THIRDS
Last "James Gang" studio extravaganza to feature Joe Walsh and it definitely has its moments. "Walk Away" grabs honors as the track that stands miles above everything else on the album. Walsh outdoes himself, with slide and wah-wahed mania all coming together to create organized chaos toward the end. Brilliant template for his later solo work.
"Midnight Man" and "Things I Could Be" are both respectable tunes with some nice layered harmonies.
The rest of the set is all over the map. Considering that these guys were best known as a power trio, some of the material probably left huge cartoon question marks hovering over the heads of fans that were poised to hear "Funk #49", part two.
String scores, brass arrangements , gospel singers and country-fried pedal steel all find their way into the mix. Stretching themselves in quite a few directions, the approach works well in places ("Again") though Walsh's fine playing is downplayed more than it should be.
"Yadig?" is sublime
Still worthy of investigation. If you find a vinyl copy at a bargain price, pick it up and prepare to be pleasantly surprised.
2 comments:
I just love Joe Walsh. My favorite version of "Walk Away" is on his live album, You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind, although this one is outstanding, too.
Is that a great album title or what?!?
It's perfect. I have a battered vinyl copy of "But Seriously, Folks" that I'll never get rid of. He brought a lot to the table when he signed on with the Eagles.
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