So why is Bachman-Turner Overdrive II on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
I’ll warn you up front: “Let It Ride” off of Bachman-Turner II has been in my head ever since I started getting this entry for the best 1,000 albums project ready for publication.
But you know what? I don’t mind. It [REDACTED] rocks.
It’s a perfect early 1970s rock song, combining a Led Zeppelin-ish guitar hook with a groovy, roots rock vibe that makes for, well, a song that gets trapped in your head and you’re happy to let it hang around until the party’s ready to mellow itself out.
One other thing that clicked for me during the research phase for the best 1k albums proj is that I was not aware that the Bachman-Turner Overdrive is comprised of former members of the Guess Who, another band that I’m a huge fan of. And then of course when you listen to “Let It Ride” it makes total sense.
“Takin’ Care of Business,” which is arguably BTO’s most famous song short of “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” has its own sound, one that would dominate FM radio and dive bar happy hours for decades.
“Tramp” has an outstanding guitar riff that shows off Randy Bachman’s ability to craft unique-sounding hard rock that’s also wildly accessible to a mainstream audience. It does this too while having a hint of glam rock going on as well – it’s a really fun gem of a deep track that I highly recommend.
Pop culture stuff that somehow relates to Bachman-Turner Overdrive II
Seems like I keep coming up with reasons – such as just recently in Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life (#562 of best 1,000 albums ever) – to talk about the movie High Fidelity (as I also do at the bottom of every best 1k albums ever entry these days!), and here we go again!
Throughout the movie, Jack Black’s manic, abrasive, and ultra-music snob character, Barry, makes several references to putting a band together. The rest of the gang doesn’t take him seriously, but one of the final scenes involves Barry’s band playing its first live gig and of course Rob (John Cusack) and crew are super curious to see what the deal is.
Barry jokes around about the new band’s name on stage, and in so doing kicks around the name, “Kathleen Turner Overdrive,” which is kind of amazing on multiple levels. But instead he reveals the real name, at least for “tonight”: Barry Jive and the Uptown Five. And then it’s kind of a nice comedic misdirect that Barry faithfully belts out – with total Jack Black-ian energy and verve, of course – a cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.”
Some stats & info about Bachman-Turner Overdrive II
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Album Rock, Arena Rock, Hard Rock, Canadian Bands
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 3 out 5 stars
- When was Bachman-Turner Overdrive II released? 1973
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #556 out of 1,000
Bachman-Turner Overdrive II on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Bachman-Turner Overdrive II that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
And would you cry if I told you that I lied? And would you say goodbye, would you let it ride?
What’s the most interesting thing about Bachman-Turner Overdrive that most people don’t know?
Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s original name was Brave Belt, and was formed by Randy Bachman and Chad Allan in 1970, before changing the name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive in 1973. The band was known for its hit songs such as “Takin’ Care of Business” and “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.” The band was also very active in the 1970s and 1980s, releasing several albums and touring extensively. The band is considered to be one of the most popular and successful Canadian rock bands of all time.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.