The title of this album
says it all really, just say the word
“Razamanaz” and you know it’s time to
party. With the release of this album,
Nazareth had one of the most unusual albums
to roar up the charts in 1973, not unusual
in musical content, as it is a straight
ahead, smack between the eyes Rock ‘n’
Roll album, but in the company it kept
at the upper reaches of the charts, considering
this was the time of either Glam-rock
(Sweet, Slade, T-rex etc) or highly avant-garde
progressive rock (Yes, E.L.P., Jethro
Tull) so to see a bunch of geezers from
the heart of Glasgow, Scotland up against
them caused many a backward glance, but
shoot up the charts it did, attaining
a high of No. 11 in the British charts.
No mean feat for a band that had previously
only released 2 albums, both recorded
and promoted on small budgets, being honest,
neither of them were truly representative
of their wild stage act, mostly filled
with ballads, where as this little baby
is choc-a-block full of rockers. The Razamanaz
album was a turning point in changing
the fortunes of these Scottish rascals
for the better.
The basis of any good rock band is a solid
rhythm section, these positions were filled
by one of the nicest guys in Rock ‘n’
Roll the aptly named Darrel Sweet on Drums,
with the flamboyant and must have in your
stage line up, Pete Agnew on Bass. If
that was the engine room, then the decorations
were laid on thick by Manny Charlton,
Lead Guitar. (Who’s catch phrase must
have been “If you’ve got it flaunt it”
as sprayed all over the songs, is wah-wah,
fuzz box, feed back, and loads of slide
guitar). Out front was graval voiced vocalist
Dan McCafferty, who must of gargled with
broken bottles every day to keep the chords
in such rough shod order.
The production work of Roger Glover the
bassist from Deep Purple should not be
overlooked as he encouraged the band to
go for the throat and enjoy themselves,
which they certainly did, having not only
a hit album, but 2 top ten singles in
“Broken Down Angel” and the wonderfully
politically incorrect “Bad Bad Boy” with
it’s boisterous lyrics of “She was the
apple of her daddies eye, but when that
woman looked up at me, and I said honey
we’ll be together till the day I die………….
Well I Lied!”. Mind you on the following
song “Sold My Soul” Dan McCafferty sounds
as if he’s singing from the bowls of Hades
itself, so perhaps what goes around comes
around.
Nazareth built their reputation as an
all action party band, and this studio
album was a great representation of the
live animal, over the next 3 decades the
influence of Nazareth can often be heard
especially in bands like “AC/DC” and “Guns
and Roses”. So if you want to hear the
original, get out and get yourself Razamanazed.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
