“Axe” 

Randy Bachman’s 1970 Solo Album

Over three days in March of 1970 (the 16th, 17th & 18th) at RCA’s Mid-America Recording Centre Studio B Chicago, Illinois, Randy Bachman recorded his first solo album. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, he titled it “Axe”, the slang term used by guitarists for their instrument. The album was an instrumental recording, and featured a second guitarist (fellow Canadian Dominic Troiano), Guess Who drummer Gary Peterson and another Winnipeg musician, Wes Dakus on pedal steel (Randy also played bass on the album). The album was subsequently released by RCA in Canada under the catalogue number LSP-4348.

The timing of the album “Axe” was interesting. The Guess Who completed the recording of their third album for RCA, “American Woman” at the same RCA studio in Chicago in the fall of 1969. The album was released in March of 1970, the same month Randy Bachman decided to record his solo album. “American Woman” would of course go on to be the most successful recording ever made by The Guess Who, and ironically, the last to feature Randy Bachman. Due to irreconcilable differences, Randy left the band in May, just two months after the release of “American Woman”.

“Axe” was an opportunity for Randy Bachman to stretch out and showcase his exceptional abilities as a guitarist and composer. There are a number of musical motifs contained within the songs on “Axe” that foreshadow some of the music he would later record, particularly with Bachman-Turner Overdrive. The overall level of musicianship is excellent, although one wonders why he decided to double on bass guitar. No matter the reason, the session does seem to suffer slightly from some “clunkiness” in the rhythm section, something the addition of a true bassist may have alleviated. Notwithstanding some of these minor issues however, it needs to stated that the music on the record is very good. Randy Bachman studied for number of years in the early sixties with guitar phenom Lenny Breau, who lived in Winnipeg at the time, and the results of those years of lessons is apparent in some of the jazz chord voicings and progressions heard on “Axe”. 

 Randy Bachman will of course be known for his contributions to the original Guess Who, and his commercial success with Bachman-Turner Overdrive. But “Axe” is a reminder that what we glimpse in those other bands is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the musical talents and ideas he possesses. It is well worth looking for if you are fan.  

Chalk Circle & Duke Street Records

Duke Street was a short lived Canadian record label that operated between 1984 and 1994. The company carried only Canadian artists on its roster, and its releases featured an eclectic variety of musical genres, from traditional classical offerings to jazz. Duke Street also issued recordings from some very talented Canadian rock and roll groups as well, one of which was Chalk Circle.

Chalk Circle was a quartet of young men from the small community of Newcastle, part of the suburban landscape that accompany’s King’s Highway 401 east of Toronto. Their story was typical of untold other rock and roll bands in that they came together in high school, started learning their craft, and began to get opportunities. While slogging through the club circuit in Toronto, they entered a competition being held by the FM radio station CFNY called the “CASBY” (Canadian Artists Selected By You) awards, and were selected as the winners in the “Most Promising Non Recording Act” category in 1985. (I think this would an appropriate opportunity to take a moment and acknowledge the important contribution CFNY made to the music scene during that time period. Thank you David Marsden!). The group also decided to add a keyboard player around this time, and in 1986 the band was signed by Duke Street. Shortly thereafter the band released their first commercial recording, an EP (extended play) titled “The Great Lake”. There would be two singles released from this record, “April Fool” and “Me, Myself And I”. Signing this group certainly worked out well for Duke Street, with the EP being their most popular (commercially successful)  release up to that time, with over 35,000 copies being sold. 

“The Great Lake” was a wonderful slice of nicely crafted pop music. The recording is well produced with a bright, clear sound. The band plays with a great deal of enthusiasm, and to my ears, the songs clearly benefit from the group performance involving the collective efforts of the musicians. The songs have great melodies, and while the compositions are not overly complex (or ambitious), the band members play them beautifully with an emphasis on the lead vocal during the verse and harmony vocals during the chorus. The musicianship is very good, with an emphasis on ensuring the instrumental performance complements the song and the band concept (as opposed to overplaying by individual band members). Both of the singles that were released from this recording, “April Fool” and “Me, Myself And I” (with this second song being my personal favourite) feature excellent singing, very nice harmony vocals and thoughtful lyrics, and a chorus with a great melodic hook. “The Great Lake” does exhibit the influence of some of the English “New Wave” groups that were popular at the time, but the group has its own sound, and the record is certainly not derivative. 

