So Long Bannatyne

The Guess Who | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Label: RCA/Legacy
• Copyright: Originally Released 1971 BMG Music
• Total Length: 41:57
• Genres: Hard Rock & Metal/Hard Rock
• ASIN: B001HDWKPM
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,405 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Pair of . . . . . . . . . . .!, April 16, 2005

By 

Smuggs (Helena, MT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: So Long Bannatyne / # 10 (Audio CD)

If you don't want to read a review from a huge Guess Who fan, then take a walk - cuz this one's comin' from a diehard. I can still be objective despite being a big fan of Burton and the boys, but I love these two albums and I'm not gonna criticize something I like (a lot). Everyone already knows how great 'Rain Dance' and 'Sour Suite' are from SO LONG BANNATYNE, so no need beatin' my drum about those songs. The true test of an album is whether its worth listening to after you get past the hits that make it onto the multi-numerous Guess Who re-packagings that appear in the marketplace year-after-year. These two albums pass the test easily. BANNATYNE boasts some great songs like 'She might Have Been a Nice Girl' - 'Pain Train' - the title track - 'Grey Day' - and 'Life in the Bloodstream.' Even 'Fiddlin' and 'One Man Army' -- albeit sort of goofy, are fun songs.

#10 is an album that is greatly underrated, and is my personal favorite Guess Who album. 'Glamour Boy' is an outstanding track, with Burton lashing out at the state of the music industry in 1973. David Bowie was championing androgyny at the time and Burton (probably decked out in a flannel shirt or hockey jersey) laments the ability to make the big bucks by "looking like a woman tonight." I've never really understood the "Ricky & the Balloons" interlude in the middle of the song, which seems to make it lose its momentum, but still a great track. 'Take it Off My Shoulders' and 'Lie Down' are terrific country-influenced tunes. The real gem on this album, however, is 'Miss Frizzy.' Frizzy is a fast-paced rocker that is totally infectious and a fun listen. Check this one out folks, it's great! I even love the cover of #10 - finally a plain & simple photo of the band, with Burton Cummings the centerpiece (which is only right; afterall, B.C.'s voice is what that band was all about anyway). #10 finishes up with the great 'Just Let Me Sing' which is probably all Cummings ever wanted to do.

Don't miss this two-pack folks - it's well worth what you'll pay for it.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overstated Mastering Issues, May 7, 2004

By 

Anthony M. Kaczynski (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: So Long Bannatyne / # 10 (Audio CD)

Hey, kids, I can only speak for this two-fer of "Bannatyne/10" (haven't heard the other three reissues), but this doesn't sound so bad to my rock-blasted ears. The drums do indeed sound boxy, but that's just like they did back in the day, 1971-1973. On my office system (a Bose, but nothing fancy), the bass is generally well defined on "Bannatyne," and other than some extra crispy cymbals on the otherwise excellent "One Man Army," I have no real problems with the sound quality, and I certainly didn't have to change my normal settings to enjoy. In short, don't let overstated mastering complaints dissuade you from what are two pretty rockin' albums that have been out of circulation for way too long. Any disc with "Sour Suite" on it is automatically granted four stars in my book. A totally underrated band that never seems to get its proper due, although my man Lester Bangs sure liked 'em, and I'm glad they got their props in "Almost Famous." Growing up in Detroit and listening to Windsor's CKLW, I was convinced they were as huge as, say, The Beatles or something (because every single got pumped due to the Canadian content rule), and I dug mightily every single single, but their albums always seem to have four or five great sleepers that reward the careful listener. Welcome back, "Bannatyne/10."

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars still great to have this, April 19, 2004

By 

G. Putman (Las Vegas, NV United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: So Long Bannatyne / # 10 (Audio CD)

Well, I was very excited when these essential Guess Who albums finally came out on CD. They were the best rock band ever from Canada, and I think that Burton Cummings has one of the most beautiful voices in the history of rock. Now, as far as these reissues go, I got 3 of the 4 all at once and I am not convinced that was such a good idea. The artwork is really nice, but nothing mind-blowing. Basically, you get pretty much all of the artwork from the original LP issues with song lyrics, but nothing more....no extended liner notes, interviews, or any sort of extra pictures (which is always kind of neat to get). That's ok though, because the booklets are laid out nicely. NOW, the issue of the mastering: I don't have super high-end equipment, but I don't exactly have garbage either and I can see where the other reviewers for some of the other titles from this series are coming from with the issue of the sound. I don't think that it is as horrible as one of the reviewers wrote, but there is most certainly something not right with the low end here. You do have to crank up the bass or push in that loudness button to get the low end, and then is does sound like there could have been some more definition. The high end is pretty up there as well (maybe a little too much). I could see that if you do have really high-end audio gear, these would kinda sound like you know what. If you don't, you can probably live with it, seeing how long we all have waited for these. I would like to hear the old CD issues of these and compare the mastering with them. If anyone out there can do this, let us know what you think. All and all, it is a bit disappointing and I really wish they could have done a better job with the sound, but I think that it is still great to have these wonderful albums.