The Guess Who - Greatest Hits

Very good but the filler could have been killer! (2010-08-25) : 4/5
This has most of the biggest hits, but lacks a few of the best other tunes that could easily replace the soft selections here. It also has the short version of Sugar/Nature, which is a real loss. As are Bus Rider (!) and Runnin' Back To Saskatoon, no question. Those two have got to be on any truly definitive GW compilation. (Some fans might also like to see Glamour Boy here, and while I enjoy it as a fun parody, it's not endlessly listenable like some of these gems).br /br /This has every song from the record everyone or their friend had in the '70s, the Bachman-era Best Of, except the weak Do You Miss Me Darlin' (good omission) and the funky Bus Rider, a major missing link here. It's the clear precursor to BTO's classic Takin' Care Of Business, and is also one of the GW's most rockin' tunes, with some beautifully caustic lyics that show what total hippie freaks these guys were for a while (as does Share The Land, which I've always enjoyed for its generation-defining, quietly glorious naivete). Runnin' Back is also a great simple rock tune, and the live version on the 2cd GW best-of mix Track Record would have been nice to have here with BR and RBTS in place of Sour Suite, Rain Dance or Heartbroken; it's a far better song, and that's a crisp version. I know they weren't hits, but hey, neither were those other tunes!br /br /Still, those niggles aside, this has most of what you want from Burton and the boys. I heard a lot of these guys on the radio (and coming out of car windows) while growin' up in the Big Smoke in the late '60s/early '70s, and Cummings' voice sounds as good now as it did then. He could rock, he could croon, he could wail, he could cheese it up, he could pretty much do it all, and he had a clear love for doo-wop and other '50s music, as seen here on Wolfman. I even enjoy Daughter; it's tepid reggae but it's fun, and I have plenty of childhood memories attached to hearing it on the radio, which always helps cement emotions to one's favorite music.br /br /The best tunes here are still feel fresh; you can hear their era but you can also hear top-notch melodies played by a bunch of truly solid musicians. This was no garage band, even when they rocked out, and their best songwriters, Burton and Randy, also happened to play the hell out of their instruments. That helps. The harmonies were also tight, a major component of their sweet sound. Growing up with these guys as one of the local bands made it pretty clear that if Canada had a group to rival the Beatles, the Guess Who were it. Of course nobody touches those guys, but to even be compared to them is no mean feat, and the dozen truly great tracks here make a strong case for the GW being perhaps the best entirely Canadian band of them all, in terms of stylistic breadth and memorable melodies.br /br /Undun, These Eyes, No Time, Hand Me Down World, No Sugar Tonight/Mother Nature (my favorite), etc etc...those tunes will still be good in fifty years, and don't be surprised if a bunch of groups suddenly start covering the Guess Who. One day they'll get their due, because they made some really fine music, and most of it is here is nicely remastered form.br /br /And if you love this music, make sure to seek out their original albums on vinyl, because there are plenty more quality tunes buried away there. If you're a real fan, it's a treasure trove.br /br /Of all the bands I grew up with, few still make me smile in the way that The Guess Who do. There's a lot to be said for music that just makes you feel good.
Missing Bus rider (2010-08-18) : 4/5
Good retrospective collection, but missing a great song "Bus Rider"br /Will not give it 5 stars because of serios omission.
The Guess Who - Greatest Hits (2010-07-09) : 5/5
Before Elton John, the Guess Who was writing and blazing away with classic rock songs of love and joy. For anyone who grew up in the 60's and 70's this is a MUST!br /
Forgotten favorites (2009-10-22) : 5/5
I had forgotten how many of The Guess Who's songs I loved. And this album is just full of those great hits and my forgotten favorites.br /I would recommend this album to anybody.br /
best of guess who (2009-06-29) : 5/5
like the cd had most of the guess who hits songs like clap for the wolfman . these eyes