Search - James Gang :: James Gang - 15 Greatest Hits

Outstanding Collection

07/29/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a James Gang fan since the early 70s, and I still think Joe Walsh's work in that group rivals anything he's ever done on his own or with the Eagles. "Walk Away," "Funk #49," "Midnight Man," and "The Bomber" are all classics to me. Walsh, of course, has always been the consummate rock guitarist, and Jim Fox, with all his jazz technique, was one of the best rock drummers ever."The Bomber," a medley consisting of "Closet Queen" (the lyrics of which describe a nightmarish situation for a teenage boy) and "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," used to have an intervening quotation from "Bolero," which explains the "Bolero" beat behind "Cast Your Fate to the Wind." I bring it up because "Bolero" ended with some great guitar chords that made an extremely effective lead-in to "Cast Your Fate to the Wind." Why "Bolero" was removed from the me! dley in later pressings of "The Bomber" is something I can't understand, but anyone familiar with the tune will know what I'm talking about.However, my favorite James Gang song will always be "Tend My Garden," with its lovely organ part, bouncy guitar rhythms (which later heavily influenced Boston in "More Than a Feeling"), and emotional guitar solo. For years it was my favorite song, and it's still greatly appealing to me."