Road Food (1974)
GW’s Harmonic Ode To The Road
The Guess Who were a great singles band, but unless you were a fan you may not have realized how entertaining their albums were. Next to the radio-friendly hits were sometimes bizarre and decidedly non-commercial offerings. While leader Burton Cummings’ biographical balladeering could sometimes be self-indulgent, inside jokes and comic forays were curious sidetracks from the group’s spontaneously rockin‘ stoner fun. Road Food is my favorite, though I’d be the first to admit it might pale next to greats like Share The Land, So Long Bannatyne and another personal fave, Rockin‘. Those are all post-Randy Bachman releases that spotlight replacement guitarist/writer Kurt Winter. This was Winter’s last with the band… and The Guess Who were never the same after his departure. Road Food rocks with full harmonies and even a concept, of sorts, about life on the road. Note the original (and more logical) track sequence listed on the cover – beginning with “Star Baby,” a should-have-been hit/groupie diary (with a quiet “fuck” slipped into the fade, perhaps explaining why it didn’t crack in the States), and ending with Burton’s band bio, “Ballad Of The Last Five Years” (roughly Winter’s tenure). Though the LP sides were switched prior to release , it’s easily doctored.
Clap For The Wolfman
Pleasin’ For Reason
Road Food
Ballad Of The Last Five Years
Star Baby
Attila’s Blues
Straighten Out
Don’t You Want Me?
One Way Road To Hell
10 Comments
I bought a worn copy of this LP from the Salvation Army around 1981 (in Winnipeg the used bins used to be pretty thick with old Guess Who albums). Their albums gradually got less charming as they went along and this one still had its moments.
P.S. I added you to my blogroll.
Many thanks J, we've done the same. Thanks again for The Spazzys.
Thanks very much, I've been searching for this album for quite some time! :)
Unknown to me!
BUT
I cannot get out the boat!!!!!
Thanks. I'll try this out.
Find it HERE.
I'm only familar with the Guess Who through the greatest hits albums, and I prefer to hear albums the way they were made, so how about a listing of the best albums by the Guess Who, with a short review or sentence or two as to why you like them…would appreciate your input.
Dave
Thanks for the challenge Dave, but we've got some of our older Guess Who posts almost ready to re-post again, so there will be a bunch more coming up in a few days. Then you'll have a bunch (including some of my faves mentioned in this post), with essays on each, to choose from. Thanks.
Other than the Clap, this is a great GW album. For the life of me, I cant understand why Burton still insists on playin CFTW live?!?
Thanx for this one as well Willard!
Al
At the time it was a much needed (American) hit for the band, and these days Burt’s an unabashed crowd pleaser. But… I fully understand your sentiment. At least it didn’t turn you off the rest of this excellent album. Thanks for chiming in.