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"…Like No Other…"
I've had the superb
Repertoire 1998 "Best Of" 2CD retrospective of THE JAMES GANG for
years now in order to have tracks from the 3 guitar players with the band - Joe
Walsh, Dominic Troiano and TOMMY BOLIN - but that set only provided the bare
bones when it came to TB's illustrious stay. Well at last - this very cool
reissue gives fans both of the TOMMY BOLIN albums - and is presented in the
usual classy BGO way (card slipcase, great remasters). Here are the wild
horses, babes in the stables and pelicans in the pool...
UK released October 2014 – "Bang/Miami" by JAMES GANG on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1172 (Barcode 5017261211729) offers 2LPs
Remastered onto 1CD and breaks down as follows (71:09 minutes):
1. Standing In The Rain
2. The Devil is Singing Our
Song
3. Must Be Love
4. Alexis
5. Ride The Wind
6. Got No Time For Trouble
7. Rather Be Alone With You
(A.K.A. Song For Dale)
8. From Another Time
9. Mystery
Tracks 1 to 9 are the album
"Bang" - released September 1973 in the USA on Atlantic SD 7037 and
January 1974 in the UK on Atlantic K 50028
TOMMY BOLIN - Guitar &
Synth - Backing Vocals on "Standing In The Rain"
ROY KENNER - Lead Vocals,
Percussion and Back-Up Vocals - Except on "Alexis" - which has Tommy
Bolin on Lead Vocals
DALE PETERS - Bass, Fuzz
Bass, Percussion and Piano and backing Vocals on "Standing In The
Rain"
JIM FOX - Drums, Percussion
and Piano on "Mystery"
10. Cruisin'
11. Do It
12. Wildfire
13. Sleepwalker
14. Miami Two-Step
15. Praylude/Red Skies
16. Spanish Lover
17. Summer Breezes
18. Head Above The Water
Tracks 10 to 18 are the
album "Miami" - released July 1974 in the USA on Atlantic SD 36-102
and August 1974 in the UK on Atlantic K 50068
TOMMY BOLIN - All Guitars
& Lead Vocals on "Spanish Lover"
ROY KENNER - Lead &
Backing Vocals
DALE PETERS - Bass, Fuzz
Bass, Percussion and Piano and backing Vocals
JIM FOX - Drums, Percussion,
Keyboards and Backing Vocals
ALBHY GALUTEN - Synthesizer
on "Head Above The Water"
The 12-page booklet has
liner notes by NEIL DANIELS - album credits, some photos and a brief history of
the band - but the real news is a new 2014 remaster by ANDREW THOMPSON from
tapes licenced from WEA. The short but simple way of putting it is that this CD
rocks - muscle and clarity - it's all there (you could almost forgive the awful
Atlantic artwork for both LPs).
"Bang" is
dominated by the arrival of a huge talent - guitarist TOMMY BOLIN - aged only
22 at the time and personally recommended to the band by JOE WALSH. Iowa-born
Bolin had cut his teeth with small American bands like Patch Of Blue, Zephyr
(on Probe Records) and Energy before joining JAMES GANG (he would famously
leave them too and move on to a short but brilliant stay with England's DEEP
PURPLE).
It opens with the almost
Montrose like "Standing in The Rain" and immediately the guitar leaps
out at you. His fantastic slide playing comes Kossoff-like again on the slinky
and menacing "The Devil Is Sing Our Song". "Must Be Love"
brings up the boogie pace firmly into Foghat territory while Bolin takes lead
vocals on "Alexis" - a number that starts out all acoustic pretty
about a young girl in New Orleans but then towards the end launches into an
electric guitar workout that is just stunning (reminds me of Craig Chaquico's
blistering axework on "Ride The Tiger" - the opening track on
Jefferson Starship's 1974 album "Dragonfly").
There was clearly a venture
into top shelf Gregg Allman territory on the "Miami" opener
"Cruisin' Down The Highway". It goes into chugging boogie with
"Do It" and "Wildfire" where the band sounds not unlike an
American version of Bad Company. I've always loved the beautiful keyboard
"Praylude" lead in to "Red Skies" - reminds me of Joe Walsh
on "Smoker" at his ambitious song-structure best (Bolin's delicate
flicking up and down the strings as triangles tingle in the background is
gorgeous). "Spanish Breeze" is an extraordinarily tender acoustic
ballad ("her words were almost frightening...") - it has a loveliness
and songwriting grace about it (co-written with Jeff Cook - lyrics above).
"Summer Breezes" could have been a single and it ends on the
plaintive "Head Above The Water".
"Maybe you'll get back
on your feet again..." - Kenner sings on "Head Above The Water".
Thomas Robert Bolin would be lost to us only two years after these albums were
put out - he died aged only 26 in December 1976. At least this fantastic
remaster celebrates his amazing sonic legacy with real style. Well done to all
involved...
