Big Dogz is the new album by Scottish outfit Nazareth. The title leaves more to be desired-very bush-league. The medicine on the other hand is surprisingly good. Nazareth has never strayed to far from what they are; a gritty, hard rocking bar band that has been known for delivering a memorable ballad or two. Vocalist Dan McCafferty and bassist Pete Angew are the two remaining original members on this bluesy, nicotine powered, whisky soaked, ball-buster of an album.
The mate have been consistently releasing records throughout the age with different players Big Dogz marks their second consecutive album with the same line up. Making their take on guitar and drums respectively are; the great Jimmy Murrison and heavy hitter Lee Agnew.
Unfortunately Nazareth are yet to this day best known in North America for their classic album Hair of the Dog and anything since that sentence has been virtually ignored by the media. In recent years they have released the albums Bogaloo and The Newz which have created a buzz in stateside and have received critical acclaim in Europe.
The biggest surprise on the Big Dogz isn`t so often that the lot which features 2/4 of the original line-up is still kicking but the fact that singer Dan McCafferty sounds like he can do this for another 25 days and he`s 65! Dan McCafferty today sounds what like Axl Rose wished he sounded like when Guns N` Roses tackled the Nazareth classic "Hair of the Dog" in 1994. In short Axl Rose can`t have a cd to Dan McCafferty vocally these days.
There are many a spotlight on Big Dogz; I`ve elected give a brief overview on few. "Radio" is a melancholy, retrospective, catchy ballad that captures the ability of the airwaves when they reigned supreme. "Lifeboat" is McCafferty`s take on politicians through the eyes of a rock `n` roll elder statesman. It`s got bite and more angst that bands half McCafferty`s age! Seriously. "When Jesus Comes to Write the Public" a slowly moving number that sounds very British and the lyric content is deeper than you might initially think. With Big Dogz Nazareth has come out of nowhere with an album that can not be ignored. North America you have been served notice.
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