For the collector, in addition to the EP, there are also the singles.  “April Fool” was released as a 7 inch and a 12 inch single. The 12 inch single contained two mixes of “April Fool” and a remix version of “Me, Myself And I”. The single release of “Me, Myself And I” was limited to the 7 inch format.  

The music contained on “The Great Lake” has lost none of its immediacy and verve. It is a great example of some of the tremendous music that was being produced by young musicians in Southern Ontario during the 1980’s. Duke Street was a great small label that released all sorts of neat music, and provided an opportunity for many Canadian artists to be heard. Many of their releases are well worth seeking out. 

Mountain

“Nantucket Sleighride”

In January of 1971 Mountain released their second album, “Nantucket Sleighride”. It was an album that would in some respects define the band to some of its fans, and conversely would disappoint others. It is a personal favourite of mine, although it is easy to see why it wasn’t what many fans of the band expected. Prior to the release of their second album, the band was known more for its heavy sound, featuring searing lead guitar and thunderous vocals. "Nantucket Sleighride" eschewed this approach, and presented a more nuanced and musically complex version of Mountain. While the album received a (mostly) positive critical response from the music press, not all of the band's fans would welcome the change.

Mountain was a classic American rock band. They were established in 1969 after their lead guitarist and singer Leslie West had released a solo album (named, ironically, “Mountain”) that was produced by noted producer and multi-instrumentalist Felix Pappalardi. After the release of the album, Leslie suggested touring, with Felix assuming the role of the band’s bassist (he had played bass on Leslie’s solo album). They were fortunate enough to be added to the itinerary of bands performing at the famous “Woodstock Music Festival” (it was allegedly their fourth gig), and followed that up with a monster hit single in 1970. That song was “Mississippi Queen”, a classic rock song with an instantly recognizable introduction. The song begins with the drummer establishing the song’s rhythm with a cow bell, followed by a snarling guitar riff. As hooks go, this one is a classic, and it is easy to see why the song was such a hit. The story goes that the cow bell was only added at the producer’s request as a measure to help the band keep time. As with many other seemingly innocuous aspects of a hit song, it was that cow bell introduction that identified the song and became it’s signature. With the band’s visibility established by being part of Woodstock, and their popularity established by a hit single, Mountain suddenly found themselves with a recording contract, a heavy touring schedule and commercial success. 

It is considered a truism in the music business that a group’s first record is usually the basis for their success (or lack thereof), and that the second is generally a “let down”. The story goes that a group has had their whole life to do their first album, and then if they are fortunate enough to be give the opportunity to record a second, they get a few weeks between touring and other commercial requirements to get it done (and therefore it isn’t going to be as “good” as the first). It would be easy to assume this about “Nantucket Sleighride”, but it would be also be wrong. Mountain's first album "Climbing" established that there was plenty of talented musical ability in the band in the band, but it was their second album "Nantucket Sleighride" that showed what the musicians as a group were capable of.

Mountain was an interesting combination of raw talent, polished musicianship, energy and vision. Felix Pappalardi was not an obvious choice as a band member, but his inclusion certainly worked, albeit for only a couple of years. Felix was a classically trained musician whose work prior to Mountain had been mainly as a producer and arranger. His decision to work with Leslie West was something fans of the group can be very thankful for. Like many musical partnerships, there were creative tensions and disputes. However, those differences are often the spark for creation of something unique and special. This would be the case in “Nantucket Sleighride”. 

The album features a more sophisticated approach than their first album “Climbing”, which primarily focused on Leslie West’s guitar prowess and powerful vocals. “Nantucket Sleighride” would have more of Felix’s influence. The songs are more challenging from a musical perspective, with (in my opinion) a greater emphasis on a group sound and performance. Felix Pappalardi handled more of the vocals, and Leslie West’s singing was more restrained. Keyboards also played played a much more prominent role on this record. 

