Five Man Electrical Band “The Best Of Five Man Electrical Band”

by Beverly Paterson in Album Reviews

The genesis of Five Man Electrical Band goes all the way back to 1964, when they came to be as The Staccatos. During the next several years, the Canadian band was regularly heard on local airwaves, earning them a gold star as one of the region’s most respected acts. Personnel shifts occurred, and in 1969 The Staccatos changed their name to Five Man Electrical Band.

Skip forward to the summer of 1971, which was when Five Man Electrical Band staged a major breakthrough with “Signs,” a social commentary on how people are judged by their looks and wealth. Peaking at the number three spot on the Billboard charts, the terminally catchy statement was the song the band would forever be associated with. Although the group’s subsequent efforts received radio play, none of these singles matched the success of “Signs,” leading most people to believe they were simply here today and gone tomorrow.

Along with “Signs,” this fourteen track collection includes a bevy of fine and enjoyable songs. An eerie moodiness sweeps over the complex curves of “The Man With The Horse And Wagon,” and then there’s the boogie fried beat of “Money Back Guarantee,” the rather ghostly yet hard edged “I’m A Stranger Here” and the duly titled “We Play Rock And Roll.” Bathing their material in streams of folk, country and blues, the band performed a style that is now known as roots music. Synchronized harmonies, partnered with plenty of plucky melodies dwell within the tunes, spurring them to be instantly memorable. Lots of peppy piano playing a la Jerry Lee Lewis also pads the songs. Had members of The Lovin’ Spoonful, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Three Dog Night and The Doobie Brothers gotten together and formed a supergroup, they would probably sound something like Five Man Electrical Band.