Album Corner: The Guess Who – Runnin’ Back Thru Canada

Thanks to tickets gifted by my aunt and uncle, my wife Kate and I joined them to see The Guess Who play at the Saddledome on Monday, June 8th. The four of us weren’t the only people there, as it was so packed it must have been a sold-out show, or close to it.

It was a somewhat strange experience going to this show. It has been a while since I felt like a young person at an event. That feeling was a frequent occurrence when I was in my twenties and going to whisky festivals in Calgary, but it is a rare thing now, at the ripe old age of forty-five.

The most difficult thing about the show was the lineup to get in. That luckily went smoothly despite the metal detectors constantly setting off from all the canes and walkers, replaced hips, and shrapnel from the Korean War the many individuals ahead of us had. I could smell just as much from weed smoke wafting around the stands as the last concert I saw at the ‘Dome, so that must be a universal thing now, regardless of age and demographic.

The opener for the night was Don Felder from the Eagles. He is still a solid performer and sounded great, though I am a big fan and barely know any of his music. He was, of course, obligated to end his set with Hotel California. There would have been riots otherwise, with the crowd of Boomers eyeing to tear down the Saddledome before the new arena is finished going up to replace it.

But I was there for The Guess Who.

This band has gone through quite a few iterations over the 60+ years it has been together, on, and off. The live band that is currently touring contains its two most famous members: Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman.

No, that sixty years is not at typo. Cummings – still singing melodiously at nearly 78 years old – noted during the show that he and Bachman first played in Calgary together in 1966.

Cummings, Bachman, and their backing band played through 19 songs in total for the performance. They performed 17 straight before leaving the stage only to come back for a two song encore before the lights turned up, and it was time to go home.

Here is the track list from the night:

1. Runnin’ Back To Saskatoon
2. Proper Stranger
3. Hand Me Down World
4. These Eyes
5. Albert Flasher
6. Let It Ride (BTO song (link goes to a great cover of the song by Big Sugar))
7. Clap for the Wolfman
8. Laughing
9. Guns Guns Guns
10. Undun (Not to be confused with Weezer’s song about sweaters)
11. Star Baby
12. You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet (BTO song)
13. My Own Way To Rock (Burton Cummings solo track)
14. A Wednesday In Your Garden
15. American Woman (with LA Woman montage. A cover of the famous Lenny Kravitz song (kidding))
16. No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature
17. No Time
18. Share the Land
19. Takin’ Care of Business (BTO Song)

If you have listened to any rock radio over the past, well, six decades or so, there is a good chance you know at least a few of these tunes. I was born and raised in Creston, BC, but I can vividly recall 66 CFR being the AM radio station of choice to put on our many trips to visit family in Calgary through the 1980s and 1990s, before I moved to the city permanently in 1998.

That radio station (Long ago replaced by the far more boring 660 AM all news station that gave Danielle Smith her soapbox in between running political parties into the ground), and a few of my parent’s tapes and records, was my personal introduction to The Guess Who.

How long can one stay healthy enough to tour and play live? Burton Cummings turn 78 this year and is still an impresario both vocally and with the piano, playing to the crowd in between songs. Randy Bachman is 83 and plays from a stool on stage, but still strums the electric guitar marvellously. Paul McCartney and members of the Rolling Stones are still performing in their 80s. Willie Nelson is in his 90s.

Counter to what one would think, clean living might not be the only way to enjoy a very long and successful music career.

The Guess Who – Live – Running Back Thru Canada

The Guess Who do not have many live albums available to listen to, which is too bad because their music sounds great in person. Even this album – Running Back Thru Canada – is not listed in its complete two disc form on Spotify or Youtube. Instead, we are left with an abbreviated seven song version of this incredible performance.

Listening to the double disc set of this live performance quite a bit over the past few decades made it so that only three of the songs The Guess Who played at the Saddledome were relatively unknown to me. It was fun to sing/shout the lyrics right along with my elders and betters.

Watching and listening to the live performance from Running Back Thru Canada back in the early 2000s was my first real peak at what a cultural touchstone this band was and continues to be. Much like other bands such as Rush and The Tragically Hip, I didn’t realize how entwined with Canadiana their music is until adulthood.

Bonus Viewing: The Guess Who – Running Back Thru Canada (FULL VIDEO)