Search - Bto :: Takin Care of Business

Chopped up songs

R. Byers | Seatac, Wa United States | 01/26/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD solely because I wanted the "Blue collar" track and found that the last three minutes of the song were edited out...Big let down."

That *drivin'* bass

Phil S. | USA | 02/05/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This collection does not contain *all* the hits we heard back in the days when "cruisin'" around and turning up the radio dial whenever "Takin' Care Of Business" came on was part of the routine. It's a '70s classic, successful because of a great Chuck Berry-style lyrics (and CB-style vocalizing) and that drivin' bass - Mr. C. F. Turner really put the record over the top (with help from an engineer who understood R & R). Like all the tracks on this set, the vocals are secondary: "Thank You For The Feelin'", borders on camp, with the lead vocal a little of his league as a screamer - still a good lyric, though. The second best track, for me, is "Take It Like A Man", another 70s rocker, featuring Little Richard on piano. LR helped out many super groups during that decade (Delaney and Bonnie, Canned Heat, James Gang, Jefferson Airplane/Marty Balin); a few of these tracks remain unreleased, but fortunately this track made it onto plastic and into the Top 40. His piano really lifts the music.

"Welcome Home" has four sections to it; an interesting semi-satire on the music business: the hysteria of the road and sold-out concerts still leads to the same ol', same ol' humdrum of home.

"Hey You" has a Doobie Brothers-style intro. and must be a surprise for casual fans. Tim Bachman plays some nice jazz-infected guitar on "Blue Collar".

This CD is a nice road-trip back to that era before drum machines and electronics."