Thirds 1971 Album

James Gang

By the time the James Gang got around to recording the follow-up to Rides Again the writing was on the wall - Walsh was edging his way out of the group and into a solo career. The end result was a de facto group effort in that song writing was roughly spilt among all three members, which worked to their detriment. However, the opening track "Walk Away" is the definitive peak of James Gang bar none. It takes every single element which set the band apart - good time heavy rock, funky rhythms, Walsh's versatile guitar lines, and interesting lyrics and vocals - and crams them into a succinct package, without subjecting the listener to the wild histrionics of "Funk #49" or the experimental nature of "The Bomber". And then, there is the rest of the album, which is mostly a chore to sit through. There are points where I feel like the band has gone back to the first record - "Yadig?" is the worst culprit - where random passages are deemed completed tracks then placed onto the completed product. If it's a Fox or Peters composition, about the only thing of note is whatever instrumental stamp Walsh can slap onto the track.