Published on Aug 3, 2000
If people were ready to write off the Canadian trio Triumph
after their mediocre American debut
Rock & Roll Machine, they were about to miss one of the
greatest about-faces I’ve ever seen in music.
Their second American release,
Just A Game, might not have been a smash in the eyes of some
people (namely in the sales columns), but it contained eight
incredibly strong performances that assured Rik Emmett and crew
their place in the annals of rock history.
The album is best known for the hit song “Lay It On The Line,” a
track that still rightfully garners airplay for the band. And even
though the song is now 21 years old, it still has lost none of the
freshness that made it such a wonderful track way back in 1979.
Emmett’s vocals power this one right through the stratosphere, as
does his stellar guitar work. Also key to this song’s success is
the drum work of Gil Moore.
If Triumph was Moore’s vehicle for
Rock & Roll Machine, then Emmett had assumed his role in
the driver’s seat for
Just A Game. The lead vocal chores are still shared between
the two, but Emmett edges out Moore in the number of performances –
and totally dominates when it comes time for the actual
performances. (In Moore’s defense, though, his vocal work had
greatly improved over the previous album.)
Triumph also marked this period of their history by moving away
from the “bar-band” mentality of their songwriting, and focused in
on subjects that were a little more deep than the joys of playing
rock and roll. Oh, sure, they still focus a little on the business
– but this time, it’s with a jaded eye on the title cut, a song
which should serve as a warning for anyone out there who thinks
they’ve just formed the next Matchbox Twenty. (If you can find an
old vinyl copy of this one, pick up the one with the gatefold
sleeve that contains the fun music industry board game/pimp
slap.)
But
Just A Game is much more than one hit single and an
indictment of the music industry. Simply put, there is not a single
bad performance on this entire record. From the live/studio morph
of “Movin’ On” to the lost-love ballad “Young Enough To Cry”
(featuring Moore’s vocals – listen to this track to hear how much
he had improved), down to the incredible guitar work Emmett
showcases on “Fantasy Serenade,” and you’ll find yourself wondering
why Triumph never became a bigger player in the field.
There is one nod to bar band/cock rock on “American Girls,” but
it is done with tongue firmly planted in cheek that it’s hard to
take what Triumph is saying with any level of gravity. It’s all
good fun, and I think was meant to be that way.
Noleman, a longtime reader of “The Daily Vault,” originally
suggested that we take a closer look at Triumph, and I told him in
a private e-mail it was hard to believe we hadn’t given the band
more coverage than we have to this point. (Note to Noleman: I’ll
still get to your other Triumph requests real soon.) After
listening to
Just A Game, I seem to think that trend will quickly reverse
itself, as this record could well be one of the greatest lost
classics in the hard rock field.