Share The Land
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Album Summary
Share The Land came rolling out of RCA Studios in New York in 1970, pressed and released by RCA Records with the masterful Jack Richardson at the production helm — the same cat who had been sculpting The Guess Who's sound through their most glorious commercial run. Richardson had a gift for capturing what made this band breathe, and on this record, he let Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman stretch out, dig deep, and lay down something that felt both urgent and timeless. The sessions caught the band riding a serious creative wave, channeling hard rock, blues, and progressive textures into a tightly wound collection that reflected the raw, restless energy of 1970 — a year when the world had plenty on its mind and rock and roll was determined to meet it head on.
Reception
- The title track 'Share The Land' climbed into the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, keeping The Guess Who firmly planted in the conversation as one of North America's most vital rock acts of the era.
- The album performed with particular strength on the Canadian charts, further cementing the band's standing as the most celebrated rock export Canada had yet produced.
- Critical response recognized the melodic craftsmanship and cohesive band performances throughout the record, though some observers noted a transitional undercurrent — the sound of a great band at its peak, but with the fault lines beginning to quietly show.
Significance
- Share The Land stands as a defining artifact of The Guess Who's commercial and artistic prime, weaving socially conscious themes through accessible, soulful rock songwriting at a moment when 1970 was demanding exactly that kind of music from its artists.
- The album played a meaningful role in legitimizing Canadian rock on the world stage, arriving at a time when the Canadian music industry was planting its flag and insisting that something powerful and original was growing north of the border.
- This record carries the bittersweet weight of being one of the final full collaborative statements between Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman, making it an essential chapter in the story of one of rock's most compelling creative partnerships before Bachman's eventual departure from the group.
Tracklist
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A1 Bus Rider 148
2:57
-
A2 Do You Miss Me Darlin' 157
3:55
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A3 Hand Me Down World 101
3:26
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A4 Moan For You Joe 109
2:39
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A5 Share The Land 162
3:53
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B1 Hang On To Your Life 151
4:09
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B2 Coming Down Off The Money Bag / Song Of The Dog 114
3:54
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B3 Three More Days 87
8:55
Artist Details
The Guess Who are a legendary rock band that came together in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, back in the early 1960s, cooking up a sound that blended hard rock, psychedelic rock, and good old-fashioned pop sensibility in a way that just grabbed you by the collar and wouldn't let go. They became the first Canadian rock group to score a number one hit in the United States with "American Woman" in 1970, a raw, electrifying anthem that put Canada on the rock and roll map in a serious way, while Burton Cummings' powerhouse vocals and Randy Bachman's razor-sharp guitar work made them a force that radio programmers simply couldn't ignore. Their legacy lives on as a proud symbol of Canadian rock royalty, proving that world-class music could come roaring out of the Great White North with just as much fire and soul as anything coming out of New York or Los Angeles.
