Reading a little deeper into that, with McCafferty having to call it a career, bassist Pete Agnew will be the last original member standing, meaning that this is probably the swansong release for Nazareth, period.
The good news is, for fans who've stuck with the band for forty years and new fans alike, Rock 'n' Roll Telephone is a very strong effort. Every band would like to go out with a bang, or in this case a "Boom Bang Bang," a song that even though about a heated relationship between a man and a woman, with lyrics like "If they're gonna be damned/Might as well have a little contraband/Gotta have more than a one night stand�" could just as easily be about the band.
"One Set of Bones" is '70s-style Nazareth and a perfect example of the kind of rock that influenced Guns N' Roses, who famously covered early Nazareth song "Hair of the Dog."
"Back 2B4" is a catchy sing along powered by acoustic guitar and apparently cut live in the studio as you can hear the band clowning on the intro and outro, the title cut is a slow and sizzling blues rocker and a great showcase for McCafferty's vocals while "Punch a Hole in the Sky" sounds a bit like Motorhead doing "Smoke on the Water."
Beginning with a little scratching, "Long Time" tunes into a modern funk/pop groove and fans of the band's big hit "Love Hurts" will like the sound of the slow and emotional "The Right Time."
The album ends with a trio of loud-n-proud rockers with the classic Nazareth sound in "Not Today," "Speakeasy" and "God of the Mountain."
Gotta say it; thank you Dan, thank you Nazareth for four hard-rockin' decades and thank you for one of the greatest rock catch-phrases of all time, "Now you're messing with a son of a bitch!"
You can order the album here.
Nazareth - Rock 'n' Roll Telephone (5 Stars)
Rating:
Share this article
More articles for this artist .
Stuckey's: A Road Trip Institution - A Chat with CEO Stephanie Stuckey
Road Trip: Eswatini's Swazi Candles: Light from Africa
Quick Flicks: REO Speedwagon - Live at Rockpalast 1979
Caught In The Act: Def Leppard, Journey, Steve Miller Rock Wrigley Field
Sites and Sounds: Art-In-Action Camp Coming to Woodward, PA
Sammy Hagar Share Video From Best Of All Worlds Van Halen Tribute Tour
Queens Of The Stone Age Cancel More Shows Following Josh Homme's Emergency Surgery
Axl Rose Helps Billy Joel Close Out His Madison Square Garden Residency
Ghost Deliver 'Rite Here Rite Now' Soundtrack
The Offspring 'Make It All Right' With New Animated Video
Fit For A King Recruit The Plot In You's Tewers For 'TECHNIUM' Video
Middle Child Syndrome Says 'Listen To Me' With Debut Album
Singled Out: The Sweet's Little Miracle