Nazareth spent the better part of the '70s frantically flitting between recording studios and concert stages. They were working tirelessly to promote well-received LPs like Razamanaz, Loud and Proud and their May 1974 album Rampant, which turned out to be appropriately named under the circumstances.

The group’s final pairing with Deep Purple's Roger Glover as producer was a memorable one, kicking off with the driving "Silver Dollar Forger" before showing some restraint on the almost glam-like "Glad When You’re Gone," and then easing into a sultry blues balladry of "Loved and Lost."

A group of backup singers joined in on the fun for "Shanghai’d in Shanghai"; slide guitars and wah-wah pedals caressed the hazy-eyed travelogue of "Jet Lag"; waves of phasing and vocal echoes brought the anthemic "Light My Way" in and out of the shadows while uncharacteristically folky acoustics gently buoyed "Sunshine." Finally, a militaristic cover of the Yardbirds’ "Shapes of Things" frankly left something to be desired — at least until its second-half detour into "Space Safari" achieved lift-off.

Rampant was hardly the most consistent musical experience, but it did regale open-minded Nazareth fans with an entertaining survey of their versatility. If nothing else, the blended Scotch whiskey voice of Dan McCaffery and Manny Charlton’s fuzz-laden six string acted as binding agents for the somewhat disparate material. Both of them could almost always be counted to give Nazareth that extra push over the cliff to the delight of their loyal fans — pardon the This Is Spinal Tap quote.

Despite producing so many winning moments, however, "Shanghai’d in Shanghai" became the only charting single from Rampant – and it wound up stalled just outside the U.K. Top 40, much to Nazareth’s frustration. Nevertheless, it instilled a fresh sense of urgency that would see the group deliver the bestselling LP of their career with 1975’s Hair of the Dog.

 

 

See the Top 100 Albums of the '70s

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