Search - Guess Who :: This Time Long Ago: The Lost Sessions 67-68

More Diamonds Than Rust

11/03/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It appears not many people know about this release, initially issued in 2001 on Randy Bachman's own label, consisting of all material from 1967-1968, when the band was right on the threshold of stardom. The truth is, although a bit excessive and a bit pricey, this is a cd set every Guess Who fan should own. It's excessive in that there are some genuinely unnecessary cuts which, if eliminated, would enable all the great stuff on here to fill up one cd. An example of the unworthy material is positively the worst recording the band ever made, a version of the old Steve Lawrence hit "Pretty Blue Eyes" featuring Burton Cummings alternating between singing through a megaphone and imitating Walter Brennan: Absolute rubbish--and recorded that way on purpose in an effort to get the band out of its contract with Quality Records. That's the worst offender, and there are a few others, but there are plenty of worthy tracks around them. The title cut, an excellent piece of latter 60's straight pop, was a single in Canada, and one I had for many years on an old vinyl compilation: Was delighted to get it, remastered, on cd. Much of disk two is comprised of earlier versions of songs later cut by the group for the Wheatfield Soul and Canned Wheat albums, and it's quite interesting to hear the differences in textures between the originals and the later recordings. Among others, you'll hear a pretty stunning version of "These Eyes," led by acoustic piano, rather than the electric piano sound that drives the classic hit version. The version of "A Wednesday In Your Garden" (one of the most beautiful songs Bachman has ever written) may actually be better than the better-known later recording. You'll also hear early takes of "Maple Fudge," "We're Coming To Dinner," and the hair-raising "Friends Of Mine," among others--not to mention an obscure (and somewhat psychedelic Bachman-composed gem called "Shadows Cross The Shadows." There are several covers along the way: Apparently the band quite prided itself on its ability to perform other people's songs and make them sound almost identical to the originals. Some of those included here are quite good, such as their version of Cream's "White Room"; others are more mediocre. All in all, this is quite a nice cd to have--and a must if you really dig one of Canada's greatest-ever musical exports--but if I were Bachman, I'd consider lowering the list price a bit, for the reasons listed above. If you are interested, I suggest you look around a bit: Check out Amazon's affiliate dealers and see if you can find a better price. This is a Canadian import, but because of the weaker cuts and the fact that neither cd is anywhere near filled to capacity, the price should be lower."