Burton Cummings A Few Good Moments (JoJo Productions) 13th Floor Album Review

There are more than just a few good moments on this, the first Burton Cummings solo album in well over a decade.

Cummings, of course, was the vocalist and songwriter for The Guess Who, the band he and guitarist Randy Bachman recently won the name back from former bass player Jim Kale who was trotting out a “fake” version of the band with no original members.

But the story here is the new music from Burton, a man who, I believe, has one of the greatest rock & roll voices of all time, equally adept on ballads like These Eyes and Laughing and rockers like American Woman and Share The Land.

So, at age 76, how is that voice holding up?

From the sound of the 17…yes 17…tracks that make up this album, pretty darn well.

Cummings has been touring with his old foil/bandmate Randy Bachman recently, but this record, produced by Burton, features his live backing band (sadly unknown to me) and was recorded earlier this year.

So, unlike a lot of veteran acts who return after a long hiatus, this is not a mish-mash of tracks gathering dust in the archives, but an actual album.

With a running time of just under an hour, my only criticism of the record would be its length…17 tracks is a lot to take in…and a few could have been saved for “B” sides or the next project.

One thing is clear after listening to the first few tunes, Burton Cummings is a songwriter’s songwriter. He understands the craft and he know how to write a memorable melody with a good hook, just like the old days.

Songs like the opening title track, My Rhythm And My Rhyme, Arrogance  and Heard It On The News find Cummings pondering the past…1960s optimism, his first band, The Deverons and a few friends and colleagues lost along the way.

Mid-tempo ballads like Ain’t No More and Speak To Me are Burton’s forte these days, although he does rock out from time to time, turning the Arc Angels’ Shape I’m In into a classic Guess Who piano jam while Blackjack Fever finds our hero hollering “Hit me!”over a bluesy rock beat.

The other cover is a take on the Flying Burrito Brothers’ Sin City…just piano and voice…and is a lovely tribute to GP.

Why Burton  and his Guess Who compadres are not in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame is a mystery to me. Make up for the oversight by enjoying A Few Good Moments with Burton Cummings.

Marty Duda

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