Customer Reviews

Live at the Paramount

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Hot on the heels of their recent Canadian tour, The Guess Who just released an expanded version of Live at the Paramount. The new disc features new liner notes and photos, plus six bonus tracks, for a total of 75 minutes of great music. Originally recorded over two nights at the Seattle venue, this album dispelled any previous notions that they were `just a pop band.' Paramount showed in no uncertain terms that The Guess Who could rock with the best of them. One listen to the 17-minute rendition of "American Woman," "Pain Train" or "No Time" makes that point perfectly clear. The album has stood up to the test of time, and remains one of the most popular in the band's catalog.

For the new CD, the producers went back to the original 16-track master tapes from the first show (the second night was deemed "a waste of tape") and remastered the whole shebang. The songs were restored to their original order in the set, and the sound quality couldn't be better. Most of the stage banter between songs has been restored as well. The Paramount shows were two of the first to feature new guitarist, Don McDougall, and he fit in perfectly. His vocals and guitar work added a lot to the group, and he brought in additional songwriting abilities to boot.

Starting with an blistering version of "Pain Train," the album gets off to a rocking start as soon as you hit the play button. The song's a showcase for Kurt Winter's searing guitar licks, and he really lets loose. The band played three new songs during the show, the first of which was "Runnin' Back to Saskatoon." Critics considered the song a bold move at the time, because the chorus reads like a lesson in Canadian cities. Be that as it may, the one thing that you can't argue with is that it's a great song and a longtime favorite among fans.

Up next is the first of the bonus tracks (and a personal favorite), "Rain Dance." Unfortunately, the song sounds a bit anemic here--suffering from either a poor mix, or just a lackluster performance. The segue into "These Eyes" doesn't help. To go from a rocker like "Rain Dance" into a pop ballad just doesn't work. The band stays in a retrospective mood for the next few songs--"Glace Bay Blues" and vocalist Burton Cummings' solo spotlight, "Sour Suite." Fans who owned the original vinyl will notice the intro to "Glace" is louder than it was originally.

From this point on, the CD rocks. "Hand Me Down World" is a bit slower than the studio version, but still sounds great. The medley of "American Woman" and "Truckin' Off Across the Sky" was the highlight of the original album, and the same holds true here. The big difference is the intro to "Truckin'." The original had a different solo overdubbed at the beginning of the song. The new CD has no overdubs at all, so the song will sound noticeably different to those who were familiar with the original.

"Share the Land" also sounds great, but the hurried tempo in which it's played makes you think that they're just playing it because they have to. The CD comes to a close with a killer version of "No Time." The only things missing from the original vinyl are the stage banter from the end of the album (where Burton says "Seattle! Seattle, Washington!") and the lyrics. The stage banter was apparently taken from the second night. As for the lyrics, the producers opted for new liner notes and photos instead (the photos that were in black and white on the original sleeve are now in color). Live at the Paramount is a perfect example of taking a great album and making it even better.

The original Live At The Paramount has always been a sentimental favourite of mine, but this re-release with extra tracks is truly an outstanding album. It's sentimental to me, because Running Back to Saskatoon blew me away back in 1972 and made me a young Guess Who fan immediately. Another reviewer here said it best, Pain Train just explodes right off the bat. It fits much better at the beginning of the concert, where it actually occurred. The Guess Who really hit a peak at this time I think, the Kurt Winter era is much underpraised, with all due respect to Randy Bachman. Burton Cummings is in superb voice and is brilliant on "Saskatoon" especially.

Imagine my reaction during the 2000 Running Back Through Canada tour stop in Toronto when the Guess Who launched into the Paramount version of American Woman (whatchoo gonna do baby, now that the Roast Beef's gone?) Brilliant! It's long and ragged at times, but I love that long version of American Woman on this album. New Mother Nature is missing its twin No Sugar Tonight (a shot at Bachman no doubt, who wrote the latter) but it rolls along nicely on its own in a mid-tempo groove. Additional added numbers like "Sour Suite" and "Hand Me Down World" work beautifully, and the sound seems a lot sharper. Outstanding live album. For similar albums from the era try Guess Who #10 (hard to find outside Canada) and Rockin' (ditto).

What else can I say,This is a great live Guess Who album made even better by six bonus tracks nearly doubling it in length!!! The original album only had 7 tracks but this great reissue expands the total to 13 cuts for a more complete Guess Who live experience,add to that the awesome remastering and cool liner notes and you have one great package,and besides that it's cheap too(I mean the price tag,not the content,I picked this up brand new for less than five bucks!)This is one time that bonus cuts actually make the album better(The Elton John "Here and There" 2 disc set is another great example!),theres no filler here,just great Guess Who in concert!!! The Guess Who "Live At The Paramount" rocks!!! Two thumbs up! Way up! A+

Released on the heals of "So Long, Bannatyne" in 1972 this CD showcases the high energy of Canada's most prolific band from that period. Burton Cummings more than makes up for a missed opportunity at Carnegie Hall. His singing here is high voltage. The energy that the band has during this show makes this one of the best live recordings of the 70's. All of this was known before by the faithfull but now with the addition of six more songs the CD has become a testament to the bands ability to perform live on a grander scale. The banter between Burton and the sold-out audience is great, taking the listener back in time. Highlights abound throughout the CD, but you can't walk away from a listening without asking what you're going to do when the Roast Beef is gone! The most radical version of "American Woman" ever recorded is worth the price of admission alone. My hat's off to Buddha records in their effort here, a great concert CD just got better. If you haven't upgraded yet you are missing out! For those Guess Who fans who somehow haven't picked this one up yet, order now!

