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The Guess Who/Burton Cummings

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Perplexio
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« on: October 21, 2010, 10:21:46 am »

The past few days I've had The Guess Who stuck in my head.  In particular their songs No Time and No Sugar Tonight.  There's just something about Burton Cummings voice.  I'd argue he was one of the better and more underrated rock vocalists to come out of that era (not to mention out of Canada).  I also quite enjoy These Eyes, Share the Land, American Woman and the Cummings solo track, Stand Tall.

I'm not too familiar with the rest of his solo catalog, can anyone vouch for it?  Is the rest of it as good as or better than Stand Tall or should I stick with his work with The Guess Who?
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Saxman
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« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2010, 09:51:19 pm »

The past few days I've had The Guess Who stuck in my head.  In particular their songs No Time and No Sugar Tonight.  There's just something about Burton Cummings voice.  I'd argue he was one of the better and more underrated rock vocalists to come out of that era (not to mention out of Canada).  I also quite enjoy These Eyes, Share the Land, American Woman and the Cummings solo track, Stand Tall.

I'm not too familiar with the rest of his solo catalog, can anyone vouch for it?  Is the rest of it as good as or better than Stand Tall or should I stick with his work with The Guess Who?

In the mid-1970s, Cummings was often mentioned as one of the greatest vocalists of the rock era, along with David Clayton Thomas of B,S&T (!).  I don't think he has that reputation anymore (and heaven knows a lot of DCT's performances now sound over the top and laugh-inducing).  Didn't Cummings make a reunion album with Randy Bachman (the lead guitarist of GW, better known from Bachman-Turner Overdrive), a gifted guitarist who can play any style lead guitar?  Bachman recently reunited with C.F. Turner for an album that is supposed to sound a LOT like BTO, but that's stuff I grew out of many decades ago.

Anyway, I remember Cummings was on the old Soundstage in the mid 1970s and sang solo and GH material.  The thing that sticks out is he had a HUGE brandy snifter he kept gulping out of the entire concert (perched on top of his piano!).  Supposedly he was another case of someone who couldn't get his substance abuse under control, something that caused strict Mormon Bachman to bail on the Guess Who.  Eventually the rest of the band tired of Cumming unreliability and the band folded.

Cummings had a couple of solo hits, that's all I remember.  They were OK for the time.  I think GH's "Undun" is probably my favorite as it's an atypical, possibly Van Morrison - influenced tune closer to jazz/rock fusion than straight rock and roll and probably is the least dated sounding to me.  "American Woman" has cringe - inducing lyrics to my ears in 2010.  But that's me.
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