NAZARETH – Play ‘N’ The Game ’76 [Air Mail Archive Japan / Remastered +5] *HQ*

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

As part of Ａ Ｉ Ｒ   Ｍ Ａ Ｉ Ｌ   Ａ Ｒ Ｃ Ｈ Ｉ Ｖ Ｅ Japanese label reissue campaign of NAZARETH albums featuring 24bit remastering and cardboard sleeve mini-LP replica, here’s 1976’s “Play ‘N’ The Game“, including bonus tracks
According to the label, this is ’24 Bit remaster 2006′ especially done for the Japanese market. Sound quality is excellent.
“Play ‘N’ The Game” will get you into grooves.. and move! The album is an enjoyable and varied collection of songs that are more upbeat and playful than their two prior releases. While there is a bit less of the plodding hard rock riffing these Scots are known for, the songs they’ve chosen here make for nice Album Rock fare. It’s a fine and necessary change after the moodier ‘Close Enough For Rock ‘n’ Roll’, which was released earlier the same year, 1976.
The record opens with the catchy and incessant riffing of “Somebody To Roll”, which is easily a highlight. This is followed with an amusing rendition of the Butler/Leiber song “Down Home Girl”, which The Rolling Stones covered back in 1965, however NAZARETH adds tons of groove on this version.

“Flying” is a classic ballad from the band, plenty of atmospherics. The original first side of the record ends with the thumping bass of “Waiting For The Man”, which is a rare, but interesting funk experiment. Maybe John Deacon was listening to this bass line when he came up with “Another One Bites The Dust” a few years later? They are melodically different, but both have a similar groove.

“Born To Lose” is an uptempo hard rocker that finds the band returning to their trademark sound. The Joe Tex cover “I Want To (Do Everything For You)” is a slow, pulsing R&B shuffle that works surprising well for them and play live for many years.
“I Don’t Want To Go On Without You” finds the band playing much in the same vein as “Love Hurts” and possibly trying to recapture that magic again. It’s a very good track played with style as only NAZARETH could do. The Beach Boys cover “Wild Honey” is a catchy pop/rock tune that works alright, providing variation to the LP.
Ending the regular album is the NAZARETH penned “L.A. Girls”, catchy in the American style, punctuated with hand claps.
This reissue adds the non album track / B-side ”Good Love”, and other alternate, 7” single versions.

Nearly half of this record is cover songs, which leads me to wonder whether the band lacked their own material or just wanted to have fun with this album. I will admit that it’s that element of playfulness that I enjoy about this record, even if doesn’t rock quite as hard as RAZAMANAZ or HAIR OF THE DOG. Overall, it’s an enjoyable collection of songs, if not always a consistent one.

NAZARETH’s ‘Play ‘N’ The Game’ has winning card: it’s an extremely playful record, even if doesn’t rock quite as hard as Razamanaz or Hair Of The Dog. An enjoyable collection of mid-Seventies rocking songs, from one of the best rock n’ roll bands from the era.
Highly Recommended

Ａ Ｉ Ｒ   Ｍ Ａ Ｉ Ｌ  Ａ Ｒ Ｃ Ｈ Ｉ Ｖ Ｅ /  AIRAC～1207
ナザレス* / プレイ• ザ • ゲーム
３０ｔｈ  Ａ Ｎ Ｎ Ｉ Ｖ Ｅ Ｒ Ｓ Ａ Ｒ Ｙ

01 – Somebody To Roll
02 – Down Home Girl
03 – Flying
04 – Waiting For The Man
05 – Born To Love
06 – I Want To Do Everything For You
07 – I Don’t Want To Go On Without You
08 – Wild Honey
09 – L.A. Girls
BONUS TRACKS:
10 – Good Love
11 – I Don’t Want To Go On Without You (Alternate Edit Version)
12 – Waiting For The Man (Alternate Edit Version)
13 – Somebody To Roll (Edit Version)
14 – Born To Love (Edit Version)

Dan McCafferty – vocals
Manny Charlton – guitar
Pete Agnew – bass guitar, guitar, background vocals
Darrell Sweet – drums, percussion, background vocals

Out of Print
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/DAKAIRAC-1207