Customer Reviews

Four Wheel Drive

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Whatever it is that you read negatively about this album, blow it off... This is HARD CRUNCHING, HARD DRIVING music from a band who never got the recognition they deserved. With so much fluff coming out on the radio in the early 70's, these guys kicked MAJOR A**. C.F. Turner's vocals are more preferred than Randy Bachman's, but Randy's were O.K. too. "She's A Devil" and "Lowland Fling" are my faves on this album. This music just can't be duplicated today. Part of the reason they didn't get the respect is that they were overshadowed by bands like Zeppelin and Floyd at the time, and never had a chance to shine.

They had the perfect combination of talent and naivete that makes for a powerful musical experience. Their not being "full of themselves" was most certainly what made them shine.

My hat's off to you guys that were Bachman Turner Overdrive !

Not Fragile, Four Wheel Drive, and Head ON were three albums that shaped my musical life. Hard Rockin', Straight Foward, Heavy duty Rock, with less screeching that heavy metal. Rock the way it should be.

Yes, I'm yet another 40-something guy who still thinks BTO rocked, well, most of the time anyway. Forget about the kids who diss the band (and anything '70s) because of stinkers like "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" heard on lame oldies stations. If you're one of those people, dig a little deeper into this band's music and you may lighten up a bit. They were actually quite good overall. "Four Wheel Drive", which I think was BTO's second-best album, borrows more than a little bit from their first self-titled album, which was their best. They both have good, staight-ahead, blue-collar-type rock, complete with great guitar riffs, C F Turner's snarling vocals (Randy Bachman does handle some of the numbers, with less satisfying results), and are without the piffle seen on the two intervening albums; in other words, sell-out tunes like "Takin' Care of Business" and "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" are absent. "Four Wheel Drive"s best tracks are the title track, "She's Keepin Time", "Quick Change Artist" and for something a little different, "Lowland Fling". Nothing fancy here, but that's OK. You want BTO, start with this one and the first album.

I'll admit right off that my review is likely to be biased, but I'll try not to be. This album was the very first record album I ever owned, and as a 15 year-old in 1975, I saved a long time for it. I absolutely LOVED it at the time, playing it so much I literally wore it out and had to buy another. My second and third-ever albums were also by BTO, with the fourth being Brave Belt II (BTO before they were BTO--c'mon somebody, release it on CD please--it's the only reason I still have my turntable hooked up). All my musical taste in the years following were heavily influenced by this powerhouse group, and this album in particular.

I have since grown a bit musically and realize that this album, while definitive BTO, was not their best. That honor goes to "Head On" for its more sophisticated and laid-back sound. The self-titled original album was first-rate also. "Four Wheel Drive" was their heaviest-sounding album by far. All songs on it were meant to be played loud. Listening to it now in my 'old age' can be tiresome due to its unrelenting sonic boom factor. Most of these songs were recordings that were rejected from their "Not Fragile" sessions. The album "Four Wheel Drive" came about because the band was under contract to release another album, but they had been touring heavily and had not had time to write any new songs. Thus, these 'left-overs' were pulled out and made into and album. This doesn't mean they are any less for it. I myself think it is every bit as good as "Not Fragile". All that said, if you're just starting your BTO collection, I'd recommend starting with the first album first.

A great album that came out while I was stationed in San Diego in the Navy in 1975. A good follow up to the extremely popular "Not Fragile" but not quite as good. I love the title cut as well as the hit "Hey You" with Randy Bachman's vocals. But the vocals of C.F. Turner really carry this one on songs like the title cut and "She's a Devil" and "Flat Broke Love" . Great stuff from the BEST of 70's rock! No Gimmicks..No Tricks Just straight ahead full power rock and roll..BTO

...when only two of this album's eight tracks do not appear on the remastered, 2005, excellent 2CD "GOLD" compilation.

The two missing FOUR WHEEL DRIVE tracks are "She's A Devil" and "Lowland Fling". If you listen to the sound bites above, you'll realize both are throw-away tracks.

So, why spend $50 for an unremastered, OOP disc, when you can buy a fantastic-sounding, 35-song collection for 1/3 the price?

Link to the remastered CD: Gold

More of the same from Bachman Turner Overdrive. More great smash mouth rock and roll. Fred Turner is my favorite hard rock singer. The boys turn it up mean and nasty on the title cut, she's keepin time, flat broke love and all the rest. Every song is quality hard rock. No rock band puts more quality music in every album than BTO. This is arguebally their best album but the first five are neck and neck. 5 STARS PLEASE

This album by BTO is my favorite. It rocks from the start with the title track. "She's A Devil" is one of Fred Turner's best vocal performances. Even the hit single "Hey You" is a heavier song, compared to some of their other singles. This is the album I started my BTO collection with 25 years ago.

BTO was an international hit band when this album came out - the follow-up to "Not Fragile." Fred Turner shines, and Robin Bachman's drumming propels the songs along. Not quite as powerful as "Not Fragile", still the cuts "Four Wheel Drive", "Flat Broke Love", and a couple of others are well worth a listen. BTO Rocks!

A follow up to Not Fragile and maybe paying a little bit for that.But this album sounds great like every other BTO album.A true solid rock from the seventies.