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WaywardSon View Drop Down
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Joined: April 23 2006
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Points: 2537 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: James Gang
    Posted: May 28 2006 at 21:59
Today I was listening to their album "In Concert" and man, they don“t make albums like this nowadays! It even has Tommy Bolin playing on one of the songs. If you really want to hear a good live album this is it.
I think they were a 3 man band with the drummer on vocals as well. Joe Walsh was also at the top of his game.
Anyone know more about James Gang?
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crimson thing View Drop Down
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Points: 848 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2006 at 09:46
I know nothing about them, except that (recently, anyway) Amazon have the James Gang "Best of" CD for three pounds 33 (£3.33 - said it in words first in case the Keyboard Gremlins transmogrified the pound sign into a flying teapot, or similar Big smile )
 
At that price I've been tempted to buy.....as someone on the site says, if the music does turn out to be krap, at least you can use the CD as a frisby or a drinks coaster......
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Points: 8238 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2006 at 10:00
Joe Walsh's James Gang was a great little band that came out when a lot of rock fans were waiting for a US equivalent of Led Zep and Cream and they delivered just the kind of no-holds-barred sound that we craved.  While they never reached the level of popularity that the aforementioned bands did, they at least provided a southern/midwest slant to hard rock that was missing in the record racks.  Joe's solo career was even better (with more proficient musicians) but I noticed recently that James Gang is on tour this summer.  Joe rocks on!
"Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain
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Dick Heath View Drop Down
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Points: 12798 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2006 at 10:09
Who's favourite band - Pete Townshend gave Joe Walsh one of his guitars. Tommy Bolin replaced Walsh, and James Gang Bang album, remains one of my favourite 70's   American  rock albums - Bolin's use of the Echoplex was a delight on Bang  although you had to wait until Billy Cobham's Spectrum before Bolin got particularly subtle with it. The follow up was the more ordinary Miami. When Bolin joined Deep Purple, I thought  Bolin's songs on Come Taste The Band, were revamps from Bang and Miamai - but with Deep Purple as his backing band..............................
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WaywardSon View Drop Down
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Points: 2537 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2006 at 12:30
I will look into that album, Bang, sounds interesting.
I still have to investigate Joe Walsh“s solo stuff. I can never get tired of In concert, its fantastic!
 
Crimson Thing, I have that Best of James Gang on vinyl, its good but a bit slow and sluggish compared to "In Concert"
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Points: 758 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2006 at 12:41
Half-listened to Jesse Come Home and Newborn earlier today. Funny there's a topic on them here. Quite hard-rocking, some songs with a country-flavour.
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Points: 264 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2006 at 13:59
Originally posted by RycheMan RycheMan wrote:

I will look into that album, Bang, sounds interesting.
I still have to investigate Joe Walsh“s solo stuff. I can never get tired of In concert, its fantastic!
 
Crimson Thing, I have that Best of James Gang on vinyl, its good but a bit slow and sluggish compared to "In Concert"
 
Bang is one of the best AOR albums ever...Check out From Another Time (fusiony) & Mystery (proggy), and Standing In The Rain, Ride The Wind & Got No Time For Trouble are great hard rock tunes...Alexis is a wonderful power ballad...Pretty close to a perfect record, it showcased what Tommy Bolin could really do...
 
There were 5 versions of the band:
 
1) The original lineup w/o Joe Walsh ('66-'68)...Never heard anything by them
2) The Joe Walsh years ('68-'71)...Yer Album, James Gang Rides Again, Thirds & Live In Concert. Almost all of the good stuff was collected on the compilation 16 Greatest Hits ('73)
3) The next incarnation released Straight Shooter & Passin' Thru ('71-'72)...Domenic Troiano replaced Walsh as guitar player & there was a new singer named Roy Kenner. To me these are pretty weak records, nothing very memorable...
4) Troiano left for The Guess Who & was replaced by Bolin, who was with the band from '73-'74 before leaving for a solo career & then Deep Purple...Miami has a couple of good tracks on it but is nowhere as good as Bang
5) After disbanding, the band came back in '75 with Newborn, followed by Jesse Come Home in '76...The lineup was: Jim Fox & Dale Peters, plus new members Bubba Keith & Richard Shack..Pretty tepid records...
 
Pete Townshend was reportedly a big Joe Walsh fan & took them on tour with The Who...Joe Walsh solo is great, especially:
 
Barnstorm - I'll Tell The World is great, Turn To Stone & Home!
The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get - Rocky Mountain Way, Wolf & Meadows
So What - Time Out & Help Me Through The Night
But Seriously Folks - My favorite JW solo record, everything's great!
The Confessor - Problems, The Confessor, Rosewood Bitters...Heavy record
Ordinary Average Guy - Title track, All Of A Sudden, School Days
Songs For A Dying Planet - Theme From Baroque Weirdos, Title track, The Friend Song
 
 
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WaywardSon View Drop Down
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Points: 2537 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2006 at 06:18

I downloaded quite a bit of Bang and Joe Walsh“s solo output. I just need time to listen to it all.

Thanks for all the info guys! I will report back after I“ve heard some of the songs...
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Points: 3323 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 31 2006 at 16:17
2 must haves James Gang - Bang and Joe Walsh - So What, some of the best good ole rock n roll made!
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Points: 997 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 31 2006 at 18:56
Somewhere in the 70ties I picked up the album "Straight Shooter" for almost nothing in the sales. I listened it maybe two times, then determined that it's not worth anything, and forgot all about this band. Due to this thread I'll lift that vinyl again and see if I was right...
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