Jesse Come Home

About

For their final album the James Gang recruited two of its oldest friends from their hometown of Cleveland. Guitarist Bob Webb had done time in the Measles, one of Joe Walsh’s pre-James Gang outfits, while keyboardist Phil Giallombardo had actually been a member of the Gang in its earliest years. The inclusion of these old pals brings the band’s story full circle, after several years of shifting lineups. Unfortunately the group didn’t really have any ideas left, although the immortal rhythm section of Jim Fox and Dale Peters heats up like a vintage motor on “Feelin’ Alright” and “Stealin’ the Show.” The main difficulty with <i>Jesse Come Home</i> is that it veers too far from straight rock, and too often turns to soggy balladry. It could use more moments like the searing guitar solo Webb applies to “I Need Love.” Though the band strives to end its career with a “big statement,” the definitive moment is “Pick Up the Pizza,” a hot-and-loose instrumental that echoes the chugging freedom of the band’s glory years.

via Apple Music