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charlene · 11-04-2008, 09:31 AM

interview and picture:
http://www.torontosun.com/entertainm...96281-sun.html
Having just come off the road following a tour with Randy Bachman last year, Burton Cummings considered getting back to work on a new solo record, one he thought about releasing five years ago.

But while mulling it over, those who knew him best were actually setting things in motion.

"My road manager Sam Boyd and my manager Lorne Saifer, they phoned me up one day around November 2007 and said, 'Alright, the studio is booked in California, the flights are booked, so is the band and you start on January 11th,' " Cummings says. "I was like (gulps), 'What? I guess I'm doing a new album.

"So once I reached that point, I felt a little bit relieved. It was like a weight was taken off my shoulders. It was like okay, it's going to be real now, we're going in on the eleventh and everything was concrete. It was laid out in front of me."

The new album Above the Ground, in stores today, features 19 songs.

But perhaps most surprising about this record is Cummings wrote all the material himself, something he couldn't say about an album before.

"The fact that it's so many and they're all mine, that's the first time I've ever seen that in print on any of my album covers -- all songs by Burton Cummings. That's kind of a neat little personal milestone for me," he says.

After spending most of the past decade touring as The Guess Who and then as Bachman Cummings, Cummings says Father Time influenced the album's direction, hence the album title.

"I think all of my years of living have crept into the lyrics, so this is more of an album of reflecting and growing up and being a little older," Cummings, 60, says.

DUAL CITIZENSHIP

"I don't think there's a lot of fluff on here, the lyrics are far more ... I wouldn't say serious but I am more concerned now at this stage in my life. I don't want to put something out that will haunt me or embarrass me in a few years."

Although American Woman was a huge hit, Cummings remains a Canadian citizen living in Los Angeles part of the year. However, in late October Cummings revealed to Sun Media he planned on getting dual citizenship.

Maybe the idea came from We Just Came From the USA, a single Cummings describes as "Caveman stuff" that's getting lots of airplay Stateside despite not being the most praiseworthy song about Uncle Sam's land.

"It's a reflection on a Canadian's idea on how insane the United States is and yet wonderful at the same time," Cummings says. "I love the whole concept of the United States, but they're obsessed with celebrity, power and money, it's a crazy country.

"I'm not putting America down. God knows it's been good to me. In the bridge I'm saying I'll cut you open for a nickel, sew you back up for a dime, for a quarter I can testify that someone else did, for a dollar I'd do it all one more time. So it's the obsession with money and power down there."

The person Cummings might have to thank most for Above the Ground being released is his longtime cohort Randy Bachman.

After touring this summer (sometimes in severe agony), Bachman underwent shoulder surgery, the result of having a Gibson guitar slung over his left shoulder for four decades.

"Thank God he's okay again, but my next few months certainly will be centred on Above the Ground. I'm at a stage in life where that's a real privilege. A lot of people don't get that chance when they turn 60. And it's not an old lame guy just putting out an album for the sake of putting out an album."

REVIEW of new CD -
Above the Ground Burton Cummings

Sir Lucious Leftfoot ... Son of Chico Dusty Big Boi

Classic Rock

*** 1/2

Burton Cummings has his own way to rock. Again.

The CanCon icon and longtime Guess Who frontman's long-overdue comeback album -- his first solo studio release in 18 years -- is easily the most personal and ambitious work of his four-decade career. For the first time, Cummings wrote, arranged, produced and even financed the entire album himself. Some songs date back to the '70s; others are brand-new, drawing on his view of life at age 60. Stylistically it encompasses everything from lumbering Zevonesque rockers laced with arch wit to sincerely bittersweet piano ballads, along with excursions into samba, lounge, country, barbershop and more, capably rendered by Cummings' old pals The Carpet Frogs. And with 19 songs spread across 75 minutes, it certainly delivers plenty of bang for the buck (though he coulda saved a few for a followup).

In short: Burton is making up for lost time. So we'll stop wasting time and get right to the track-by-track review:

Crazy If You Mess

With the Gods 3:50

An old-school rocker laced with Chuck Berry guitar, pumping piano and dark lyrics about playing with fire. Great opener.

Junior Won't Behave 3:38

It's just a ditty about bad kids -- but the well-deep refrain and midtempo wallop make it seem far more ominous.

TPOS 3:30

First word is The. Third word is Off. Last word is Song. Cummings fills in the blank on this bouncy, CCR-ish country-rock twanger.

