NAZARETH – Loud ‘N’ Proud [Japan SHM-CD mini-LP remastered +4] (2024) HQ *Exclusive*

320_1 /// 320_2 /// HQ 1 /// HQ 2

As requested, here’s another NAZARETH classic album. Reissued in Japan at the end of 2024 with a fantastic remastered sound, 4 bonus tracks and pressed on SHM-CD in mini-LP replica format, here’s in exclusive at 0dayrox NAZARETH fourth studio album 1973/74’s “Loud ‘N’ Proud“.
Produced by Deep Purple’s bassist Roger Glover who also play percussion and contributed with some arrangements, “Loud ‘N’ Proud” was a success, reaching 10th place in the UK Albums Chart, an absolute # 1 in Austria, and certified as a platinum record in Canada.
The first single, a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “This Flight Tonight”, reached number 11 on the UK charts and number 1 in Germany. Joni Mitchell, who recorded this song in 1971 for her album Blue, was impressed by the band’s cover and how they make it their own, and sometimes humorously introduced her live performances of the song at concerts by saying “I’m going to perform a Nazareth song.” The different “This Flight Tonight U.S. version” is included here aa bonus track.
“Loud ‘N’ Proud” makes justice to its title, this is catchy, energetic classic ealy ’70s hard rock, mixing a lot of bluesy riffs and solos with occasionally metallic moments. While the band experienced wide success after this album with the masterpiece ‘Hair Of The Dog’, ”Loud ‘N’ Proud” possesses some of their most consistently strong material and one of their most successful songs.

Decided to get “Loud ‘N’ Proud”, the group added even higher levels of distortion and energy here to create one of the hardest rocking items in their catalog: “Go Down Fighting” starts the album with a sonic boom thanks to its blend of furious riffing with a breathless tempo, and the group’s cover of “Teenage Nervous Breakdown” transforms this Little Feat song into a runaway locomotive of hard rock riffing.
However, the album’s definitive moment of heaviness is their extended reworking of Bob Dylan’s “The Ballad of Hollis Brown,” which drenches the tune in ungodly levels of feedback to create an ominous, horror movie-style feel. As bonus there’s the edited version of the song.
”Loud ‘N’ Proud” also produced another hit single for the group with a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “This Flight Tonight,” which transforms the wistful original into a throbbing rock song.

The end result of this ultra-heavy approach is that the album lacks the accessibility and high level of experimentation that characterized previous LP ‘Razamanaz’ in favor to more in-your-face delivery. That said, the album does retain a few stylistic curve balls to keep listeners on their toes: “Turn on Your Receiver” is a midtempo slice of American rock (complete with an exaggerated Southern accent in the vocal) and “Child in the Sun,” a stately ballad dominated by acoustic guitars.
Fun, kick ass, entertaining classic hard rock. What else?
Highly Recommended

You saw it here first at 0dayrox

BELLE ANTIQUE / Ｍａｒｑｕｅｅ
B·E·L·L·E ～ 244112
【ＳＨＭ－ＣＤ】

01 – Go Down Fighting
02 – Not Faking It
03 – Turn On Your Reciever
04 – Teenage Nervous Breakdown
05 – Free Wheeler
06 – This Flight Tonight
07 – Child In The Sun
08 – The Ballad Of Hollis Brown
BONUS TRACKS:
09 – This Flight Tonight (US Version)
10 – Go Down Fighting (US Version)
11 – The Ballad Of Hollis Brown (Edited Version)
12 – Free Wheeler (Edited Version)

Dan McCafferty – lead vocals
Darrell Sweet – percussion, drums, backing vocals
Pete Agnew – bass guitar, Fuzz bass (track 8), backing vocals
Manny Charlton – lead, slide and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
Roger Glover – producer, percussion (track 5)

BUY
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/BELLE-244112
amazon.com/Loud-Proud-Paper-Sleeve-Remaster/dp/B0DJNCGLTP