CoronaVinyl Day 424 (G): Road Food by The Guess Who

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "G," and I listened to Canadian rockers The Guess Who's 12th studio album, 1974's Road Food.

The Guess Who was arguably Canada's most successful rock musical export in the late '60s and early '70s, with 13 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1969 and 1975, including 7 Top 10 hits and two #1s.  The band powered through and continued their success after guitarist Randy Bachman left in 1970 (and would go on to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive a few years later), though as the early '70s carried on, the band's success in the U.S. started to fade.

Road Food was a mini renaissance for the band, as the album reached #60 on the Billboard album chart (which was their highest-charting studio album in the U.S. since 1971).  It also featured the band's last Top 10 hit in the U.S. -- "Clap For The Wolfman," a tribute to famed DJ Wolfman Jack, who made a cameo on the track -- as well as another Top 40 hit, "Star Baby," which reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Over all, the album has kind of a kitschy feel to it.  There is almost a Vaudeville feel to it, with some call-and-response vocals, and some of the songs seem to be trying to tap into the nascent country rock genre.  Of course, Burton Cummings's lead vocals are still great, but this album does not have the same punch as their earlier, more well-known stuff.

In late 1975, Cummings disbanded the group, but a couple years later, former member Jim Kale realized the band's name wasn't trademarked in Canada, so he formed a band using the name "The Guess Who" and began recording and touring using that name.  Apparently, that has continued to today, so if The Guess Who comes to a town near you, be warned that there is only one original member of the band who is still playing (drummer Garry Peterson).

Favorite Song on Side 1:  "One Way Road to Hell"
The final song on the first side is the least kitschy song on the side, and it's more reminiscent of their earlier work.

Favorite Song on Side 2:  "Ballad of The Last Five Years"
The last song on the album is a 7-minute ballad, and again, it reminds me more of their earlier stuff than the other songs on the second side.  Cummings's vocals are more soulful than poppy, which is when he's at his best.