Randy Bachman
BB Kings Club
New York City, New York
July 1, 2008
Tony Pijar
Randy Bachman is arguably Canada’s most influential and enduring musician. Not only did he score several number one hits with The Guess Who, but with Bachman Turner Overdrive as well. The Guess Who wasn’t my cup of tea, but BTO surely was. They were readio-friendly, but very heavy too. If you need proof, just check out “Not Fragile”, one of the greaest albums ever. While the housewives were dancing to the album’s massive hit AOR single, “You ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” while doing the vacuuming, the rockers were headbanging to “Sledgehammer” and “Givin’ it all Away.”
After too long an absence in America, Bachman visited BB Kings and ran through a greatest hits show from The Guess Who and BTO. Seventy percent of the set list was from the former band – too bad at that. Nonetheless, we got “Roll on Down the Highway”, “Give it Time”, “Hey You (with snippets of Steve Miller’s “Rock N Me” and Free’s “Alright Now” interspersed throughout), and the aforementioned “You ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.” All of The Guess Who’s hits were aired too including the much-covered “American Women”. Given that reunions have become popular again, let’s hope that Bachman hooks up with Fred Turner and puts things back into overdrive again!