Sadly as all of us grow older our heroes grow old as well.
Some pass away suddenly, some slowly and others carry on for us to enjoy.
Fortunately for us rock fans Randy Bachman carries on and continues to not only
play live but create new music for us to enjoy. Now the film BACHMAN gives us a
behind the scenes look at Bachman as well as biographical information and
interviews with family and friends.
From humble beginnings in Canada Bachman found himself in a
band called Chad Allen and the Reflections that eventually morphed into the
Guess Who, one of the most popular bands from Canada in history. With bandmates
Burton Cummings, Jim Kale and Garry Peterson the quartet racked up huge sales
and hit singles like “These Eyes”, “Laughing”, “Undun” and “American Woman”. Bachman’s
Mormon beliefs conflicted with the rock lifestyle of his fellow bandmates. They
eventually ran the same course most bands do and broke up with Bachman going
off on his own.
This led to his forming a new band with ex-mate Chad Allen,
Fred Turner and Robbie Bachman called Brave Belt. With two albums released and
wanting to change direction from a softer more country band to a hard rocking
one, Allen left and was replaced with Tim Bachman and later Blair Thornton.
This new sound also came with a new name, Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Again lighting in a bottle was captured and the band was one
of the biggest around in the seventies. With hits like “Takin’ Care of
Business”, “Let It Ride” and “Hey You” they were mega-stars. That meant they
were making big bucks and touring non-stop as well. But success has its ups and
downs. And bands no matter how popular often tend to fade out fast.
But Bachman continued to make his living from music. He
continued to write for and to produce other bands. Later in life he began to
play jazz guitar and released several successful albums in that genre. He was
inducted with Burton Cummings into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. He’s won
awards, played with in various incarnations of past bands as well as with other
performers. And he still makes music.
So what does the movie BACHMAN offer us? All of this
information using photos from his family as well as interviews with those who know/knew
him best. His brother, daughter and son Tal Bachman (who’s had success in music
too with the hit single “She’s So High”) are here in interviews. Friends like
Neil Young, Peter Frampton, Chris Jericho, Alex Lifeson and Paul Shaffer all
offer their takes on the guitar player extraordinaire.
Through it all we get a glimpse behind the scenes of what
Bachman is like, as much as anyone can with a documentary film. His genuine
love of the guitar is seen in several incidents. Watching him play and the love
he has to do so is on hand. A visit to his archives where he keeps all of his
old guitars, and trust me there are plenty, is also revealing. Each guitar has
its own story to tell. Later he visits a museum with a studio in it that has
the guitar he wrote/performed “American Woman” on and his reverence for the
guitar as he plays it again for the first time in years is a sentimental
moment.
The portrait we are presented with here is a man who loves
music, who lives music and for whom daily playing of the guitar provides him
life. He says this is what he wants to do, not retire and play golf. That’s
obvious in the man presented her in this film. At 75 years old he is still able
to get on stage and let his fingers do the talking. And talk they do.
For me watching the film I got the chance to hear the
stories of what his life was like, where he’s been and where he’s going. And
while the film played the music of not just his life but mine played in the
background. Memories of where I was when I first heard songs ran through my
head. A tiny transistor radio with a plastic strap playing in a neighbor’s
treehouse when “American Woman” came on and I heard it for the first time.
Seeing BTO live in Ft. Wayne with opening act Kansas in high school. And
listening to the still when I want to have something playing in the background
or car. Randy Bachman has left his mark not just on music but on us fans as
well. Here’s to more music coming.
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