Head On/Freeways

BGO's 2015 two-fer pairs the last two albums Bachman-Turner Overdrive recorded with Randy Bachman -- 1975's Head On and 1977's Freeways -- on a single CD. On Head On, BTO turn up the amplifiers and rock hard while they try to re-create some of the magic of their hit singles, a combination that winds up seeming slightly desperate. Freeways is a lighter affair -- there's more space in the production, the tempos are more relaxed -- and the edging toward soft rock suggests where Bachman would later go. That said, listening to these back to back, it's not a surprise Bachman would leave: the group feels exhausted and he seems like he's ready to stretch his legs. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine