TRIUMPH – Rock & Roll Machine

Triumph – Rock & Roll Machine [Remastered] (2005, TML Entertainment)
Original Release: 1977, Attic Records

1. “Takes Time” … 3:48
2. “Bringing It on Home” … 4:35
3. “Little Texas Shaker” … 3:24
4. “New York City Streets – Part 1″ … 3:09
5. “New York City Streets – Part 2″ … 4:40
6. “The City: (Part 1 – War March)/(Part 2 – El Duende Aconizante)/(Part 3 – Minstrel’s Lament)” … 9:32
7. “Rocky Mountain Way” … 4:04
8. “Rock & Roll Machine” … 6:53

Band:
Rik Emmet – Guitar, Lead Vocals
Gil Moore – Drums, Percussion, Lead Vocals
Mike Levine – Bass, Keyboards

Additional Musicians:
Beau David, Elaine Overholt, Colina Phillips, Gord Waszek – Backing Vocals
Mike Danna – Keyboards

Producer: Mike Levine & Doug Hill

After years of eying their catalog, I’m finally starting to get into Triumph. Though I didn’t plan on starting specifically with an early album of theirs, I’m glad I did because this is a fantastic sophomore effort (which doubled as their U.S. debut).  An interesting note is that the U.S. version of this album (released by RCA Records also in ’77) actually acts as a compilation for this album and the band’s 1976 self-titled debut, featuring four songs from each release. I’m not sure why it was done that way. I want the original album as it was originally issued and luckily this 2005 reissue grants me my wish.

I was already familiar with a handful of Triumph’s songs and Rik Emmett’s vocal similarity to Geddy Lee (from that other Canadian rock trio) but I didn’t realize Gil Moore handled lead vocals as well. I have no problem with Emmet’s voice but Moore has a great and powerful voice for ’70s hard rock. It’s obvious the band agrees because the songs he sings on this album are a bit more rowdier than the Emmet songs. He lays down some great performances on “Takes Time” and “Little Texas Shaker”. With a voice like his on those songs, Triumph comes across sounding like a Southern hard rock act.

With Rock & Roll Machine, Triumph proves they are just that. Whether it’s the southern rock strip club-worthy boogie of “Little Texas Shaker”, mellow moments like “New York City Streets – Part 1″, the nine minute plus “The City” (which really is three songs in one), a Joe Walsh cover or the album’s closer which features some smokin’ guitar work from Emmet, there’s no denying this album is a hard rock classic.

Highlights: “Takes Time”, “Little Texas Shaker”, “The City”, “Rocky Mountain Way”, “Rock & Roll Machine”