Bachman & Turner
Artist: Bachman & Turner
Album: Live At The Roseland Ballroom, NYC
Label: Eagle Records
OUT NOW
Rating: 2/5
Hailing from the wintery wonderland of Winnipeg, Bachman Turner Overdrive revelled in the 70s, stepping out of the shadow off contempories like The Guess Who and Boston with smash hit albums Bachman-Turner Overdrive II (real creative there guys), Not Fragile and Four Wheel Drive.
The success was short lived however, with the band breaking up in 77 under a cloud of discord. In the following decades, the they've been on and off more times than a faulty bulb, but after their latest re-union and album, the group (no longer with any 'Overdrive') releases another live album, hoping to sate the 'gearheads' still eagerly awaiting their own little slice of nostalgia.
Playing New York's famous Roseland Ballroom, the duo cut straight to the chase, getting the classics out at a regular rate, lest we forget that nfortunately, their own brand of simple, functional classic rock has started to feel a little old.
While the giants from the era often transcend the years and still magically sound fresh, Bachman & Turner havn't quite mastered that knack.
There's good fun to be had in Let It Ride, American Woman and You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet, but it's never really memorable or anything other than a nice little window into a era of jeans jackets and wild beards. When they decide to change things up with Waiting Game and Shakin' All Over the different approaches are sorely welcomed.
The years might have actually helped the twosome vocally, as the cracked vocals of Fred Turner in particular lend themselves quite well to the retro feel throughout.
If that's what you're looking for though, then Bachman & Turner's latest live session could be right up you alley. But even bearing that in mind, there's just only so many wailing guitar solos and lyrics about hitting the road a person can take before the horrible spector of monotony starts creeping in.
So, unless you plan on making a long road trip to carry hooch over the border and avoid ol' smokey while doing it, then maybe Bachman & Turner - Live at the Roseland Ballroom's probably not for you.
Bachman & Turner - Live At The Roseland Ballroom, NYC is out now.
FemaleFirst Cameron Smith