
Dan McCafferty (vocals)
Pete Agnew (bass)
Lee Agnew (drums)
Jimmy Murrison (guitars)
Track Listing:
1.) Big Dog’s Gonna Howl
2.) Claimed
3.) When Jesus Comes To Save The World Again
4.) Radio
5.) No Mean Monster
6.) Time And Tide
7.) Lifeboat
8.) The Toast
9.) Watch Your Back
10.) Butterfly
11.) Sleeptalker