WOW! Finally someone at RCA/BMG has gotten off their duff and begun a serious attempt at remastering and re-archiving the Guess Who's back catalog of gems (through the Buddha label)! This concert was recorded in late May of 1972 at Seattle's Paramount Theater and consists of Burton Cummings (vocals, piano, flute and harmonica), Jim Kale (bass and vocals), Kurt "The Walrus" Winter (guitars), Gary "Humpty" Peterson (drums) and newcomer Donnie "Dooner" McDougall (accoustic and electric guitar and vocals). This tour was in support of the LP Rockin' (of which, intriguingly, there isn't a single track of on this album). Greg Leskiw had just quit the band and had been replaced literally overnight by Donnie (also a Winnipeggan, who was gifted with an incredibly beautiful voice). The band was originally going to record live at Carnegie Hall a few nights hence, but Burton lost his voice and the date was cancelled on short notice. The recording date was rescheduled for the Paramount, giving Donnie some time to better gel with the tight rock'n'roll ship of the Guess Who. The band plays with energetic - albeit a bit stoned - rock'n'roll drive, showcasing the Guess Who in their native element - prairie-stomping and rocking out in concert. I was ecstatic when RCA/BMG first re-issued the LP on CD, but that remastering was little more than a direct analog-to-digital transfer. This newly remastered project by Buddha Records, complete with six additional songs from that original concert set has been meticulously and lovingly crafted. The sound is so much brighter and defined, and, audio snob that I am, I notice several almost - ALMOST - inaudible drop-outs have been corrected (bonus points to the remastering engineer!). The highs are much more pronounced and the mids have a clarity absent on the first CD issue. If only every Guess Who release could be remastered and repackaged like this... HINT! HINT! Gary's drums thunder with authority, especially his several minutes of no-holds-barred drum solo riding out the end of American Woman before the jazz-jam beginnings of the juggernaut Truckin'. Burton's vocals pierce with heart-felt clarity and nuance. Kurt's trademark icy needle-like leads are crisp and livid. Donnie's warmer guitar tone is more distinct. Jim's bass lines, however, are still quite muddy. As far as the source material is limited, there's probably not much than could be done (my personal opinion is that the tonality of future Guess Who bassist Bill Wallace would be more favorable in a live concert recording environment). The extra songs and the original order almost make this a copmpletely new release! Those harmony vocals are so splendid (And Donnie's high falsettos fit in with Burton's gritty vibrato so well)! This is trully a masterpiece of remastering technique and feel! And now the big question - WHEN IS ARTIFICIAL PARADISE GOING TO BE REMASTERED ON CD? (and Flavours, and #10, and etc...)

At last! The Guess Who's great LIVE AT THE PARAMOUNT album has been re-issued with bonus tracks and digital re-mastering. Originally released in 1972, PARAMOUNT gave instant FM credibility to the band with such cuts as "Runnin' Back To Saskatoon" and the extended version of "American Woman." The timeliness of the release was critical, in that it captured the band at the height of its musical power, with singer/keyboardist Burton Cummings front and center. The critical success far out-stripped the commercial on this release, and that is exactly what the band were hoping for. Legendary rock critic Lester Bangs called it "the band's magnum opus so far," adding "The 'Woman' alone, starting with a long sloppy medium tempo blues, proves that Burton can improvise the best gauche jive lyrics since the Lizard King himself. Who else but Burton or Jimbo would have the nerve to actually begin a song with the line 'Whatchew goona do, mama, now that the roast beef's gone?' And he plays harmonica better than anyone since Keith Relf." Guitarist Kurt Winter soars... and drummer Garry Peterson proves definitively that he is the best drummer to come out of Canada, ever! (Yes, better than Peart and that guy from Triumph). His solo on "Awmerican Woman" is breathtaking.... But it is Cummings' show, and he carries the day splendidly. He displays his vast intrumental abilities by covering the piano, harmonica, and the guitar, but it is his voice that makes him special, and he plays that instrument better than anyone else in the business. Deft enough to sing ballads ("These Eyes" and "Sour Suite", both bonus tracks added to the new release), blues ("Pain Train" and the prologue to "American Woman"), and good old-fashioned rock and roll ("Albert Flasher"), Burton proves once again why his fans refer to him simply as "The Voice." In 1972, Burton was a rock and roll renegade, an otusider unwilling to play the glam game or bow to musical trends. As Alan Neister wrote in ROLLING STONE Magazine: "Burton Cummings may be a punk, but fortunately he's a punk with considerable rock consciousness.... It is the punky arrogance of Cummings that makes this whole package so downright neat." This re-issue coincides with a re-union tour of Canada, in which Cummings and co-founders Randy Bachman and Garry Peterson have rejoined with former members Donnie McDougall and Bill Wallace for a successful Canadian tour (supposedly headed for the US in the fall). Perhaps it is all designed to give them the exposure necessary to get this great Canadian treasure into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (where they CERTAINLY belong). Whatever the motivation, this is a scintillating album, and it belongs in the CD library of every serious student of the genre. "This may be the best live album of [1972]," Lester Bangs observed. "[...] Get this and play it loud and be the first on your block to become a public nuisance." I concur whole-heartedly

