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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THIS Is The One, Folks..., May 7, 2005
My favorite hard rock band of all time. This is their masterful debut album that never gets the recognition it deserves. I love 'Hair Of The Dog' and their harder-rocking stuff. But for me, none of their other albums can match the diversity and intrigue of this one. In short, it's a masterpiece. It has a little of everything - country, boogie rock, hard rock, beautiful ballads and orchestrated epics. Say what you will, but I enjoy this much more than 'Led Zep 1', 'Black Sabbath' and possibly even 'Deep Purple In Rock'.
And 'Hair Of The Dog' fans, don't give me that "it's not a consistent album" mumbo jumbo because there are moments of musical brilliance on this album. Dan McCafferty's voice sounds NOTHING like it would in the future. He's so known for that gritty, raspy voice but he sounds like a completely different guy here.
The hard rocker "Witchdoctor Woman" is a devastating opener, full of killer fuzz guitar and McCafferty's overwhelming vocal power (especially at the end). The solo part is awesome too, listen to the way the guitar scorches while the bass is thumping away like a mastodon. Obviously, they had been listening to what Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Uriah Heep did the previous year.
"Dear John" is pure piano boogie rock. Awesome song.
"Empty Arms, Empty Heart" has a phenomenal riff that should definitely be on any list of greatest guitar riffs. But few people know about this album so I guess that will never happen.
"I Had A Dream" is beautiful. Dan McCafferty can adapt his voice to practically any style of music, and this proves it. Listen to this song and you'll be thinking "this can't be the same guy who sang 'Hair Of The Dog' and 'Razamanaz'". But it is! What a lovely vocal melody and soothing harmonium.
"Red Light Lady" is interesting. Starts out simple enough as a kick-ass rock tune, then slows down and goes into a weird orchestral part. Unique, definitely.
Speaking of unique, how about "Fat Man"? Killer riff with some weird, distorted vocals. Man, these guys just had a plethora of ideas. Chronicling a day in the life of an unpopular fat guy.
"Country Girl" is a marvelous country ballad with great slide guitar from Manny. Dan sings beautifully.
"Morning Dew" is THE masterpiece on this album, and in my book, one of the top 5 greatest songs the band ever did. Yeah, you can keep your radio tunes and hit singles, but this song is Nazareth's Mona Lisa. Definitely the best version of this song ever made, it even blows away the Jeff Beck Group's version. The intro is priceless, with a pounding bass line being driven into your brain, before some brilliant, spooky guitar effects come into play (love the way Manny uses echo here). And here's Dan adapting his voice once again, starting out peaceful and smooth before exploding into full-fledged rock 'n roll as the rest of the band explodes with him. Simply priceless.
"The King Is Dead" is a chilling tale of anarchy, complete with string accompaniment. This one can really haunt you to death, with Dan's whispery vocals and Manny's beautiful acoustic guitar.
The b-side "Friends" is included here and it's a real treat. Yet another country-styled acoustic ballad that really is wonderful. This is about as far from 'Hair Of The Dog' as you can get! Anyway, it's a nice, relaxing little ditty about relaxation. Has funny lyrics too ("Roll yourself a joint, friend...Empty your head, friend"). Great stuff.
The alternate versions of the original songs are pretty pointless, but they take nothing away from the musical mastery of this great, forgotten album.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Morning Dew, May 7, 2005
Their debut album, very bluesy-hard rock. A 7 minute excellent version of morning dew is a must for Nazareth fans. The whole album is strong and worth picking up. If you enjoyed Rampant,Hair of the dog & loud 'n'proud you'll get your money's worth.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
what a start, September 21, 2007
Someone once told me Nazareth's first album is a good example of a lost, forgotten hard rock classic. He was right! The songwriting right from the very beginning of their career was top notch stuff. I can't think of a single weak point on the entire album. When a band starts off THIS strongly on their first album, that usually means they will go on to have a successful career. That stands true for Nazareth.
"Witchdoctor Woman" is the best way to open a hard rock album (and a bands career for that matter). Just a snappy little slice of hard rock. "Dear John" is another highlight in terms of great songwriting. "Morning Dew" has a quiet, exciting build-up. Good stuff all around. I love the chorus in "Red Light Lady" (repeatedly singing the line "I fell in love with that lady"). "Country Girl" is awesome. Just a really solid debut for a legendary rock band. There needs to be more people out there familiar with this album, that's for sure.
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