Yadig? (Jim Fox/Dale Peters/Joe Walsh) (2:30)Ī4. Read more James Gang reviews Original elpee versionĪ2. They succeed on one of those fronts, but I feel like the orchestrated works here are a step back from what they already achieved on “The Bomber” and “Ashes the Rain and I.” By diffusing their energies in so many different directions, Thirds shows the band to be more than the sum of Joe Walsh’s songwriting abilities, but it’s not the first James Gang album you need to own. It seems James Gang wanted to write a hit song, play with an orchestra and change the world all on the same album. The band’s ambitions are (again) slightly misaligned with their abilities. In fact, there are only three songs that technically rock on Thirds: “Walk Away,” “Midnight Man” (which is really more of a romantic pop song, though with tongue in cheek) and “Things I Could Be.” Given how good a rock drummer Jim Fox is (not my impression on the first album, btw), it’s a shame his talents are wasted on tracks like “Again” and “It’s All The Same.” As a kind of compensation, Fox does branch out into organ (“Things I Could Be”) and vibes on this album. On Thirds, the band brings in the sort of orchestral arrangements not normally associated with rock bands (unless they’re named The Beatles) and is guilty of meandering a bit on some of the more ambitious songs (e.g., “Again”). It turned out to be a good time to advance the personalities of Fox and Peters, as Walsh would leave the band the following year.Īlthough third albums are often where it all comes together, I would say that Rides Again is the tighter album because it rocks more consistently. Dale Peters delivers a really sweet country song (“Dreamin’ in the Country”) and a blues song that builds into an impressive crescendo (“White Man/Black Man”), Jim Fox writes two tracks, including the ambitious and surprisingly philosophical album-ender, “Live My Life Again,” and Joe Walsh matches their contributions with four new songs.
All three members contributed material on their last album, but this is the first time that members wrote and sang the material on their own. What emerges on Thirds is a band with very different musical personalities. If the band didn’t have any qualms about making the same album twice, they take pains on Thirds not to write the same song twice I’d be hard-pressed to name another album that sounds so different from track to track. This time, the killer track is “Walk Away,” which I would tell you is even tighter than “Funk #49,” but that’s splitting heirs, as the two tracks are pretty much the sum and substance of James Gang’s legacy. The gang’s third album follows the same formula as their last: deliver a killer rock track out of the gate and then do your darnedest not to repeat that feat again. Kronomyth 3.0: The James Gang rides again… again. The song was written by Joe Walsh who also handled the lead vocals on the track.The last album before Joe Walsh rode off into the solo sunset, this one features the prescient “Walk Away.” The song “Midnight Man,” opened side two of the record. Opening up our Top 10 James Gang Songs list is the great track “Midnight Man.” The song was released on the final Joe Walsh James Gang album entitled Thirds. The band would release six more albums after Joe Walsh departed ending with their final album in 1976 entitled Jesse Come Home. The James Gang would continue to record albums despite the loss of Joe Walsh.
James gang midnight man series#
Joe Walsh would leave the band after the group’s third album and eventually became a member of The Eagles along with releasing a series of successful solo albums. The album Thirds featured the same three core musicians from the band’s second record. Joe Walsh released one more record with the James Gang in 1971. The album featured Dale Peters replacing Tom Kriss on bass. The band’s follow up album appropriately titled The James Gang Rides Again was issued in 1970. The album featured Joe Walsh on guitar, Tom Kriss on bass and Jim Fox on drums. The James Gang released their first album entitled Yer’ Album in 1969.