Combining a broad palette of musical sounds from blues to Afro-Caribbean, and hard rock to the lightest folk we keep this on heavy rotation. That good Colorado air did the trick again and ‘Rocky Mountain Way’ (mind-blowing in Quadraphonic!) provided the pathway to stardom. Walsh’s relationship with producer Szymczyk now bears lush fruit on The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get (1973), the release that leapt out of British import racks and became one of the hippest albums of the decade, not just because the cover features a British Sopwith Camel. Small wonder that Barnstorm was bestowed with 5* reviews, it’s audacity compared to that of Steve Miller Band. Lovely items like ‘Birdcall Morning’ and ‘Comin’ Down’ also repay close investigation.
#James gang album cover full#
‘Mother Says’ and ‘Here We Go’ are stuffed full of that invention while the stately rocker ‘Turn to Stone’ (Joe later revisits this on his So What disc) perked ears in smarter critical circles. Despite the sturm und drang at their disposal, the trio opted for a more folksy acoustic approach, albeit layering their sound with a barrage of ARP Odyssey effects (Who man Pete Townshend had shown the instrument to Walsh after using it to grand effect on Who’s Next) as well as fuzz boxes and Leslie 122 cabinets which lend a spaced depth to string instruments. Walsh aside, he’d enlisted Joe Vitale and Kenny Passarelli and they became the first outfit to record at James William Guercio’s Caribou Ranch in Colorado. The Barnstorm album (1972) is a thrilling affair. But it’s as a solo artist that Walsh starts to take off. The Gang’s career coincides with the move from singles to album-orientated material their place in the birth of the FM revolution shouldn’t be forgotten. Rapidly acquiring a rep as the gun-slinging axe man of his locale Walsh played with a bunch of post-high school bands, developed a passion for ham radio and then hooked up with James Gang in 1968, bringing his hot-wired pick-up flair to the game. He spent his teenage years in New York and New Jersey and attended Kent State University. He’s sold a gazillion records along the way – life’s been good – but also dealt with personal stuff and emerged intact.Īn adopted son of American and Scottish/German ancestry, young Joe was born in Kansas in 1947 but raised in Ohio. We’ve got Mr Walsh well covered here and dig his crazy approach to the rock business – at once sardonic and then true to the flame. With his band Barnstorm (though this is always Joe’s thing) he began to slowly build momentum, first with a self-titled band album, then with the mystical breakthrough convolutions of The Smoker You Play, The Drinker You Get – including the smash hit single Rocky Mountain Way’ whose slow phased boogie inspired many an aspiring bedroom guitar hero wannabe to dust his or her broom. All these albums are highly recommended and are instrumental in shaping the career of Walsh as he goes solo and gradually becomes a superstar. With Joe on board, the Gang released their renegade rock masterpieces Yer Album, …Rides Again, Thirds and the Live In Concert (Carnegie Hall) disc. Walsh and co became a huge draw in their adopted Mid West and opened for The Who, Led Zeppelin, Three Dog Night and Humble Pie and were never disgraced – often doing enough to make the stars of the evening look over their shoulders.
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