Any Minor Miracle 4:08

Burton quits kidding around to deliver this gorgeous little roots-pop number. Reminds us of I'm Scared.

Powers at Play 4:42

A Zevonesque California rocker based abound a rolling tom-tom line and big, ringing piano chords. Simple but effective.

Ponderlust 4:49

Never mind the bad-pun title -- but this chugging Iggy Popish rocker is a winner. Burton channels the Lizard King in the bridge.

Rollaway 1:42

This silly barbershop-quartet ode to a hide-a-bed is the album's oldest song. Cute, but coulda been a bonus cut.

We Just Came From the U.S.A. 3:36

The 'Hey, hey, get out of my way' playground chant becomes a neanderthal rocker. Amazingly, Randy Bachman didn't write it.

Pretty Pictures 3:39

We go from the U.S.A. to the Caribbean for a lilting, deceptively sunny number inspired by a kidnapping.

Look Out Charlie (There's a New Bartender In Town) 3:14

Cummings makes like Billy Joel on a suave lounge-piano workout about Dubya, 9/11 and the Gulf War.

Kurt's Song 4:45

No, not Cobain; the Kurt in this melancholy lament is late Guess Who guitarist Kurt Winter, who died in '97.

Richard 5:00

Another tribute to lost friends and relationships, this shadowy slow-burner is reminiscent of Rain Dance.

Dream 3:45

Even Burton gets lonely sometimes, as we learn in this gently strummed, fittingly dreamy tune.

Up In The Canyon 3:09

The flip side of Dream: A lightly funky groover about the splendid isolation of Cummings' home in the L.A. hills.

A Touch of Morning 3:49

Burton does the samba. As light and sunny as its title -- but nice as this is, the disc is starting to feel a little long.

Revelation 4:24

A little Huey Piano Smith X a dash of Alley Oop + lyrics about "Mr. L. da Vinci" = A bouncy little retro-pop nugget.

Invisible 3:31

Cummings conjures Aaron Neville for a soulful ode to life's unseen magic. Fun fact: The lyrics are blank verse.

Retribution 5:25

One last blast: A crunchy slow-motion boogie-rocker with another Jimbo tribute. Good, but not great.

Above the Ground 4:18

It takes a long time to get there, but this breezy piano-pop closer is worth the trip.

