Search - Bto :: 4 Wheel Drive

One of, if not THE BEST BTO album...

Steverino | Austin, TX | 06/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Whatever it is that you read negatively about this album, blow it off... This is HARD CRUNCHING, HARD DRIVING music from a band who never got the recognition they deserved. With so much fluff coming out on the radio in the early 70's, these guys kicked MAJOR A**. C.F. Turner's vocals are more preferred than Randy Bachman's, but Randy's were O.K. too. "She's A Devil" and "Lowland Fling" are my faves on this album. This music just can't be duplicated today. Part of the reason they didn't get the respect is that they were overshadowed by bands like Zeppelin and Floyd at the time, and never had a chance to shine.



They had the perfect combination of talent and naivete that makes for a powerful musical experience. Their not being "full of themselves" was most certainly what made them shine.



My hat's off to you guys that were Bachman Turner Overdrive !"

Not their best, but 5 stars anyway!

Mark Lahren | Bismarck, North Dakota USA | 09/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'll admit right off that my review is likely to be biased, but I'll try not to be. This album was the very first record album I ever owned, and as a 15 year-old in 1975, I saved a long time for it. I absolutely LOVED it at the time, playing it so much I literally wore it out and had to buy another. My second and third-ever albums were also by BTO, with the fourth being Brave Belt II (BTO before they were BTO--c'mon somebody, release it on CD please--it's the only reason I still have my turntable hooked up). All my musical taste in the years following were heavily influenced by this powerhouse group, and this album in particular. I have since grown a bit musically and realize that this album, while definitive BTO, was not their best. That honor goes to "Head On" for its more sophisticated and laid-back sound. The self-titled original album was first-rate also. "Four Wheel Drive" was their heaviest-sounding album by far. All songs on it were meant to be played loud. Listening to it now in my 'old age' can be tiresome due to its unrelenting sonic boom factor. Most of these songs were recordings that were rejected from their "Not Fragile" sessions. The album "Four Wheel Drive" came about because the band was under contract to release another album, but they had been touring heavily and had not had time to write any new songs. Thus, these 'left-overs' were pulled out and made into and album. This doesn't mean they are any less for it. I myself think it is every bit as good as "Not Fragile". All that said, if you're just starting your BTO collection, I'd recommend starting with the first album first."

Very underrated album

Mark R. Van Wagenen | Elgin, Illinois USA | 12/11/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, I'm yet another 40-something guy who still thinks BTO rocked, well, most of the time anyway. Forget about the kids who diss the band (and anything '70s) because of stinkers like "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" heard on lame oldies stations. If you're one of those people, dig a little deeper into this band's music and you may lighten up a bit. They were actually quite good overall. "Four Wheel Drive", which I think was BTO's second-best album, borrows more than a little bit from their first self-titled album, which was their best. They both have good, staight-ahead, blue-collar-type rock, complete with great guitar riffs, C F Turner's snarling vocals (Randy Bachman does handle some of the numbers, with less satisfying results), and are without the piffle seen on the two intervening albums; in other words, sell-out tunes like "Takin' Care of Business" and "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" are absent. "Four Wheel Drive"s best tracks are the title track, "She's Keepin Time", "Quick Change Artist" and for something a little different, "Lowland Fling". Nothing fancy here, but that's OK. You want BTO, start with this one and the first album."