I'm not a James Gang fan, per se...
. . and only recently discovered Tommy Bolin; much to my loss! This album and "Bang" are two incredible gems of music that I've stumbled on thanks to the critiques on Amazon's Reviews. 70's style rock music with great songs, played by great musicians, seemingly having a great time! If you're a fan of the genre, looking for something you might be missing from your collection than "Miami" is it. Enjoy.
Now THIS is a rock album
That is, 70's classic rock specifically. Usually my reviews are fairly long because I have trouble controlling my excitement for some of the best rock music of the century. With this review however, I'm going to make it short and sweet:
The James Gang's Miami album is an underrated classic because the guitar riffs are great, the solos are spectacular, the muddy production makes the music more exciting, the drumming is decent, and the vocal melodies are memorable in every single area of the album (especially on the ballads and the very last song in particular). I absolutely adore this fantastic hard rock effort. Rock on Joe Walsh and Tommy Bolin. Rock on forever.
Do it!
That isn't to say that this disc doesn't have its all-out rockin' moments. James Gang's "Miami" is an excellent example of how an incredible guitarist can display his chops without having to go over the top or crank up the volume and speed just to get your attention. Every song has something special from Mr. Bolin in it but a word of caution is in order: BEWARE. Those moments are so finely woven into the fabric of each song that you may not realize that you are getting smoked until the flames have already blazed out of control.
I bought this LP when it first came out in 1974 but never really understood why I liked it as much as I did. Now that I'm older I understand perfectly what it was and what made this a "must have" disc when I transitioned into the CD era. A quick breakdown of the songs will give you an idea of what I'm talking about . . .
1. Cruisin' Down The Highway (3:16) - an assortment of acoustic and electric guitars combine to make this mid-paced rocker a prime example of getting smoked before you realize you're on fire!
2. Do It (3:38) - a typical 70's rocker with a nice groove and a great guitar ending.
3. Wildfire (3:30) - the song title says it all . . . a bouncy rocker that Roy Kenner really belts out nicely.
4. Sleepwalker (4:01) - the perfect James Gang song . . . this would probably rank among the favorites of many JG and TB fans if a poll were to be taken.
5. Miami Two-Step (1:32) - an acoustic instrumental that ended side 1 on the original LP.
6a. Praylude -- a soft, moody instrumental intro that opened side 2 of the original LP; reminiscent of Savoy Brown's "Gypsy" from "Lookin In" which served a similar purpose as an intro to "Poor Girl" to kick off side 1 of that release.
6b. Red Skies (5:59) - heavy blues-rocker that has several changes in tempo to allow both Bolin and Kenner ample opportunities to express themselves.
7. Spanish Lover (3:43) - a pleasant little gem that Tommy Bolin provides the vocals for.
8. Summer Breezes (2:40) - the most upbeat song on the second half of this release with soaring slide guitar and a bright/tight performance by the band.
9. Head Above the Water (4:18) - the perfect finale . . . slower tempo and TB showcases his mastery of the guitar to create the perfect mood and effect throughout this masterpiece.
It is easy to look at this album as just another solid Tommy Bolin product but that wouldn't be fair to the rest of the James Gang. The band is tight throughout and Roy Kenner's vocals are perfectly suited for the material. All in all the only thing that I know of that could improve "Miami" is a few more songs. Bonus cuts and/or outtakes from the "Miami" sessions or pairing it with "Bang!" as a 2-on-1 CD would be nice. At just under 33 minutes this release is short but the quality more than makes up for the lack of quantity.
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Best Album James Gang
This album highly recommend. shinly,strong guitar working Tommy Bolin. Sleepwalker must be listening.
What a talented guitarist to go out at 25!
"76" He was sure (talent wise),climbing the steps of his mentors he admired. I enjoyed seeing Tommy Bolin play guitar when he was with Deep Purple in LakeLand,Florida around late Jan. . . (Elvis,and Hendrix). I am thankful he left behind some excellent guitar recordings for others to enjoy. Joe Walsh was right to recommend him for the James Gang,and Ritchie Blackmore was right to recommend him for Deep Purple.
You can see a complete list of all The James Gang discography, or go back to the The James Gang tabs
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