11-04-2008, 09:31 AM	#1
charlene Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 16,001	Burton Cummings interview and picture: http://www.torontosun.com/entertainm...96281-sun.html Having just come off the road following a tour with Randy Bachman last year, Burton Cummings considered getting back to work on a new solo record, one he thought about releasing five years ago. But while mulling it over, those who knew him best were actually setting things in motion. "My road manager Sam Boyd and my manager Lorne Saifer, they phoned me up one day around November 2007 and said, 'Alright, the studio is booked in California, the flights are booked, so is the band and you start on January 11th,' " Cummings says. "I was like (gulps), 'What? I guess I'm doing a new album. "So once I reached that point, I felt a little bit relieved. It was like a weight was taken off my shoulders. It was like okay, it's going to be real now, we're going in on the eleventh and everything was concrete. It was laid out in front of me." The new album Above the Ground, in stores today, features 19 songs. But perhaps most surprising about this record is Cummings wrote all the material himself, something he couldn't say about an album before. "The fact that it's so many and they're all mine, that's the first time I've ever seen that in print on any of my album covers -- all songs by Burton Cummings. That's kind of a neat little personal milestone for me," he says. After spending most of the past decade touring as The Guess Who and then as Bachman Cummings, Cummings says Father Time influenced the album's direction, hence the album title. "I think all of my years of living have crept into the lyrics, so this is more of an album of reflecting and growing up and being a little older," Cummings, 60, says. DUAL CITIZENSHIP "I don't think there's a lot of fluff on here, the lyrics are far more ... I wouldn't say serious but I am more concerned now at this stage in my life. I don't want to put something out that will haunt me or embarrass me in a few years." Although American Woman was a huge hit, Cummings remains a Canadian citizen living in Los Angeles part of the year. However, in late October Cummings revealed to Sun Media he planned on getting dual citizenship. Maybe the idea came from We Just Came From the USA, a single Cummings describes as "Caveman stuff" that's getting lots of airplay Stateside despite not being the most praiseworthy song about Uncle Sam's land. "It's a reflection on a Canadian's idea on how insane the United States is and yet wonderful at the same time," Cummings says. "I love the whole concept of the United States, but they're obsessed with celebrity, power and money, it's a crazy country. "I'm not putting America down. God knows it's been good to me. In the bridge I'm saying I'll cut you open for a nickel, sew you back up for a dime, for a quarter I can testify that someone else did, for a dollar I'd do it all one more time. So it's the obsession with money and power down there." The person Cummings might have to thank most for Above the Ground being released is his longtime cohort Randy Bachman. After touring this summer (sometimes in severe agony), Bachman underwent shoulder surgery, the result of having a Gibson guitar slung over his left shoulder for four decades. "Thank God he's okay again, but my next few months certainly will be centred on Above the Ground. I'm at a stage in life where that's a real privilege. A lot of people don't get that chance when they turn 60. And it's not an old lame guy just putting out an album for the sake of putting out an album." REVIEW of new CD - Above the Ground Burton Cummings Sir Lucious Leftfoot ... Son of Chico Dusty Big Boi Classic Rock *** 1/2 Burton Cummings has his own way to rock. Again. The CanCon icon and longtime Guess Who frontman's long-overdue comeback album -- his first solo studio release in 18 years -- is easily the most personal and ambitious work of his four-decade career. For the first time, Cummings wrote, arranged, produced and even financed the entire album himself. Some songs date back to the '70s; others are brand-new, drawing on his view of life at age 60. Stylistically it encompasses everything from lumbering Zevonesque rockers laced with arch wit to sincerely bittersweet piano ballads, along with excursions into samba, lounge, country, barbershop and more, capably rendered by Cummings' old pals The Carpet Frogs. And with 19 songs spread across 75 minutes, it certainly delivers plenty of bang for the buck (though he coulda saved a few for a followup). In short: Burton is making up for lost time. So we'll stop wasting time and get right to the track-by-track review: Crazy If You Mess With the Gods 3:50 An old-school rocker laced with Chuck Berry guitar, pumping piano and dark lyrics about playing with fire. Great opener. Junior Won't Behave 3:38 It's just a ditty about bad kids -- but the well-deep refrain and midtempo wallop make it seem far more ominous. TPOS 3:30 First word is The. Third word is Off. Last word is Song. Cummings fills in the blank on this bouncy, CCR-ish country-rock twanger. Any Minor Miracle 4:08 Burton quits kidding around to deliver this gorgeous little roots-pop number. Reminds us of I'm Scared. Powers at Play 4:42 A Zevonesque California rocker based abound a rolling tom-tom line and big, ringing piano chords. Simple but effective. Ponderlust 4:49 Never mind the bad-pun title -- but this chugging Iggy Popish rocker is a winner. Burton channels the Lizard King in the bridge. Rollaway 1:42 This silly barbershop-quartet ode to a hide-a-bed is the album's oldest song. Cute, but coulda been a bonus cut. We Just Came From the U.S.A. 3:36 The 'Hey, hey, get out of my way' playground chant becomes a neanderthal rocker. Amazingly, Randy Bachman didn't write it. Pretty Pictures 3:39 We go from the U.S.A. to the Caribbean for a lilting, deceptively sunny number inspired by a kidnapping. Look Out Charlie (There's a New Bartender In Town) 3:14 Cummings makes like Billy Joel on a suave lounge-piano workout about Dubya, 9/11 and the Gulf War. Kurt's Song 4:45 No, not Cobain; the Kurt in this melancholy lament is late Guess Who guitarist Kurt Winter, who died in '97. Richard 5:00 Another tribute to lost friends and relationships, this shadowy slow-burner is reminiscent of Rain Dance. Dream 3:45 Even Burton gets lonely sometimes, as we learn in this gently strummed, fittingly dreamy tune. Up In The Canyon 3:09 The flip side of Dream: A lightly funky groover about the splendid isolation of Cummings' home in the L.A. hills. A Touch of Morning 3:49 Burton does the samba. As light and sunny as its title -- but nice as this is, the disc is starting to feel a little long. Revelation 4:24 A little Huey Piano Smith X a dash of Alley Oop + lyrics about "Mr. L. da Vinci" = A bouncy little retro-pop nugget. Invisible 3:31 Cummings conjures Aaron Neville for a soulful ode to life's unseen magic. Fun fact: The lyrics are blank verse. Retribution 5:25 One last blast: A crunchy slow-motion boogie-rocker with another Jimbo tribute. Good, but not great. Above the Ground 4:18 It takes a long time to get there, but this breezy piano-pop closer is worth the trip.