ingly personal references to specific places and people -but at least two of them are un- qualified successes, and "Rockin" in particu- lar is as creative, moving, and funny as any- thing done in the Seventies by anyone. If they were English, they'd probably be legends. Okay, then, why do all my friends think they're a joke, and why am I being so defen- sive? Why don't people take them seriously? Snobbery, plain and simple. They had Top Forty hits, you see, and too many people still ME SI MRS feel that implies a lack of talent. Of course, so did the Beatles, and Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, and on and on and on. There's no logic to the REP031:s idea, but there it is. Some groups manage to overcome this unreasoning prejudice, for rea- sons that remain mysterious, and some don't: 3y STEVE SI just haven't been lucky enough. They'll deny it (from : "Reviewers laugh at me, so I go out to sea"). but the critical razzing has to bother them, CONFESSIONS OF A GUESS WHO FAN and when I read that they were about to do a three-day stint at the Bottom Line, an obvious had a rock-and-roll epiphany of sorts the with Burton scheduled until the poor guy got media showcase, I was immediately intrigued. 1 other week. I came to the conclusion that pneumonia, which development Itook per- How would they handle themselves? Would the Guess Who are one of the finest bands in sonally, of course. they bow to the critics and try to be "musi- rock, and that their front man and keyboard At any rate, now that I've established my cians," or would they simply be themselves? player isthe Thinking objectivity as far as they're concerned, I sup- As it turned out, they opted for a bit of Man's Elton John. pose a little history is in order. The boys are both. The band is four pieces these days. for You don't believe me, of course, but know- from Canada, and, as I'm sure you know, they the first time since Bachman's departure, and ing that you wouldn't is part of what made the had a healthy string of hits in the early Seven- new guitarist is a cult favor- realization sort of a Religious Experience ties. . now head honcho of ite with certified musician's credentials. In a (helped along by being alone in my room late thestartlinglysuccessful Bachman -Turner quartet context, the weight is very clearly on at night, consuming half a bottle of J&B, and Overdrive, was their original guitarist (one of him, and the group went out of their way to listening to six of their albums). As a matter of the few joys of the current rock scene is read- exploit his prowess. The result was a lot of fact, nobody believes me. When I advanced ing articles in which the two bands badmouth Mahavishnu-inspired trickiness and virtuoso the thesis to some of my more musically in- each other), and their music has always been display, mostly meaningless and dishwater clined friends, I received a torrent of verbal first-ratemainstreamrock-and-roll -strong dull, but the crowd absolutely adoredit, abuse unparalleled since the last time I assert- tunes, blazing guitars, and soaringharmonies. which was obviously the idea. At the same ed that anyone who claims he can tell the dif- What makes them special is that Burton is a time, however, Burton carried on inimitably: ference between an hour-long, free -form honk really great rock singer and a tremendous mugging and singinghis derriere off. He solo by John Coltrane and an hour-long, free- pianist adept in a variety of styles from Little pounded away at the keyboard during the form honk solo by a second -year sax student Richard to Bill Evans. And as if that isn't rock-and-roll numbers ("What we like to play wasted on Seconal is kidding himself. The enough, they project an endearing punk -dumb best," he said, showing that his heart's in the kindest comment I got, actually, was "As long sense of humor that reminds me of nothing so right place) with manic abandon and injected as you don't claim this is anything more than much as the dopey things the Beach Boys his own hilarious spoken asides in the middle one of your own personal, not recently re- used to do on their older records, like I'm of some of the songs (notably Show Biz Shoes, examined perversions." Bugged at My Old Man. On "Bannatyne." whose bitterness would be a drag without Well, I do, but that's neither here nor there, for example. there's.a song entitled One Man Burton's quasi Beatnik -poet recitations to and if truth be told, my passion for the band is Army (aimed at their critics, obviously) which deflate it). And they did do a lot of their hits, not of as recent vintage as I've made it sound, has a great hard -rock chorus constantly inter- all of which sounded as good as ever, includ- although I have managed to keep it closeted. I rupted by a conversation, between two Chica- ing the oh -so -catchy Dancing Fool, their most play "So Long, Bannatyne" and "Live at the nos in a club men's room, about what a rotten recent one and my own favorite candidate for Paramount" all the time, I can do the riff from band is playing there that night. Their albums single of the year. Albert Flasher on the piano (usually telling are usually uneven - Burton has an off -and -on people it's Leon Russell, to avoid embarrass- penchant for coffee-house profundity, and Iwent home pretty pleased about the whole ment), and last spring I even had an interview their lyrics are too often filled with madden- business, and even the couple of nonbelievers I dragged along under duress were reasonably Burton Cummings Garry Peterson I)01 Troiwto Bill Wallace impressed. As a consequence. I'm now daring to hope that a bit more missionary work along the lines of this column will do the trick for them, so that perhaps my pals will stop gig- = gling every time I mention the band. Even better, perhaps Burton and Company will feel free just to get out there and rock the next time they're in town. In the meantime, let me suggest that if any of this has intrigued you at all, or if you feel I have hopelessly blown the last vestiges of my credibility, simply pick up a copy of "Rock - in." which is available for a paltry $1.99 at better bargain bins everywhere. Listen to their priceless version of that great Moldy Oldie, Running Bear. Listen to Guns, Guns, Guns and Herbert's a Loser and Don't You Want Me. Listen to your friends snickering when they see the record on your turntable. Then make them listen, and we just might have the makings of a movement.

STEREO REVIEW