The standout song from the album is the title track, with its emphasis on intricate musical textures and Corky Laing’s exuberant drumming. The song itself is a ballad, but with almost a waltz feel with the sixteenth note patterns Corky Laing plays on the “hi hat” cymbal portion of his drum kit. At the end of the vocal portion of the chorus, the band goes into a double time feel to provide a contrast to the ballad tempo, and then returns to the regular tempo after the musical figures in the double time section of the song have been completed. According to the musicians in the band, the song was very challenging and frustrating to record, but the finished product exceeded all expectations.  

The visual aspects of the record were also stunning. Gail Collins, Felix Pappalardi's wife,  completed all of the cover art. The album also came with a number of inserts comprising of pictures, photos and other band related paraphernalia, (something, I might add, that was much appreciated part of buying a record back in the days of the vinyl record album).

The band Mountain as it was composed at the time of this record would only last a few more months, but the hard work, dedication and inspired performance on their record “Nantucket Sleighride” would provide this group’s fans with many years of listening pleasure. The band's  fans who just wanted more "Mississippi Queen" type material would be disappointed, but the fans who wanted to see what the unique combination of musical talents in Mountain were capable of welcomed this album. 

For collectors, the original pressing is well worth seeking out, especially a copy with all of the inserts intact. It was released on the Windfall label, "Windfall 5500". It has been re-released by Sony on CD as part the "Legacy" series, well re-mastered with additional liner notes and one extra track.          

  

        

Lighthouse - "One Fine Morning"

One of the musical experiences I remember most vividly from growing up in the early 1970’s was the switch from listening to AM radio to FM radio. Popular music was transitioning from the “singles” format, from three minute songs primarily being composed and performed by studio musicians and designed for “top forty” airplay, to longer and more complex musical pieces written by musicians of increasingly greater compositional and technical ability. These gifted young artists wanted (and received) greater latitude in the types of songs they wanted to include on their recordings. FM was the ideal platform to hear this new music, as it provided the listener with the ability to listen to it in a high fidelity format over broadcast radio. 

One of the groups that was popular on the FM radio in Southern Ontario at the time was a band from the Toronto area named “Lighthouse”. In 1971, they released their fourth record, “One Fine Morning”. It was their most successful recording, and established them as not only an important Canadian rock music act, but an act that had considerable international appeal as well. The album's title track “One Fine Morning”, went to #2 on the Canadian charts and peaked at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1971. It was the beginning of a love affair between Canadian audiences (particularly in Southern Ontario) and a unique Canadian band. On the heels of the single “One Fine Morning” would follow a number of other songs that would be ubiquitous on Canadian radio such as “Hats Off (To The Stranger)”, “Take It Slow (Out In The Country)”, “Sunny Days” and “Pretty Lady”.

   

So what was about this band that seemed to strike such a chord amongst their fans? They were certainly not a typical rock and roll band. They incorporated elements of pop, classical, R&B and jazz into their songs.  While this was certainly not unheard of in rock music, Lighthouse combined these aspects of their music with commercial success, and popular appeal. They were a great live act, and always drew well. Timing, as is the case so often, was an important factor. In 1971 the band added a new singer named Bob McBride who brought his tremendous vocal talents as an addition to an already potent instrumental lineup. Lighthouse also happened to be offering a type of music that was gaining in popularity. Lighthouse had a prominent brass section (as well as strings) that was integral to its sound. Bands like Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears were achieving commercial success and critical acclaim with a similar formula (although of course each of these groups had their differences). Another change that occurred prior to the recording of "One Fine Morning" was that the group had signed with a new record label (GRT) and founding member drummer Skip Prokop took over most of the songwriting duties. His compositions maintained the musical intricacy the fans of the band were attracted to, but they also had commercial appeal, and most important, were “radio friendly”. It also didn’t hurt that in 1971 the “CanCon” regulations requiring radios to play Canadian recording artists were implemented. 

