Bachman-Turner Overdrive Albums (11)
'From the Front Row: Live'
Release Date 3/25/2003
Tracks 7
Label Silverline
See Album Tracklist and Review
'King Biscuit Flower Hour'
Release Date 4/7/1998
Tracks 8
Label King Biscuit
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Bachman-Turner Overdrive's King Biscuit Flower Hour was recorded in 1974 at the peak of the band's popularity, and it features solid live versions of such staples as "Let It Ride," "Roll on Down the Highway," "Takin' Care of Business," and "You Ain't Seem Nothing Yet." BTO wasn't an exceptional live band, and their music often sounded better in the studio than it did on-stage, but this live show is still a nice souvenir for dedicated fans, especially since it contains a new, previously unreleased interview with Randy Bachman. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Freeways was the final Randy Bachman album of the first BTO era, released in 1977 after their first of many "greatest-hits" collections put much of their chart activity in a tidy package on 1976's Best of B.T.O. (So Far). The price for Freeways fluctuates on Ebay and Half.com, making the album one of the more collectible of the post-hit BTO era. A Swedish seller listed it at six dollars in April of 2002 while a NY merchant had it at $24.99. At Half.com it went for $100.01 and $89.99. Rare and out of print, there is also a combo CD pairing this classic up with Bachman-Turner Overdrive II. "Can We All Come Together" isn't a bad album track, nor is C.F. Turner's "Life Still Goes On (I'm Lonely)," but there are no nuggest as found on Four Wheel Drive, Not Fragile, Bachman-Turner Overdrive II, or even Head On. Everything flows nice enough, resulting in a consistent and easy-to-listen-to batch of songs; it's just that what's missing is the antagonism, the push and pull of Bachman's partnership with a Burton Cummings or someone else to vent his frustrations on -- the thing that makes for more interesting material. Having no one causing trouble or even the attitude to point fingers and get mad enough for another "Hey You" to creatively emerge, the band simply goes through the motions. "Shotgun Rider" is as passable as "Bus Rider" from the Guess Who's Share the Land album seven years earlier while "Just for You" might be the brightest track -- Randy's "My Generation" stuttering from "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" making its reprise. It's the closest thing to a potential hit, and has some real passion mixed with gliding guitar riffs. Seven of the eight compositions belong to Randy Bachman and, outisde of a few standouts, it's all very B-grade non-offensive rock. "Wheels Won't Turn" comes off like BTO's version of Steve Winwood during Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory, so "Uninspired," which he was, and BTO are here. The wheels aren't turning, he's going "Down, Down," and as the guitarist states in the title track "Drivin' in a beat up car/The highway's long but we come so far" (the title of the previous album). Rob Bachman, Blair Thornton, and C.F. Turner would try to take the legacy further on 1978's Street Action and the Jim Vallance-enabled Rock N' Roll Nights in 1979 with little success. In 1984, Tim Bachman, C.F. Turner, and Randy Bachman would team up with original Chad Allan & the Expressions/Guess Who drummer Garry Peterson to try to recapture the magic on the self-titled Bachman-Turner Overdrive album on Compleat Records/Polygram, after a live Reunion album from the Guess Who. Completists may want Freeways for their collection, "Easy Groove" is certainly a fun little ditty from Randy Bachman, but worth 100 dollars? -- only if you're the publisher willing to take a risk on possible future return. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is near the end of the Bachman-Turner Overdrive story, one of the group's last albums to feature Randy Bachman. Bachman's dominance of the group is apparent -- his face alone fills the front cover, he produced the record, and he wrote or co-wrote five of the nine songs. His unhappiness is apparent, too: listen to him sing, "I feel there's no use in hanging around" on the lead-off track, "Find Out About Love," and plead, "I'm an average man, but my name is in lights" in "Average Man." By the time you get to the cocktail jazz ballad "Lookin' Out For #1" (BTO's sole entry on the easy listening chart), you can tell he's not including the group. By the time of BTO's next album, Bachman was gone, and their hit-making days were behind them. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Bachman-Turner Overdrive's Four Wheel Drive album is most often overlooked, mainly because all of the attention was focused on the singable "na na na naa"'s of one of B.T.O.'s biggest hits in "Hey You." But the rest of the album is made up of the band's lunch-pail rock & roll sound, combining ample amounts of factory-made blues to street-dirty guitar rock. Although it can't really hold a candle to Not Fragile, B.T.O.'s best album, there's still a fair amount of well-played radio rock to hold Four Wheel Drive up. "Hey You" gave B.T.O. their second last Top 40 hit, peaking at number 21 and reaching number five in Canada, but tracks like "Flat Broke Love," "She's Keeping Time," and "Don't Let the Blues Get You Down" are attractive arena rock efforts with both Bachman's Randy and Robbie sounding like they're still involved wholeheartedly. "Lowland Fling" and "Quick Change Artist" may be the album's weakest attempts, but, on a grander scale, Four Wheel Drive eventually became the last solid endeavor by the group. Tim Bachman left after Bachman-Turner Overdrive II to try his luck at producing, and, in 1977, Randy Bachman went off to do some solo work, leading up to his formation of the band Ironhorse. B.T.O. fell apart after this, and the albums that followed contained little if any of their accustomed, belt-driven rock & roll. Best of all, Four Wheel Drive doesn't offer up any changes or surprises, and an expected eight tracks of guitar-based rock is truly what you get. ~ Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is a reissue of Brave Belt's 1972 second album Brave Belt II, put out in the wake of the success of the former Brave Belt members under the name Bachman-Turner Overdrive. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After gaining some recognition from the success of the band's previous album, Bachman-Turner Overdrive got around to recording Not Fragile. Not only had one of the three Bachman brothers (Tim, the rhythm guitarist) left the band to BTO's advantage, but Randy Bachman and C.F. Turner had clearly grown musically. To the album's benefit, most of the material on Not Fragile are the band's much-liked rock anthems, ranging from the hyper-distorted title track, through the famous but far more timid song "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet." Indeed, for hard rock fanatics, it doesn't come much better than on Not Fragile. Randy's electrifying lead guitar is here more raucous than ever before, as are his rowdy vocals (particularly noticeable on the predictable, but fun "Sledgehammer"). The man steals the show on Not Fragile through his extensive and often astounding guitar solos. Generally, though, Bachman-Turner Overdrive are at their prime as a whole, both in songwriting and playing terms. As regards the mixing, it's hard to find fault with this release. The drums are clear but not so prominent that they dominate the recording, while the guitars, along with the bass, are kept rigidly in their place. Not Fragile is one of the finest arena rock albums of the era, featuring all the hallmarks of what makes a classic release in the genre. Randy's impressive guitar work and typically boisterous vocals complement the overall framework of the album superbly, as do the crunchy rhythm guitars. This release will astound fans of the genre and band, while those thoroughly against stadium rock may find something to convert their views. ~ Ben Davies, All Music Guide
