The perennial Scottish hard rockers, now together for over 40 years, celebrate the re-remastering of their extensive catalogue with this (another) compilation.

Right now, this is no bad thing, because there was a period (largely through the 90s) where there was another compilation almost every other week, and some of them produced rather cheaply. The new catalogue overhall, I understand, will be adding even more bonus material and BBC live tracks, and this compilation will remind you just how good the band were, in terms of both albums and singles.

The set kicks off with the title track of their 1973 album Razamanaz, a raunchy rough bluesy rock’n’roll number, and the album’s 2 hit singles 'Bad Bad Boy' and 'Broken Down Angel'. Many of those early tracks were produced by Deep Purple’s Roger Glover, and tracks like 'Shanghai’d In Shanghai' and 'Go Down Fighting' should be in any respectable record collection.

The original four piece featured some great pounding rhythms, some excellent slide guitar from Manny Charlton and Dan McCafferty’s vocals, whiskey soaked gravel, are distinctive to say the least.

Two surprise hits and cover versions are Joni Mitchell’s 'This Flight Tonight' and the ballad 'Love Hurts' are here too.

Disc one closes with the excellent 'Expect No Mercy' and the return to metal of 'No Mean City', the latter features SAHB’s Zal Claminson on second guitar too.

The 80s and 90s (disc 2) features some equally good material, by which time the band were huge in the USA and Europe and almost forgotten here. A live cover of 'Cocaine', the hit 'Dream On', and even more recent tracks 'Steamroller', 'When The Lights Come Down' and 'Goin’ Loco' (the latter from last year’s Newz), there’s some great stuff here.

The history is well documented by Dave Ling (Classic Rock), with 38 tracks and the booklet full of rare picture sleeves, it’s good value. Nothing new, but if you’re not familiar with the band beyond the hits, it’s as good an intro as any.

****

Review by Joe Geesin

www.joegeesin.com