Thirds

Thirds
Studio album by James Gang
Released	April 1971
Recorded	Fall 1970 at Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA; Cleveland Recording, Cleveland, OH; Hit Factory, New York, NY
Genre	Rock
Length	36:02
Label	ABC
Producer	James Gang & Bill Szymczyk
James Gang chronology
James Gang Rides Again (1970) Thirds (1971) James Gang Live in Concert (1971)

Thirds is the third studio album by James Gang, released in 1971, and is the last studio album led by Joe Walsh. "Walk Away" was released as a single, making the Top 40 on at least one national chart, reaching #51 on the Billboard Hot 100, the best placement of a James Gang single.^[1] The album reached Gold status in July of 1972.^[2]

On the liner notes to the LP version of this 1971 album, Joe Walsh is credited with "guitar, vocals, and train wreck" for his work on the song "Walk Away". The third element was a wry commentary on the multi-tracked, cascading lead guitars that clash as the song fades out.

The Walsh period of the band came to a close with the release of the live album James Gang Live in Concert.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Wilson & Alroy	[3]

Writing for Allmusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote the album "though Thirds quickly earned a respectable chart position and eventually went gold, it was not the commercial breakthrough that might have been expected."^[1]

Billboards review stated: "The James Gang has another good one here, another set scoring artistically and slated to score commercially. This hot trio has solid material, such as "Walk Away," country-flavored material such as "Dreamin' In The Country," and other top material, including "Midnight Man." "White Man/Black Man" is another winner." John Mendelsohn in Rolling Stone was equivocal stating "By no exertion of the imagination are James Gang the greatest rock and roll band ever to walk the face of the earth or anything... but they are capable of some nice little treats every now and again." Mendelsohn conversely called "White Man/Black Man" "a real no-two-ways-about-it embarrassment in the form of an overproduced plea for Greater Understanding between the races so that we can all Live Together."^[2]

Track listing

All songs by Joe Walsh, except where noted.

1. "Walk Away" – 3:32
2. "Yadig?" (Jim Fox, Dale Peters, Joe Walsh) – 2:32
3. "Things I Could Be" (Fox) – 4:18
4. "Dreamin' In The Country" (Peters) – 2:59
5. "It's All The Same" – 4:13
6. "Midnight Man" – 3:29
7. "Again" – 4:04
8. "White Man/Black Man" (Peters) – 5:38
9. "Live My Life Again" (Fox) – 5:25

Personnel

• Joe Walsh – lead, rhythm and slide guitars, Pedal steel, piano, electric piano, keyboards, sound effects, organ, vocals, "train wreck" (noted on the album cover; this reference is to the multiple cascading and heavily distorted guitars at the end of "Walk Away")
• Dale Peters – bass guitars, percussion, vocals
• Jim Fox – drums, percussion, vibraphone, keyboards, organ, vocals,

Guest musicians

• Bob Webb – guitars, backing vocals
• Tom Baker – horns
• Mary Sterpka – backing vocals on "Midnight Man"
• The Sweet Inspirations – backing vocals on "White Man/Black Man"

Production

• James Gang & Bill Szymczyk – producers
• Bill Szymczyk – engineer
• Kenneth Hamann – engineer
• Eddie Youngblood – engineer
• Dale Peters & Jim Fox – reissue liner notes
• Tom Wilkes – cover design
• Tom Wright – cover design, photography

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
1971	Billboard Pop Albums	27

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Ruhlman, William. "Thirds > Review". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r10169. Retrieved July 9, 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Super Seventies
3. ^ "Thirds > Review". Wilson & Alroy. http://www.warr.org/walsh.html#Thirds. Retrieved July 19, 2011. 

External links

• Allmusic.com: Review
• Billboard.com