American Woman (album)
American Woman is the sixth studio album by Canadian rock band The Guess Who, and was released in January 1970. It was the last to feature lead guitarist Randy Bachman until a reformation effort in 1983. The album was one of their most successful releases, receiving Gold certification in the United States.[4]
American Woman | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | January 1970 | |||
Recorded | August 12 - November 16, 1969 | |||
Studio | RCA Mid-America Recording Center, Studio B, Chicago, Illinois | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 38:17 | |||
Label | RCA Victor | |||
Producer | Jack Richardson | |||
The Guess Who chronology | ||||
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Singles from American Woman | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Rolling Stone | (favorable) [2] |
The Village Voice | B+[3] |
Release history
In addition to the usual 2 channel stereo version a 4 channel quadraphonic mix was also released by RCA on the 8-track tape format. American Woman was first released on CD by RCA in 1998. Buddha Records released a remastered version in 2000 and included a bonus track, "Got to Find Another Way". In 2017, Iconoclassic Records released a two-disc deluxe version featuring various single edits, outtakes, and the entire 1976 The Way They Were release, which is a collection of tracks recorded in 1970 before Randy Bachman quit the band, intended for the follow-up album to American Woman.[5]
In 2019 the album was reissued again in the UK by Dutton Vocalion on the Super Audio CD format. This disc is a 2 albums on 1 disc compilation which also contains the 1970 Guess Who album Share the Land. The Dutton Vocalion release contains the complete stereo and quad versions of both albums.[6]
Reception
The album peaked at #9 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.[7] and stayed 55 weeks on the charts
In addition to the title cut (the group's most successful song), this album also includes the remake of "No Time," a song the group previously recorded for Canned Wheat. The newer version was released as a single and is the one most familiar to listeners. The album's musical styles consists of psychedelic rock and hard rock.[8][9]
Track listing
All songs written by Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings except as noted.
- Side one
- "American Woman" (Bachman/Cummings/Jim Kale/Garry Peterson) – 5:02
- "No Time" – 3:45
- "Talisman" – 5:05
- "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature" – 4:52
- Side two
- "969 (The Oldest Man)" (instrumental) (Bachman) – 2:58
- "When Friends Fall Out" – 2:58
- "8:15" – 3:26
- "Proper Stranger" – 4:00
- "Humpty's Blues/American Woman" (Epilogue) (Bachman/Cummings/Kale/Peterson) – 6:11
- 2017 Iconoclassic Records deluxe 2-disc re-issue [10]
Disc 1: Bonus Tracks
- "American Woman" [single edit] (Bachman/Cummings/Kale/Peterson) – 3:50
- "No Sugar Tonight" [single edit] – 2:04
- "Got To Find Another Way" [session outtake] – 2:51
- "Close Up The Honky Tonks" [session outtake] (Red Simpson) – 3:33
- "Not to Return" [takes 1&2] – 3:30
- "Talisman" [take 1] – 4:30
- "Talisman" [session chatter] – 2:05
- "No Sugar Tonight" [takes 1&2] – 6:59
- "American Woman" [take 1] (Bachman/Cummings/Kale/Peterson) – 4:44
Disc 2: The Way They Were
- "Silver Bird" – 2:41
- "Species Hawk" – 3:29
- "Runnin’ Down the Street" (Kale/Peterson) – 4:16
- "Miss Frizzy" – 5:08
- "Palmyra" – 5:50
- "The Answer" – 3:54
- "Take the Long Way Home" (Bachman) – 5:43
Personnel
- The Guess Who
- Burton Cummings – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, flute, harmonica
- Randy Bachman – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Jim Kale – bass, backing vocals
- Garry Peterson – drums, backing vocals
- Production
- Jack Richardson - producer
- Brian Christian - engineer
- Vic Anesini - 2017 remaster (Iconoclassic Records deluxe 2-disc re-issue)
Charts
Album
Year | Chart | Peak Position |
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1970 | Billboard 200 | 9 |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
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1969 | "No Time"[11] | Canada | 1 |
Australia | 43 | ||
Billboard Hot 100 | 5 | ||
1970 | "American Woman"/ "No Sugar Tonight"[12] |
Canada | 1 |
Australia | 43 | ||
UK Singles Chart | 19 | ||
Billboard Hot 100 | 1 | ||
References
- American Woman at AllMusic
- Young, J.R. (7 March 1970). "Records". Rolling Stone. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. (53): 50. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- Christgau, Robert (April 23, 1969). "Consumer Guide (9)". The Village Voice. Music section. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
- Joel Whitburn (1995). Top 40 Albums. Billboard.
- "Iconoclassic Records... Reissues Done Right". www.iconoclassicrecords.com.
- The Guess Who – American Woman & Share The Land release on SACD Retrieved August 11, 2019
- The Guess Who, American Woman Chart Position Retrieved March 17, 2015
- Dave Marsh; John Swenson (12 October 1983). The new Rolling stone record guide. Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-394-72107-1.
- American Woman at AllMusic
- The Guess Who – American Woman Iconoclassic Records Retrieved February 12, 2019 at Discogs
- The Guess Who, "No Time" Chart Position Retrieved March 17, 2015
- The Guess Who, "American Woman"/"No Sugar Tonight" Chart Positions Retrieved March 17, 2015