Customer Reviews

Bachman-Turner Overdrive II

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

bto was a muscular boogie band from canada, both musically and literally (frontmen randy bachman and fred turner could have played line for any number of football teams! )this album marked the band's commercial breakthrough with the monster hit "takin' care of business" (still heard regularly on office depot commercials) and minor hits "let it ride" and "welcome home." the sound is hard rock from start to finish, but not as metallic as the next effort 'not fragile' would be. the boogie is still here (eg., "business" and "tramp"), as well as a glimpse of mr. bachman's jazz chops (check out the end of "welcome home," an almost completely different song as the band gets into a brubeck groove), as was "blue collar" from their first album. this album captures the live feel, not far removed from the bar room. no studio gimmicks, no subtlety, just power chords and hard rock joy!

BTO's big break in the states........early '74 saw the release of the three-and-a-half-minute single version of "Let It Ride" (this disc's got the full version, with C.F.'s supersonic screaming intact). And "Takin' Care Of Business" saw us all through the summer of '74.

But there's a lot more to this effort--in fact, see if you can make it thru the album's first half without being totally pooped. The opening track, "Blown"--a real "window-smasher" of a rocker--gets the adrenaline pumping right away, to say the least........lead guitarist Randy Bachman's famous "Long-Kamm Slide" is the icing on the cake with this track. It's amazing "Blown," which was the most-played album track on FM stations 30 years back, hasn't made it onto today's rigid Classic Rock playlists.

A Randy Bachman composition, "Welcome Home," is an indication of how wily the man could be; it's not for nothing that he's considered one of rock's great robbers.....hear, for instance, his amusing jazz guitar solo which rounds out the track (after he's all done yelling the song's title at the very top of his lungs for the umpteenth time.

"Stonegates" is five-and-a-half minutes of solid fun. The album begins to sputter and fritz a bit with "Give It Time" and "Tramp" (it hurts that they're both the same tempo and beat); but overall, this is great stuff, still a helluva lotta fun today.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive is most likely the most under-rated Rock Band of the 1970's. After leaving the Guess Who in 1970 and the failure of Brave Belt to capture any attention, Randy was about left for dead by the Record Companies and Rock Audiences. Burton Cummings was going on in the Rock Magazines about Randy being: "All Washed-Up" and/or a: "Has-Been".

Well, with C.F. Turner on great gruff vocals and brothers Robbie and Tim on drums and guitars, Randy still had the Talent, and with these players, all that was missing between him and the Top of the Charts were the right songs.

This second record by BTO has the Songs, and they are Classic Rock Songs. Some of the best Rock of the 1970's. Song's that are still remembered today, as some of the best of that Decade, are right here on: "Bachman-Turner Overdrive II."

With: "Blown", "Welcome Home" "Stonegates","Let It Ride" & "Takin Care Of Business" all together on one Record, it is easy to see WHY this Record sold millions of copies. There are more Great Songs on this One Record, than many other Bands could muster-up over a 10 Year time span.

Things do get a bit Sub-standard on Side B with: "Tramp" & "I Don't Have To Hide" being weak tunes. The reason for the inclusion of those two, is simple...this Album was rushed out quickly after the release of BTO {The 1st}, if Randy & Fred, had a bit more time to write Tunes, these two wouldn't have made the cut. But to cash-in on the Steamroller that the Band was becoming, Live Concerts were generating lot's of new Fans in 1973 {I saw them in September of that year, and they were Rock Solid Excellent.}. The sales of the first LP were constant, it was selling more copies every month. This Band was on the edge of Major Stardom, we knew it and the Record Company was aware that Teenagers of 1973 were starvin' for some plain & simple: "ROCK" Music. Groups such as Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer were the most popular acts of the day, and in-between those Synths sneaks in a Group of Guitar Slingers that HAD the riffs and Leads that we were waiting for. Randy Bachman is a real smart Guy, the reason for Bachman-Turner Overdrives MASSIVE success in 1974 was that he was wise enough to KEEP IT SIMPLE !!! This is Music that we could try to play in our garages, and Randy just like John Fogerty of CCR knew that, this Music was the Key.

Yeah, there are some clinkers on this one, but it is almost a: "Greatest Hits" Record, all by itself. BTO Became big, Big, BIG because of this Record and the one that came next. Burton Cummings had some egg on his face when Randy started collecting Gold Records by the Truckload & Wheelbarrels full of cash because of these songs.

This is a Great Record, this is Great Rock Music, Randy had his Day and this is it.
Four Stars !!!

Bachman Turner overdrive got it right again with their second album. Their first album was hard driving guitar in your face rock and roll. this second album is from the same cloth. Fred Turner is a very underrated hard rock singer who gives BTO the sound. Bachman is a great guitar player and they all play together and compliment each other. 5 STARS PLEASE

BTO really put themselves on the musical map with this album - well known for the hit tracks "Let It Ride" and "Takin' Care of Business." There are other musical nuggets on this album to boot. I only wonder why some record company today doesn't have the current band in the studio pumping out new hard rock classics. BTO is a much better band than most of the ones that are out there now.

Beyond a doubt there is a small handful of rock groups that stand not only the test of time, but consistently punches the drive, so that within the first 2 seconds after a particular song is played, causes the listener's auto-neurons to fire and entice that listener to instinctively crank the volume to the outer threshold of toleration. Not to mention singing each lyric verbatim with the distinct inflection and mimicry of the performer. "Takin' Care of Business" is just that song. The anthem of workaholics everywhere! Bachman-Turner Overdrive II is one of the treasures that you can proudly say, no matter if there's been a re-mastered digital version, I was there when it was first released...I've had and will always keep my vinyl version!"

This really rocks! It is hard hitting and back to the basics rock! For me, the whole album rocks from beginning to end!!!

Bachman-Turner Overdrive beat the sophmore jinx and come up with a wonderful second album on II. Such standards as "Let It Ride" (sung by Fred Turner) and "Takin' Care Of Business" (sung by Randy Bachman) show the contrast between Turner's gruff scream and Bachman's smoother singing, although both are rooted in the Memphis-Chicago-Texas-St. Louis-New Orleans-Detroit-Philadelphia-Kansas City blues/R&B/soul/rock & roll tradition. Another standout on this album is "Welcome Home", which was never released as a single. This is an album you should definitely purchase.

I remember my dad playing the album on our old stereo. I was about 9 or so, and I can remember how much I loved "Let It Ride." I really didn't listen to the album completely until I was about 16, and I was "Blown" away. I thought that song rocked. I also thought that "Welcome Home" and "Stonegates" were pretty solid also. And this is without even mentioning "Takin Care of Business." I guess my point is that the album only had about 8 songs on it, and I thought that 6 of them were good. There aren't many groups out there today who could come up with that kind of effort. I'll bet if some of today's teens listened to this, they would like it.

I got this CD as a companion the the Greatest Hits CD. Yes it has 2 of there best songs that are also on the GH, it also includes Blown and Welcome Home. One of my favorite albums in my college years. Had to have the CD!