Music critic Kevin Bryan delivers his verdict on some interesting new releases

Nazareth, “Born Under The Wrong Sign 1976-1979” (Cherry Red Records)

The arresting interplay between Dan McCafferty’s and Manny Charlton’s bluesy guitar work propelled Dunfermline’s finest musical exports through a lengthy run of chart success during their creative heyday in the seventies, and this five-CD package explores the band’s musical output during the latter half of the decade.

The contents also give listeners an opportunity to compare and contrast the original version of their ninth studio album,”Expect No Mercy,”which was rejected by their record company and the rejigged offering which finally saw the light of day in November 1977.

Nazareth, “Born Under The Wrong Sign 1976-1979” (Cherry Red Records)

placeholder image — Nazareth, “Born Under The Wrong Sign 1976-1979” (Cherry Red Records)

1979’s “No Mean City” is most notable for the addition to the Nazareth ranks of former Sensational Alex Harvey Band guitarist Zal Cleminson and the good people at Cherry Red have also extracted a generous helping of bonus tracks from the archives, including their 1975 cover of Tomorrow’s “My White Bicycle.”

Grey DeLisle & Les Greene,”Grey & Greene” (Hummin’ Bird Records)

This life enhancing collection brings together the combined talents of Americana specialist Grey DeLisle and the ebullient Les Greene, who’s probably best known for his scene stealing performance as Little Richard in the Baz Luhmann movie “Elvis.”

These unlikely musical soulmates have assembled a glorious celebration of the timeless delights of country, rockabilly and Southern soul which should help to remind discerning listeners of the redemptive power of this classic brand of music making, before closing proceedings with an infectious revamp of the 1978 “Grease” chart topper,”You’re The One That I Want.”

DeLisle has already made quite a name for herself as a comedian and voice actress alongside her critically acclaimed musical exploits and “Grey & Greene” represents an impressive addition to the Californian’s illustrious back catalogue, showcasing self penned gems such as “Mariposa,” “Shake That Thing” and “The Pieces.”

Status Quo, “The Early Years Vol.2 (1970-1972)” (Cherry Red)

Status Quo floundered around a little in search of a coherent musical direction after the tumultuous singles success of the rampantly psychedelic “Pictures of Matchstick Men” in 1968 before settling on the distinctive brand of denim clad boogie rock which would become their creative trademark.

This fascinating anthology focusses attention on the early stages of this transition, bringing together the group’s third and fourth Pye albums, “Ma Kelly’s Greasy Spoon” and “Dog of Two Head,” alongside a generous helping of bonus material culled from demos, outtakes, live tracks and radio sessions.

The Quo sound wasn’t quite the finished product at this point in their career but there are more than enough gems on offer to justify an astute investment, with musical highlights emerging in the shape of “Down The Dustpipe,” “Junior’s Wailing” and “In My Chair” to name but a few.