NAZARETH – Rampant [SHM-CD mini-LP remastered +4] (2024) *HQ*

Just reissued in Japan with remastered sound, four bonus tracks and pressed on SHM-CD in a mini-LP replica format, here’s NAZARETH‘s fifth studio album “Rampant”, originally released in 1974. With this album, Nazareth makes a slight musical change incorporating Southern rock intonations into some of his songs (“Glad When You’re Gone”, “Jet Lag”) or the title that opens, “Silver Dollar Forger”, and a more hard rocking, edgy guitar sound.
Produced by Roger Glover, the record features as guest another Deep Purple alumni, the great Jon Lord on synthesizer and piano. Some kind of a mix between primal AC/DC riffs and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s rocking side, “Rampant” is considered among NAZARETH’s best works, and one of the most distinctive.

The powerful opener “Silver Dollar Forger” is hard rocking tale of an outlaw racing home with the cops on his tail has a surprisingly elaborate arrangement and plenty of driving guitar riffs. It feels like the theme song to the great 1970s car chase movie that never was. The song features a terrifically brisk beat from drummer Darrell Sweet, big fun bass from Pete Agnew, a classic Manny Charlton riff, and a charismatic Dan McCaffrerty vocal performance.
Rampant also spawned a hit single and radio favorite with “Shanghai’d in Shanghai,” a pile-driving rocker that works an effective stomping beat into its shout-along chorus. We find a ballad in ”Loved And Lost”, a bluesy number with a very mid-Seventies feeling.

They’re also a band that boogies well – ”Glad When You’re Gone” bottom end choogles irresistibly away, full of kinetic energy. Both Charlton and McCafferty are as saucy as can be on ”Jet Lag”, an easy going, Southern fried rocker which reflects on their experiences touring the USA.
There are also experiments in the form of a cover of The Yardbirds’ ”Shapes Of Things” with an extended passage of spaced out cosmic psych noise. The stoned sounding ”Light My Way” rocks, inclusive of a lysergic effect on McCaffrey’s voice.

”Rampant” is a consistently energetic and engaging collection of Southern-tinged hard rock made with a Scottish flavor, fun rocking ’70s classic rock very well remastered preserving the original analog harmonics.
Highly Recommended

01 – Silver Dollar Forger (Parts 1 & 2)
02 – Glad When You’re Gone
03 – Loved And Lost
04 – Shanghai’d In Shanghai
05 – Jet Lag
06 – Light My Way
07 – Sunshine
08 – Shapes Of Things
09 – Space Safari
10 – Shanghai’d In Shanghai (US Mix Version)
11 – Shapes Of Things (Single Edit Version)
12 – Sunshine (Edit Remix Version)
13 – Silver Dollar Forger (Edit Version)

Dan McCafferty – lead and backing vocals
Pete Agnew – bass, background vocals
Manny Charlton – guitars
Darrell Sweet – drums, background vocals

with;
Vicki Brown, Barry St. John, Liza Strike – background vocals
Jon Lord – synthesizer, piano on 2, 4

Produced by Roger Glover

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www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/BELLE-244113