Newborn/Jesse Come Home

Track Listings

1. Merry-Go-Round

2. Gonna Get By

3. Earthshaker

4. All I Have

5. Watch It

6. Driftin' Dreamer

7. Shoulda' Seen Your Face

8. Come With Me

9. Heartbreak Hotel

10. Red Satin Lover

11. Cold Wind

12. I Need Love

13. Another Year

14. Feelin' Alright

15. Peasant Song

16. Hollywood Dream

17. Love Hurts

18. Pick Up the Pizzas

19. Stealin' the Show

20. When I Was a Sailor

Tracks:

Merry-Go-Round
Gonna Get By
Earthshaker
All I Have
Watch It
Driftin' Dreamer
Shoulda' Seen Your Face
Come With Me
Heartbreak Hotel
Red Satin Lover
Cold Wind
I Need Love
Another Year
Feelin' Alright
Peasant Song
Hollywood Dream
Love Hurts
Pick up the Pizzas
Stealin' the Show
When I Was a Sailor

Customer Reviews:

Newborn Come Home: The last ride.......2005-07-15

By 1974, the James Gang, featuring vocalist Roy Kenner and guitarist Tommy Bolin, had run out of steam, and founding member Jimmy Fox decided to disband the group. One short year later, the Gang was back with a new line-up (featuring Bubba Keith and Frank Zappa-lookalike Richard Shack) and a new LP, 'Newborn'. The album went nowhere, and Keith and Shack split. A year after the release of Newborn, the Gang emerged again, this time with keyboardist Phil Giallombardo and guitarist Bob Webb. This line-up's album, 'Jesse Come Home,' hit stores in '76. Five years after Joe Walsh left the band, the new Gang just couldn't stir up any interest, so they broke up for good later in the year.

Wounded Bird, a great label for reissues, brings us these 2 infamous albums on one disc. As always with Wounded Bird, the sound is fantastic and the packaging is just OK. The booklet features a photo of the Giallombardo/Webb Gang with Phil doing his famous "'Thing' from the Addams Family" trick. Ironically, Phil was in the James Gang before Joe Walsh joined and the band began recording. By 1974-1976, the James Gang was such a revolving door of musicians that it was hard to keep up them. All group members had their own talents, and none of the musicians tried to sound like Joe Walsh (save for Bob Webb) or the previous James Gang line-up. Although their popularity declined real quick and the Gang's musical focus was non-existent by this era, they still cranked out some good tunes. 'Newborn' isn't quite the sonic revelation the title promises, but the Shack/Keith line-up does some pretty cool Mountain imitations (see "Earthshaker") and offers lots of crunchy power chords and great rock vocals. I think the best cuts here are "Shoulda Seen Your Face," "Merry Go Round," and "Gonna Get By," all solid rockers. Far from essential listening, but still a good rockin' time. I tend to favor 'Jesse Come Home' a bit more than Newborn because the sounds are a little more varied. Plus, it's interesting to hear Bobby Webb cop Joe Walsh here and there (check out the guitar solo on "Feeling Alright"...."Stealin' the Show" is a poor man's "Falling Down"). Besides a few nods to the Gang's most famous member, this album has nothing to do with the loud, power-trio rock that the Gang cranked out with Joe as its leader. Phil croons on "Love Hurts," a mellow Andrew Gold song, and plays one of the hokiest piano lines ever on the mini-epic "When I Was a Sailor." "Peasant Song" is a melodramatic Giallombardo tune complete with full orchestral arrangements. Although it's actually very pretty, "The Bomber" it ain't.

It's great to finally have these albums on CD. This release will be essential for completists and interesting to James Gang fans who thought the band was over when Walsh left. Or you could just buy it to look at the booklet and see Phil Giallombardo's hand trick.

Newborn is a rocking album.......2005-05-10

Newborn is one of the James Gang's best albums but it never got the praise it deserved. It features Bubba Keith as a superb lead vocalist and songwriter of most of the tunes on this album. Check out their cover of Heartbreak Hotel. That's the way it's done Elvis!! If you love 70's rock with lots of crunchy, rocking guitars and great vocals this album is for you! You don't have to be a James Gang fan to get into this one. GPark

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. Merry-Go-Round
2. Gonna Get By
3. Earthshaker
4. All I Have
5. Watch It
6. Driftin' Dreamer
7. Shoulda' Seen Your Face
8. Come With Me
9. Heartbreak Hotel
10. Red Satin Lover
11. Cold Wind
12. I Need Love
13. Another Year
14. Feelin' Alright
15. Peasant Song
16. Hollywood Dream
17. Love Hurts
18. Pick Up the Pizzas
19. Stealin' the Show
20. When I Was a Sailor