The verses and chorus are dominated by an out-front organ and a piano holding the back end, all built on calm textures and acid rock ambiance.
It is a bit ironic that the first proper song by a group featuring a guitar legend like Joe Walsh is so keyboard dominated as “Take a Look Around”. “Introduction” starts the first side with an improvised string quartet which cross-fades to a strummed acoustic riff which then roughly dissolves into the first proper song. Such antics also pertained to the opening tracks of each side. In the grooves of the at the ends of each side of the original LPs were the infinite spoken messages, “Turn me over” and “Play me again”. Joy Walsh – Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Pianoįirst the frivolous and annoying. Recorded: The Hit Factory, New York City, January 1969 But long before the group was posthumously dubbed “Joe Walsh’s James Gang”, they were a legitimate power trio, with each given their own space to jam and demonstrate their musical chops. Szymczyk would go on to produce all three of the James Gang’s albums which Walsh played on as well as many of his solo albums through the 1970s and later albums by the pop group the Eagles, which Walsh joined in 1976.
As the group narrowed from a five piece to a trio, Walsh assumed lead vocal duties and would eventually be their most identifiable member.ĪBC Records staff producer Bill Szymczyk was assigned to the group, a serendipitous move that began a long professional relationship between Szymczyk and Walsh. After several lineup shuffles during the group’s first year, Fox was approached in 1968 by guitarist Joe Walsh who wanted to audition for the group. He recruited bassist Tom Kriss and a guitarist and keyboardist to form the original incarnation of the James Gang. After leaving that group, Fox wanted to form a group oriented towards British rock. James Gang drummer Jim Fox was a member of the band, The Outsiders, who had a national hit, “Time Won’t Let Me”, in the mid sixties.
With a healthy dose of British heavy rock and California folk rock topping the trio’s Southern blues-flavored core, Yer Album is a celebration of all elements of the expanding world of rock and roll and the end of the sixties.
This applies to their original compositions as well as the pair of covers. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, it is clear that the group looked both to the East and the West for musical inspiration. Yer’ Album is the debut album by James Gang, displays this power trio’s genius and raw power through the compositions but also shows their lack of recording experience due to the various filler throughout.