Listening to the album “One Fine Morning”, you can hear why the record was so successful. The subtle pop music references to groups like the Beatles can be discerned in tracks like “Little Kind Words”. The title track “One Fine Morning”, leads off side two, has an iconic introduction that is instantly recognizable once heard. The song contains all of the elements that made this version of Lighthouse so popular. It has a strong groove, and is a wonderful vehicle lead singer Bob McBride’s excellent voice. The horn section parts are outstanding and the song concludes with a memorable guitar solo. There isn’t bad track on the album, and standouts include the ballad “1849”, and the gospel flavoured “Hats Off (To The Stranger)”.

While the next couple of years would be some of the group’s best, unfortunately the band’s days were numbered. The constant touring was difficult, some of the original members decided to leave, and Bob McBride would become a victim of the dark side of the rock and roll lifestyle. Although this version of the group would call it quits in 1976, the band did reunite for a famous one-off concert in 1982. In 1992, a number of the original members decided to reunite, and Lighthouse was back on the road. While it would be fair to say the band may not have the chops they did in the heyday, they are still a great show, and having seen them twice over the past few years, I have no hesitation in saying I enjoyed their performance. If you are not familiar with them, I would encourage you to check them out. They have an excellent website, and of course there is all sorts of stuff on youtube about them. Lighthouse was an integral part of Canada’s musical landscape in the early 1970’s, and the music has had great staying power, continuing to be heard on the radio. The band continues to perform (albeit at more modest venues), and is a popular draw.     

Gordon Lightfoot "Complete Greatest Hits"

Gordon Lightfoot is a musician whose work has helped define the singer/songwriter genre. He wasn’t the only Canadian in this field either, in fact our country has consistently punched above her weight in producing artists who have enjoyed international success with this type of popular music. However, there are significant differences between Gordon Lightfoot and many of his contemporaries. For instance, he didn’t conspicuously decamp for Los Angeles or Nashville in order to “further his career”. He has maintained consistency in the quality and style of music he wrote and performed, not feeling the need to constantly “re-invent” himself to stay relevant. So when it comes to an overview of Gordon Lightfoot, where does one start with an artist whose impact has been so profound? 

Interestingly, when you google “Gordon Lightfoot”, two of the first website addresses that are appear on your screen; “www.lighfoot.ca” and “gordonlighfoot.com”; appear to have been created by fans. (In researching this article, I was unable to determine if Mr. Lightfoot maintains his own website, however seeing that there are already domains registered using his name, it would appear that he probably doesn’t, and there isn’t one listed in his Wikipedia entry. But I’ve been wrong before! He does have an official Facebook page though). However, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that the two aforementioned websites are maintained by fans of Gordon Lightfoot, both are thorough and well worth reading. While they are obviously a labour of love, they do in fairness lack the professional appearance that a commercial site would have.

Something else that became apparent while conducting research for this article concerned the paucity of live video of Gordon Lightfoot performances (at least in commercially available DVD format). The one that seems to be most available is the “Live in Reno” DVD. I have a copy and can vouch for its excellence. It is from 2000 however, and it is an older Gordon Lightfoot that we watch performing. To see him perform in a concert setting during the time period when he was at the height of his creative powers, and enjoying his greatest commercial success, we must turn to the BBC. They recorded Gordon Lightfoot in front of a live audience in one of their studios in England in the spring of 1971, and subsequently broadcast the concert in January, 1972. For some reason, a DVD of the program has not been released here in Canada, although it can be ordered (or watched, if you so inclined) on line. This particular concert features Gordon Lightfoot accompanied by only his bassist Rick Haynes, and lead guitarist Red Shea. Reviews of the performance are uniformly excellent. Additionally, one of the websites I referenced earlier provides a comprehensive listing go all of his television appearances, of which their are more than a few.  

