SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BURTON CUMMINGS – A FEW GOOD MOMENTS

BURTON CUMMINGS
A FEW GOOD MOMENTS
JOJO PRODUCTIONS

Burton Cummings has been making music for a very long time. Cummings first went solo with his debut album, Burton Cummings, which proved to be a huge success, making top ten in Canada, and top 40 in the Us. A Few Good Moments is his first studio album since Above The Ground.

The good news is that A Few Good Moments was well worth the wait. This is one the strongest albums of his career. The album opens with the wonderful title track, “A Few Good Moments”. It is straight ahead rock, and a beautiful tip of the hat to his band The Guess Who. The song brings the past to the present.

Cummings also taps into his rock ‘n’ roll roots (especially in his cover of Arc Angels’ “Shape I’m In”), and he proves he is not slowing down anytime soon. “Peace Corps Baby” is another one in which he shows off his vocal abilities. His cover of Gram Parsons’ “Sin City” is astounding. He is able to adapt it to a piano ballad. The song features just Cummings and his piano, and that is all one really needs. Cummings is smart. He lets each song dictate what he needs. “Break Away” is a more traditional sounding Cummings song, which taps into his classic sound. It is a wonderful ballad.

His voice is distinct and strong. He has always had his own style, and songs like “Market My Letters” not only demonstrates this, but it is one of best vocal performances in his career. He can sound vulnerable or downright angry (“Yo, John”), but throughout the album he sings with confidence, strength, and a great deal of honesty.

A Few Good Moments is more than a few good moments. It is filled with brilliant songs that all fit together in a near perfect way. Cummings has created his best album yet. It is jammed full of strong melodies, moving lyrics, and incredible performances. Cummings has been away from the studio for far too long, and this album proves that he still has a great deal to say. And he says it so well. Cummings has always been a brilliant lyricist but he excels here on A Few Good Moments. Cummings seems to have crafted very personal songs that people can still identify with and appreciate. A Few Good Moments is quite simply a work of art.

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