Surely sitting at the top of the list of Canadian vintage rock royalty sits Burton Cummings, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of The Guess Who. Cummings’ 2024 solo release, A Few Good Moments, is his first new music collection in over a decade. The record finds the musician sounding as good as he did back when he sailed his killer vocals over classics hits “These Eyes,” “No Time,” and “American Woman.”
Backed here by his long-time band, we get solid bluesy rock, with some surely catchy choruses like on the cover of “Shape I’m In,” a fun read on the Arc Angels’ rocker, and the funky-key rambler “Up To The Minute.” Where I like particular “Cummings moments” are on the mid-tempo, semi-ballad-like stuff. “Speak To Me” delivers what might be the best vocal of all here, and the Bob Seger-like “Sanity” has Cummings singing well at the top of his high range. I could do with a whole album of Burton Cummings singing ballads.
Lyrics here have Cummings contemplating what’s passed. On the opener title track and “Heard It On The News,” he laments (as well as name drops) famous rockers who passed away. We especially hear his more than slight regrets. Songs about cars and girls would seem odd at this point in his career. At this point in his life, the singer has more perspective on where he’s been. To hear this vintage voice express these emotions makes it that much more real.
If I had any criticism at all about A Few Good Moments, it would simply be that this man’s famous pipes are a little too low in the overall mix. And its odd that this is the case as Cummings produced the record. Nevertheless, the overall production, songwriting, and Cummings vocals are top-notch.
Cummings will celebrate A Few Good Moments, along with classic songs from The Guess Who and his RIAA Gold-certified solo career, on his The 60th Anniversary Hits Tour. It’s nice to know this man is still out there making music, singing so well, and sharing it with his legion of fans, far and wide.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
