Listening to Exercises by '70s Scottish hard rockers Nazareth just one time will make you wonder how this could possibly be the same band that went on to record such hard rock classics as "Hair of the Dog," "Bad, Bad, Boy," and "Love Hurts." Exercises, the band's sophomore effort, is a collection of mostly acoustic tracks with lush harmonies and little sign of the driving in-your-face rock that they showcased on their debut Nazareth. The album has a few good moments but it certainly is a document of a band that has made a temporary mistake in deciding their musical direction. The band was known for being a pure powerful hard rock band in concert and on later releases, but on this album they decided to abandon the riff-heavy guitar assault they showcased as a live act. On tracks like "Madelaine" and "In My Time," the band comes across more like laid-back English pop balladeers Badfinger than their real contemporaries like Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy. The role of acoustic folkies does not suit Nazareth well. The Далее...