One of the great things about having a large music collection is that you never get tired of playing the same old albums over and over again. There is so much to choose from that variety is almost automatic and over-exposure is avoided.
One of the drawbacks is that you often forget about a lot of great music at the expense of what ever current thing you're into at that stage.
My employer was gracious enough to give me a day off on Friday, so I spent the day with my wife. During lunch, the video jukebox in the restaurant played a number of great tunes but it played a song by a band that I had not necessarily forgotten about, but had avoided listening to for a long time.
They played a tune by Bachman-Turner Overdrive called "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" which, if ever a commercial radio station ever play a track by BTO, that's the one and only tune they'll play. As I don't listen to commercial radio anymore, I'd avoided that song altogether.
If you were to believe what radio programmers think their audiences like, then you'd believe that Bachman-Turner Overdrive were one hit wonders, based on the amount of times that the aforementioned song is played on their stations. Dig a little deeper and you'll find many a gem that could use some extra attention.
For trainspotters, Bachman-Turner Overdrive were a stridently blue collar, working class rock band who slotted nicely into the 1970s rock scene alongside Status Quo and US southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd, even though BTO were Canadians. Co-Lead singer and guitarist Randy Bachman was a peer of Neil Young and played in one of Neil's first groups "The Squires" before joining Guess Who. Randy's voice is smoother and more soulful, while the other lead singer C.F. (Fred) Turner's voice is quite gruff.
Trawling through the band's back catalog there are plenty of gems, and today I present to you just two.
"Let it Ride" is pretty much the meta-song for a lot of the crap going on in my life at the moment. This live version is performed by a reformation of sorts featuring Randy Bachman and Fred Turner, billed as "Bachman and Turner".
The other track I wanted to share was a simple working class classic, the other big "hit" is ever there was one by BTO, called "Takin' Care of Business". Note that big guitar sound of theirs belting out that riff...
Until next time, ENJOY!
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