A potent, uncompromising hunk of hard rock, Expect No Mercy (1977) is one of Nazareth’s most consistent long players, a riotous blast from beginning to end, featuring a string of Naz classics. Remastered from the original tapes, this is the ultimate Expect No Mercy as it includes the full alternative (first) mix of the album that has never previously been issued.
 

REVIEW:

The hits had dried up by the time Nazareth made Expect No Mercy in 1977. The album-tour-album cycle had taken its toll, and punk was rearing its head. But record label A&M still wanted their pound of flesh. So Nazareth trooped wearily into the studio and came up with... a country record. A&M weren’t pleased and asked them to start again.

This expanded reissue of Expect No Mercy brackets that abandoned album with the release that finally made it into the shops. The big surprise is that the scrapped one is a cracker - and not really countryfied at all.

Of the abandoned songs, the highlights are Greens, a quickfire, ZZ stomper, and LIfe Of A Dog, which is classic gruff ’n’ ready Naz. Before-and-after versions of Crazy Horse’s Gone Dead Train are included, and it’s interesteing to hear how tyhe band tweaked their approach to appease their label.

8/10
Geoff Barton
CLASSIC ROCK

TRACKLIST:

1. EXPECT NO MERCY
2. GONE DEAD TRAIN
3. SHOT ME DOWN
4. REVENGE IS SWEET
5. GIMME WHAT’S MINE
6. KENTUCKY FRIED BLUES
7. NEW YORK BROKEN TOY
8. BUSTED
9. PLACE IN YOUR HEART
10. ALL THE KING’S HORSES
11. KENTUCKY FRIED BLUES (first version)
12. GONE DEAD TRAIN (first version)
13. SHOT ME DOWN (first version)
14. GREENS
15. LIFE OF A DOG
16. NEW YORK BROKEN TOY (first version)
17. REVENGE IS SWEET (first version)
18. DESOLATION ROAD
19. CAN’T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN
20. MOONLIGHT EYES