I saw the Guess Who live with Three Dog Night in Adelaide, Australia in 1973. It was my first concert, I was a kid and they were my heros. I walked around everywhere with my middle and ring fingers stuck in my jean's pockets - just like Burton.
The Adelaide concert was a similar set and the same Guess Who lineup as on this album. What a concert! No Randy Bachman but Kurt Winter and Donny McDougall made them even better ( apologies to some ). Burton's vocals on this album stamp him as the finest rock voice of his generation.
The album ( yeah I'm really showing my age - ok, CD ) opens with the gutsy Pain Train, a great guitar rocker. Albert Flasher is much better live here than the studio version. Runnin' Back to Saskatoon is an awesome song with one of rock music's great moments - when Burton bellows "This tune is homegrown ....". It's magic! I still get shivers 35 years later. Rain Dance is riff perfection. These Eyes is a classic. Glace Bay Blues is a beautiful intermission. Sour Suite is sweet. Hand Me Down World drags along with a punchy grungy feel - Burton's voice just croons and it's heaven. American Woman - it's gonna piss a lot of people off but they're playing the full extended version here at my funeral. I'm taking this one to heaven. Truckin' off Across the Sky, Share the Land and No Time round the Album out without fault. In summary - in my opinion the greatest Album of all time by a brilliant under-rated rock band.

The Guess who still remain one of my all time favorite bands and this CD "Live at the Paramount", fills any void for a rock & roll fan. I collected all their albums and have aquired a lot of the CD's but this one remains one of the groups strongest effort.
Burton Cummings is one of the greatest rock & roll singers who ever lived and his voice is the major driving force in the Guess Whos music. When Randy Bachman left the group in the early seventies, I thought the band would crumble and dissolve but Kurt Winter and Greg Leskiw came on board and solidified an already strong sound. Albums like "Share the Land, "So Long Bannatyne" and "Rockin'" were refreshing and diverse. When Greg bowed out in the middle of the 1972 tour, the talentd Don McDougall was called in to fill in with a very short time to learn the song lists. All this after Burton lost his voice shortly before the Carnegie Hall concert date (where this concert was originally supposed to be recorded).
On to Seattle and the Paramount Theatre where the Guess Who have a strong following and they didn't miss a beat. From the opening bars of "Pain Train", Kurts searing guitar matched Burtons vocals note for note. Jim Kale and Garry Petersen provide solid backing on bass and drums. The group can change gears on a dime and do it often as they weave through each song with distict flair and ease. "Albert Flasher" is a catchy piano based tune that matches the melodic voice Burton brings to the group and as you can tell when listening to the CD, is one of the crowds favorite. "Running Back to Saskatoon" is true prairie rock & roll and is one of the best cuts from the disc. Burton and Band roll through the audience who can't get enough with great songs like "These Eyes", "New Mother Nature", "Rain Dance" and a dynamite version of "American Woman" which includes a bluesy intro to a hard rock classic.They finish the concert with a great version of "No Time" and the audience erupts. This CD doesn't have everything you would want in a Guess Who live recording because there isn't enough space on the disc. What is there is more than a great cross section of one of the greatest rock & roll bands to grace the stage. Hopefully one day, other Guess Who albums will be re-mastered and who know's, maybe they'll dig up some treasured live material hidden away in a time capsule.

This album contains the most Canadian rock and roll song every recorded, "Runnin Back To Saskatoon". This band from Winnipeg sure wasn't thinking about other markets when they recorded their song 'about a town where nothing much ever happens,called Saskatoon'. The album showcases the talents of the late great Kurt Winter as a guitarist. It's a tribute to Kurt that when Randy Bachman plays Guess Who songs penned by Kurt the solos sound as if Kurt is playing. The album has a slightly slowed down, (mellow) feel. The reissue includes some great versions of hit singles not released on the original album.

What a gem! I have the original LP from my high school days, and have always enjoyed it, but this release takes things to a new level. The bonus tracks are fantastic, especially "Hand Me Down World", and the remastering makes this 33 year old recording sound better than it has a right to sound. If you have even the most casual interest in The Guess Who, or music from the early 70's, buy this CD. You will not be disappointed.