Iconoclassic Records

Winnipeg, Manitoba rockers The Guess Who are among Canada’s most successful and enduring musical exports. Debuting in the mid-1960s, the band truly came into its own when singer/keyboardist Burton Cummings joined the founding trio of Randy Bachman (guitar), Jim Kale (bass) and Garry Peterson (drums). The Bachman-Cummings songwriting partnership authored chart-topping turn-of-the-decade hits like “These Eyes,” “Laughing,” “No Time,” “American Woman,” and “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature.” Following Bachman’s 1970 departure (he later founded Bachman-Turner Overdrive), now-undisputed leader Burton Cummings opened up The Guess Who’s sound on a series of eclectic albums that traded pop accessibility for a deeper level of personal expression. A fascinating lyrical continuity emerges that reveals a band burdened by success, cynical, tormented; themes of desperation, anger, disillusionment and resignation make for emotionally compelling listening. Iconoclassic’s ten authoritative Guess Who reissues have perhaps been the label’s defining product line. Upgraded definitive remastering, in-depth liner notes, full band participation, and unique bonus tracks are the hallmarks of the series.