I’ve been taking a reinterest in Nazareth’s “Love Hurts,” a song I’ve only really listened to two or three times on my own, outside of its appearance at the junior high dance scene in Dazed And Confused.

It’s from 1975. The guitar tone is like 1970s post-psychedelic, and other elements in the song are plenty 70s-sounding too, like the backing vocals. The overly soulful lead vocals by Dan McCafferty (who put out a self titled solo album that same year, wonder how well it sold) are 70s but predict Big 80s Stadium Vocals, as do the shifts to loud dynamics within the song. (I am aware that it is a cover of a very old Everly Brothers song, the vocals of which sound cadaverous and creep me out personally.) It was a huge hit, so I bet it’s a huge influence.

I’m not sure I can think of such a “monster ballad” from before this. I do not think Aerosmith’s “Dream On” counts–it’s too sad and dreary-sounding and it uses a Mellotron and it’s just not as heavily produced as it should be to be the first “monster ballad.”

Please understand that I mean songs whose production or instrumental values predict 80s monster ballads, not just any ballad by any rock band. Certainly Led Zeppelin don’t have anything that fits the bill. Black Sabbath have nothing prior to 1975 that is really like that, don’t say “Changes” for God’s sake. Deep Purple? I’ve only heard three albums.

Note that I am going to try to find time to listen to the Hair Of The Dog album here shortly as well as the first Nazareth album from 1971, just because George handed it a 5 star rating on his old site and I’m curious about it. Anyone here fans?