Bang

iTunes Review

The James Gang's sixth album brought Tommy Bolin to the party after Domenic Troiano had left to join the Guess Who. James Gang were still bent on banging out heavy biker rock as evidenced by opening cut “Standing In the Rain,” which still rides hard on that signature boogie punctuated by Bolin’s sharp riffs and a meat ‘n’ potatoes rhythm section with lots of bounce. Even though the band lost some fans following Joe Walsh’s departure in November of 1971, they still sounded like James Gang two years later, even on ballads like “The Devil Is Singing Our Song” and the oddly mellow “Alexis,” which inadvertently flirted with mustached soft-rock. An attempt at birthing a biker’s anthem in “Ride the Wind” yielded a new element to the mix in the form of an analogue synthesizer that Bolin imported. “Rather Be Alone With You” is a soulful two-minute-long a cappella make-out ballad, while the congas and guitars that open “From Another Time” recall the magical break of 1970’s “Funk #49,” though with a glossier production here and a much-faster tempo. “Mystery” closes the album with another ballad that the band dressed up in sweeping strings.