Play 'n' the Game
Nazareth
℗ 1976 Mountain Records TOPS 113
℗ 1976 Vertigo Records 6370 418
℗ 1976 A & M Records SP 4610
℗ 1997 CLACD 219
Play 'N the Game found Nazareth continuing in the AOR direction they established with Close Enough for Rock & Roll. Like that album, it trades the driving rock that made the group famous for an experimental sound that toys with several different musical genres. For instance, "Down Home Girl" is a stab at Southern rock, and the group's cover of the Beach Boys classic "Wild Honey" slows down that song's tempo to create a effects-laden psychedelic atmosphere. Elsewhere, the group covers the hard rock bases with "Someone to Roll" and "Born to Love," a pair of energetic, guitar-driven rockers that would have fit in fine on Razamanaz or Loud & Proud. They also crossbreed the energy of these tracks with pop hooks on "L.A. Girls," a nimble bit of pop/rock fusion where speedy guitar riffs duke it out a with handclap-driven pop song beat. However, the undeniable highlights of Play 'N the Game are its ballads: "I Want to Do Everything for You" is a promise of eternal love built on a swinging and pleasingly earthy bass groove and "I Don't Want to Go on Without You" is a moody tale of lost love that shows off Manny Charlton's ability to craft the soft but powerful guitar riffs necessary for a good power ballad. This album benefits from a more consistent overall sound than Close Enough for Rock & Roll, but its shifts in tone are too abrupt for their own good, making the proceedings come off as a loose collection of songs instead of a fully-conceived album. Despite this problem, Play 'N the Game is an effective slice of AOR that will please the Nazareth fanbase. — Donald A. Guarisco. |
- 1. Somebody to Roll (D. McCafferty — P. Agnew — D. Sweet — M. Charlton) [03:56]
- 2. Down Home Girl (Arthur Butler — Jerry Leiber) [05:06]
- 3. Flying [04:24]
- 4. Waiting For The Man [04:56]
- 5. Born To Love [03:59]
- 6. I Want to (Do Everything for You) [04:25]
- 7. I Don't Want To Go On Without You [03:49]
- 8. Wild Honey [03:05]
- 9. L.A. Girls [03:47]
- 10. Good Love [b-side] (Dan McCafferty — Darrell Sweet — Manny Charlton — Pete Agnew) [03:51]
- 11. I Don't Want to Go on without You [alternate edit] (Bert Berns — Jerry Wexler) [03:23]
- 12. Waiting for the Man [alternate edit] (Dan McCafferty — Darrell Sweet — Manny Charlton — Pete Agnew) [06:12]
- 13. Somebody to Roll [alternate edit] (Dan McCafferty — Darrell Sweet — Manny Charlton — Pete Agnew) [03:29]
Участие в альбоме:
- Pete Agnew: bass guitar, backing vocals
- Manny Charlton: Guitar
- Dan McCafferty: Vocals
- Darrell Sweet: Drums
Тексты:
Somebody to Roll
(D. McCafferty — P. Agnew — D. Sweet — M. Charlton)
Goin' out, got some time to use Baby, baby, baby, I just can't lose Truckin' round from town to town Got to get my rocks off the ground Going up, I've been down so long All I need is just one good song Take me out of this dead end gig Get my shot at some of the big If you want to rock If you want to rock You got to find somebody to roll I just signed my life away The record company's got to pay Got to chase that billboard bullet Nothin' left but to go out and do it If you want to rock You got to find If you want to rock You got to find somebody to roll Somebody to roll Goin' out, got some time to use Baby, baby, baby, I just can't lose Truckin' round from town to town Got to get my rocks off the ground If you want to rock You got to find somebody If you want to rock You got to find somebody to roll Somebody to roll
Down Home Girl
(Arthur Butler — Jerry Leiber)
Lord I swear, the perfume you wear Is made out of turnip greens And every time that I kiss you girl It tastes like pork and beans Even though you’re wearin‘ them Citified high heels I can tell by your giant steps That you’ve been walkin’ through cotton fields Ohhhhhh, you’re some down home girl Your shoes are green, your dress is red And your wiggy head is powder blue But underneath all of that mess, Well you’re still the same old messy you You’re sittin there in that fancy chair Just drinkin’ champaigne like a movie star When ya oughta be sittin’ on a sidewalk Drinkin white lightnin’ Out of a jelly jar Oh, you’re some down home girl Dimples in your pretty cheeks And dimples in your knees You walk by and baby I Can smell magnolia trees You tell me you’re from New York baby But I know you’re from way down South I can hear a Mississippi mama Evey time you open up your mouth Oh, you’re some down home girl Oh, you’re some down home girl