Pretty cool to come across this live album after so many years of not hearing it!
Nazareth recorded It’s Naz back on May 23 1981! So what better way than to post it today 38 years ago the day it was recorded live in Vancouver British Columbia!
Back in late 1981, it was my fellow Record A-Holic Pal Muc who got It’s Naz pretty much right away after its September 81 release.
Most people myself included called this album just Snaz but on the official Nazareth page, they call the album It’s Naz! HA..
I had heard the name Nazareth of course as I saw the Greatest Hits release which perhaps was Muc’s older sisters album but It’s Naz was Muc’s and man what a smack outside my head when I first heard the opening tune…
It’s Naz is a brilliant live album. Plain and Simple! Hell, you get the live feel vibe when you hear Pete Townsend Rough Boys playing as the intro tape before the start of opener Telegram!
Let’s press rewind on Telegram for a second. This is the very first Nazareth song I had ever heard and it takes Lead Vocalist Dan McCafferty to sing the opening verse and for me to go “WHUT?”
‘Sent a telegram today
Tomorrow you’ll be on your way
Could be Memphis or L.A.
No questions just get out and play.’
I had never heard a rock voice like Dan’s ever up to that point in my life. This dude did not give a shit that he was going to toss a lung at any given point while singing these songs.
In other words. Brillaint!
Posted below is Telegraph…check this action out…
But man when the rest of the band digs in the groove of Telegraph its apparent that Nazareth has a sound of there own and that is one of the reasons why I was so psyched to score my own copy of it recently on double vinyl! (I only ever owned on a prerecorded cassette tape that Muc taped for me back in 1981)
So after that moment of MaCafferty and his voice blowing my brains out comes, Dan as he speaks to the Vancouver crowd right before the second tune in Razamanaz ,with one of the greatest verbal one-liners ever on recorded vinyl!
‘Hey, Vancouver! Now I remember when we like to play you guys are alright”
Here’s some more Naz from It’s Naz doing Razamanaz!
Nazareth steamrolls through a bunch of tracks but the real wild thing is that 8 of the albums 20 tracks are cover tunes! (Juicy Lucy and Morning Dew are the lone two new studio tracks on the album) Yep, you read that right! See the thing is Nazareth can take a tune like Joni Mitchells This Flight Tonight or JJ Cales‘s Cocaine and make it there own!
The band that night in Vancouver was top notch! I love how Dan sings with that gruff Scottish tough guy voice yet the backing vocals are crisp and clear! What a sound and when you hear these guys on the radio even today you know its Naz!
This 1981 incarnation of Nazareth was a superb act and even though drummer Darrell Sweet and keyboardist John Locke have passed on this album shows what great musicians this band had.
The funny thing about Nazareth is that outside the Greatest Hits release it’s the only Nazareth I own! Weird I know but I’m cool with just this album. I’m sure I’m missing out but I can be a puzzle at times, to say the least! haha
Such a mindblower to once again come across this album after all these years and finally own a copy! Speaking of which iTunes doesn’t even have it so vinyl is the only copy for me…
So brilliant! Get Its Snaz! Down n Dirty Rock at it’s finest!
One more thing…
How about a 5 and half a minute live version of Hair of a Dog before you start your day!
YOUR WELCOME!
deKe's Vinyl Reviews & More... 
Nice review. I’ve never heard any of their stuff apart from Love Hurts. I keep meaning to get No Mean City, mostly for the cover!
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Thanks, Joe.
Good call as they did have a few cool covers. This live album is a great spin. I did post a couple of the live tracks from it. I think this was also perhaps the end of Nazareth’s arena run as well in North America or close to it.
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Never heard this. I’ve just got four albums (Razananaz through to Hair Of The Dog). Like them but I wouldn’t say they were one of my faves. Would like to get some more though so might look into this live one.
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I know there has been a reissue on this Scott. A second disc of live tracks from Seattle was added.
Well, you have more Naz than I do but this one you shouldl grab it if you come across it.
It’s worth it. Trust me!
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Sweet! Love the live stuff and this one has a lot of the good ones (okay, it has pretty much the songs I know). If I see this one, I will have to grab it. I don’t think I have ever seen it in my vinyl searches.
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That’s a great live album. Totally remember going and buying it. The rough boys intro was cool, it was the first time I heard it, now it’s one of my favourite songs. We had a lot of good times listening to this one deke.
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Sure did Muk! Check back Monday when I post about the time u discovered Leppard!
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It is rare to see it in the shops. I shot the store a message as soon as I seen the video they posted of recent vinyl additions at the time.
I was pretty psysched to score it to say the elast!
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Not a band I’m much familiar with, Deke – though I do know and like Hair of the Dog.
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Well like I said MR J. I have thIs one on vinyl and Greatest Hits on CD. That’s it!
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Maybe all you need… though you’ll definitely need a slice of greatest hits vinyl or one of their studio albums, eh?
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You need this one fella!
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That 5.5 minute version of Hair of the Dog might be even more potent than this morning’s coffee as a wake up!
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Nazareth played in my hometown in the early ’90s… not Sudbury but in Coniston, the little town I grew up in just outside of it. The arena they played in holds about 1,500 people. I didn’t know who they were at the time but I would have went if I had known.
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Do u have this album? If not grab it when u come across it
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I hadn’t even heard of it until I read this! I’ll be keeping an eye out for it.
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My buddy was a huge Naz fan. Yes and Vancouver was a Naz city.
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Have you heard this album?
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I have now because of you. Nazareth were huge in my neighborhood when they came out. I’ve grown to appreciate them more over the years just for the no nonsense approach. Here it is. Take it or leave it.
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That’s what Snaz is…so good especially the opener Telegram. It takes 10 seconds for Dan to sound like he’s gonna explode vocally. Amazing
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There’s certain vocalists that have that instant recognition because of that gravel in their voice. Dan Mac is one. I’ll attach a link to one of my favorites. Roger Chapman. I think deKe will liKe.
https://cincinnatibabyhead.wordpress.com/2017/09/24/single-daddy-rolling-stone-streetwalkers/
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Nice, thanks, Dude!
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