  Gordon Lightfoot has an extensive discography, with a recording career spanning several decades. He has released nineteen studio albums, three live albums and sixteen (!) greatest hits albums. It is an indication of the strength and quality of his musical career that he has had released almost as many compilation collections of his material as he has actual studio recordings. His first real commercial success as a performer of his own material came in the early 1970’s when he was signed to Reprise records, with his breakthrough as an international star occurring with the release of single “If You Could Read My Mind”. Perhaps not surprisingly, he initial success came as a songwriter in the mid 1960’s when Peter, Paul and Mary recorded some his songs, and had a hit with “Early Morning Rain”. This leads me to a couple of interesting facts about two of his earlier compilation recordings; “Gord’s Gold” and “Gord’s Gold Volume 2”. Gordon Lightfoot decided to re-record the first 10 tracks on Gord’s Gold. These were songs that were recorded when he was signed to a different record label than Reprise. The same thing happened on Gord’s Gold Volume 2. On that specific album, 14 of the 18 selections were re-recorded live in the studio. I’m withholding any commentary on whether or not this is a good or bad thing. For the casual fan, they may not even notice. For a more dedicated fan, you have the option of hearing two versions of the same song (the original recording, and then the version recorded for the Gord's Gold  compilations).  

Which brings me to “Gordon Lightfoot Complete Greatest Hits”. For someone who wants a retrospective on Gordon Lightfoot’s career, this is the compact disc to have. There are a few noteworthy aspects to this recording. Most importantly, this disc was put together by the good folks at Rhino Records. To my mind, they are the gold standard when it comes to compilations. The degree of care put into this album is typical of their work. The disc is accompanied by a 15 page booklet, which contains an interview with Gordon Lightfoot featuring his commentary on each of the 20 tracks on the disc. The booklet also contains a comprehensive listing of the albums from which the songs on the disc came from, and the musicians that were on the albums. It is important to note that unlike the other greatest hits packages I mentioned, these are the original recordings. Equally important, they were remastered for compact disc release, and the sound quality is superb. This package was meant to reflect the full extent of Gordon Lightfoot’s career, so there are some songs that were left out that some of his fans may have wished to have been included. That should not dissuade anybody from picking up this disc up though. It is a fitting tribute to one of Canada’s most accomplished singer/songwriters. 

I would like to focus on two of Gordon Lightfoot’s earlier compositions that are featured on this disc; “Go-Go Round” and “Pussy-willows, Cat-Tails”. These were songs recorded in the mid 1960’s while he was still signed to the United Artist record label (prior to being signed to Reprise). The first song, Go-Go Round, was written while Gordon Lightfoot was living and working in Toronto. The song itself is relatively straightforward, regaling the listener with a girl falls in love with boy theme. It is wonderfully reflective of the Yonge Street nightlife of bars and clubs in the mid to late 1960’s. The album that contained this particular track was recorded in Nashville, and it was the first recording collaboration between Gordon Lightfoot and the great guitarist Red Shea. Red would play on virtually all of Gordon Lightfoot’s albums from this point forward, and would also tour with him until the early 1970’s. Red was a virtuoso finger style guitarist, and wove his lines with incredible delicacy and feeling into Gordon Lightfoot’s songs. Red’s contributions on guitar are on display quite clearly on this track. The song features a sparse arrangement, typical of pop songs of the time. The song’s theme and Gordon Lightfoot’s clear and excellent singing voice to my ear are very indicative of much of the tremendous music to come. You can easily draw a direct line from this song to many of the later hits he would have, such as “Summer Side Of Life”, “Sundown” and “Carefree Highway”. While Gordon Lightfoot would still be considered a “folk singer”, Go-Go Round was a well constructed pop song that could be played on top forty radio.  

Pussy-willows, Cat Tails is a standout, killer track. Here Gordon Lightfoot moves from the folksinger with a guitar musical vein into the songwriter par excellence category. The song features very atmospheric finger style guitar along with delicate string accompaniment. This was something very different from his earlier work, and foreshadowed such songs as “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Beautiful”. The lyrics bring the listener to a quiet, rural setting, and seem to speak of youth. While there is nothing specific in the lyrics that speak to loss or missed opportunity, the song conveys beautifully that sense of melancholy and understated emotion that is so prominent in much of Gordon Lightfoot’s work. 

Gordon Lightfoot is a national treasure for us Canadians, like such contemporaries as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings. He has a body of work that is as good as anything from any other artist, from any other nation. "Complete Greatest Hits" is a fitting tribute to this outstanding Canadian artist.