Customer Reviews

My Own Way to Rock

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

 

 

Hot on the heels of his successful debut album, Burton Cummings released My Own Way To Rock in 1977. As heavy as this album is, it is driven by Cummings' stupendous piano work and features a guest appearance by former Guess Who partner Randy Bachman. As with many of Cummings' albums, this is a tribute to many of his personal favourites and influences, from Queen to Springsteen, and from Bob Seger to Bobby Darin.

"Never Had A Lady Before" serves immediate notice that this is an album to be reckoned with. It opens the album with a catchy clavinet/piano hook and gritty vocals. "Come On By" is a hormonal ode to rock stars and groupies. "My Own Way To Rock" has become a Cummings signature song, and along with "Charlemagne" provides a lethal double barreled assault of hard rocking piano. "Timeless Love" was written with the ladies in mind and features beautiful harmony vocals by Bobby King, E.L. King and Terry Evans, who had worked with Ry Cooder. The bonus tracks "Lay It On The Line" (live) and "Charlemagne" (live) were both taken from an aborted live album which was to have been released in 1978. "Lay It On The Line" was a concert staple in the late 1970s but until now was never released. It's a great rocking piece with a nice a capella section and fits well with the rest of the album. The live version of "Charlemagne" differs appreciably from the studio version, with Jack Daniels' offering up some tasty slide guitar licks. All in all, My Own Way To Rock proves that the success of the first album was no fluke.

This is BC's defining solo masterpiece. Just a great joyous record filled with infectious hooks, great rhythms, and incredible vocal prowess. A nice mix of thumping high-energy rockers and well-crafted ballads that highlight a voice worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Van Morrison. This record does not have a bad cut on it and is a must have for any serious Cummings fan. Highly recommended.

If you were a fan of the power pop group "The Guess Who" then this CD is for you! Burton Cummings is in great voice and the lyrics are Guess Who-ish as are the hooks.

Hey, if you liked -and loved- the best decade of Rock music, the 70s, this album is A MUST for you!

Back in the early 70s... Remember the Canadians THE GUESS WHO ('American Woman', 'No Time', 'These Eyes')... Have you liked the songs and the disctintive voice of the band? That guy was Burton Cummings.

If you love Rock'n Roll, you will love this album (Canadian issues may be still available somewhere)!!
Cummings called the late Jeff Porcaro for the drum work. He plays both romantic ('Timeless Love', 'Got To Find Another Way') and rocking tunes as well ('Come On By', 'Never Had A Lady Before', 'My Own Way To Rock', 'Charlemagne'). Nice singing and piano playing!

However, the CD sound is quite 70s LP-ish, really it isn't so good... But the songs, almost all of them, are small Rock music jewels by themselves!

I bought this re-release CD because my vinyl copy has seen better days. Of course, side one plays fine... because I never play it: Those songs, for me, are eminently forgettable. But side two is a different story. My two favorites here are Timeless Love and A Song for Him, although Charlemagne and Framed have also been played over and over. Burton Cummings is a talented man, and through the years, I have loved his music, especially Stand Tall and I'm Scared. But being without side two of this album is unthinkable, and even if I never play the tracks that were on side one, the CD is worth every penny for the great songs of side 2.

Burton Cummings has a terrific voice but the material on this album is NOT terrific, after listening to this effort one word came to mind NEXT, none of these songs on the LP are worth remembering. Buton does much better on his next LP, "A Dream of a Child" and this is the album that explores Buton's talent as a solo artist quite well. However the "My Own Way to Rock" album should find its way back to the Vault or buried in a hole in the ground.