2XS

• Artist: Nazareth
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1982
• Genre: Rock

Review

After spending much of 1981 involved in a successful tour, Nazareth returned to the studio with a newfound sense of vigor the next year. The album they produced was 2XS, an outing that stands alongside Malice in Wonderland as one of their finest achievements during the 1980s. Although its sound goes for the sonic sleekness of AOR, it does not skimp on the hard rock elements. For instance, "Love Leads to Madness" boasts the kind of sumptuous power ballad melody that helped it become a radio favorite but is also layered with plenty of surprisingly heavy power chords. 2XS also finds the group cranking out some of their most furious rockers since the days of Expect No Mercy and No Mean City: "Boys in the Band" is guitar-fuelled declaration of intent that moves at a head-spinning double-time tempo, and "Gatecrash" is a party rocker that swings with the raucous verve of early hits like "Bad Bad Boy." Another surprising element of 2XS is the way it works a surprising new wave element into the group's style: "You Love Another" is a creepy, synthesizer-drenched breakup ballad that would have fit in fine on one of the Cars' early albums, and "Preservation" infuses the Nazareth rock sound with a churning bassline and burbling electronic sounds. The end result of all these elements is an album that creates an effective and personalized fusion of hard rock and AOR elements. It may not contain enough of either style for purist fans of those genres, but Nazareth fans and adventurous rock fans will find plenty to enjoy on 2XS. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Love Leads to Madness	Dan McCafferty, Billy Rankin, Darrell Sweet, Pete Agnew, Manny Charlton	Nazareth
Boys in the Band	Manny Charlton, Pete Agnew, Dan McCafferty	Nazareth
You Love Another	Manny Charlton, Billy Rankin, Pete Agnew, Dan McCafferty, Darrell Sweet	Nazareth
Gatecrash	Billy Rankin, Dan McCafferty, Darrell Sweet, Pete Agnew, Manny Charlton	Nazareth
Games	Dan McCafferty, Darrell Sweet, Pete Agnew, Billy Rankin, Manny Charlton	Nazareth
Back to the Trenches	Pete Agnew, Dan McCafferty, Manny Charlton	Nazareth
Dream On	Manny Charlton, Pete Agnew, Dan McCafferty, Darrell Sweet	Nazareth
Lonely in the Night	Dan McCafferty, Billy Rankin, Pete Agnew, Darrell Sweet	Nazareth
Preservation	Manny Charlton, Dan McCafferty, Pete Agnew	Nazareth
Take the Rap	Darrell Sweet, Pete Agnew, Manny Charlton, Billy Rankin, Dan McCafferty	Nazareth
Mexico	Billy Rankin, Darrell Sweet, Dan McCafferty, Pete Agnew	Nazareth

Credits

Pete Agnew (Guitar), Darrell Sweet (Percussion), Pete Agnew (Vocals (Background)), Pete Agnew (Bass), Dan McCafferty (Vocals), Darrell Sweet (Vocals (Background)), Manny Charlton (Guitar), John Locke (Keyboards), Darrell Sweet (Drums), Billy Rankin (Guitar), Pete Agnew (Guitar (Bass)), Billy Rankin (Vocals (Background))

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