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James Gang, Yer' Album, Tom Kriss


_Sweet Willie_

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Well, folks, I had a Best Buy gift card with a few gilders left on it burning a whole in my pocket, so I picked up "Yer' Album" by The James Gang (digitally remastered in 2000 -- woooo-hooo!). I'm lovin' it -- got it cranked up now (in particular, enjoying "Stop"). :thu:

 

I don't know much about the bass player, Tom Kriss -- does anyone else? He plays some great grooves and has a cool overdriven sound on the album that reminds me of Jack Bruce. And the drummer, Jim Fox, really lays it down. And Joe Walsh, well, is Joe Walsh. Plus, the album really sounds like they had a blast making it. Gotta love that.

 

Anyway, if anyone knows any good James Gang trivia or info about Tom Kriss, I'm all ears. I'll be picking up "The James Gang Rides Again" in the near future.

 

Peace.

--sweets

spreadluv

 

Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars.

Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk.

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I don't remember what the skinny was on that, but on second album RIDES AGAIN, Dale Peters was a great replacement for him, with often a similar playing style. I thought I had said something about Tom Kriss being replaced by Peters about half a year ago, but SEARCH gave me THIS - about halfways down the page.
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Yer' the man, GB. I didn't even think to "search" this board on this stuff. The link to the prior thread (which I remember now, and to which I posted!) is great.

 

So Tom Kriss got replaced by Dale Peters. A-ha.

 

I'll be doin' some internet searching for some more info later on. In the meantime, any w/ James Gang contributions, please feel free! :thu:

spreadluv

 

Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars.

Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk.

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Well, there's "Funk #48" on Yer' Album, which is a pretty sweet jam. Then there's "Funk #49" from Rides Again which we get to hear on the "classic rock" radio stations from time to time.

 

"Funk #49" is definitely a cool tune.

 

Makes you wonder what happened to Funks 1-47 and Funks > 49.... I'd like to get my hands on 'em if they're as jammin' as 48 and 49! :D

spreadluv

 

Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars.

Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk.

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Russ, yeah we tried Funk 49. I remembered the part from the old days. We can't handle the vocals, so it got dropped, but we cooked it pretty well (we've got a drummer and percussionist with lots of toys, so the jam was cool). Didn't have too much trouble with that bass part compared to another - was it Lost Woman?

 

Humble Pie? I had an album by them - The "Humble Pie" album - thought they were pretty good. We used to Four Day Creep in the late 70s....

 

Tom

www.stoneflyrocks.com

Acoustic Color

 

Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt

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Originally posted by Tom Capasso:

Russ, yeah we tried Funk 49. I remembered the part from the old days. We can't handle the vocals, so it got dropped, but we cooked it pretty well (we've got a drummer and percussionist with lots of toys, so the jam was cool). Didn't have too much trouble with that bass part compared to another - was it Lost Woman?

 

Might have been "Lost Woman" -- certainly has some bass goin' on: a solo w/ some chording, some back and forth exchanges with the guitar and drums, and plenty of fuzz. It's on Yer' Album, but is originally a Yardbirds' tune.

spreadluv

 

Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars.

Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk.

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  • 12 years later...
The Humble Pie album "Rockin' the Fillmore is still one of the best live albums ever. Cut my teeth on that one. Back when Peter Frampton and Steve Mariott still got along.

 

Yup.

"Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky"
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I think "Funk 49 " was the featured transcription in BP magazine a few months ago.

 

"Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet

 

Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song.

 

 

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One interesting piece of 'trivia' if you want to call it that-

 

Some time ago I remember an interview on the radio with Joe Walsh and he said he was so stoned back then had absolutely no memories of touring with the James Gang. He said for years he only knew for sure he was on tour with them because his picture was on the posters...

 

I've been getting more into Joe Walsh lately. I've always kind of liked Walsh's style, but all I've ever really heard on the radio are the "Rocky Mountain Way" and "Life's Been Good" party rock stuff along with the overplayed Eagles songs.

 

Then I came across "Turn to Stone" and "The Confessor". It opened my eyes to another side of Walsh that I didn't know was out there. So that's got my interest piqued for the time being. The James Gang stuff is next on my list.

"Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind"- George Orwell
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I should really get some more James Gang - all I have is "Rides Again" and I'm a big fan. Funk 49 is great, but so is the long suite "The Bomber".

 

Bit of a spoiler alert here: The album is really made for vinyl: Side A being great, Who-influenced funky hard rock, and then Side B is mostly acoustic numbers. Put it together and it makes for a really good and diverse album.

 

As far as trivia - apparently all they did was party, according to guitarist Tommy Bolin, who toured with them for a bit. he said they were too much into the partying and not the music. Considering Walsh's extreme alcoholism, I can see that.

 

Bolin was good enough to be on Billy Cobham's great Spectrum album, and he does - without exaggeration - the coolest dadgum thing with a slide that I have ever seen in my life at the 2:53 mark. You tell me if I'm wrong.

 

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