Yer' Album
Yer' Album is the debut studio album by the American rock band James Gang. The album was released in early 1969, on the label Bluesway/ABC. This is the James Gang's only album to feature their bassist Tom Kriss, he was later replaced by Dale Peters for their next album. The album is notable for being the first album to feature guitarist Joe Walsh, who would later achieve great success as a solo artist and with the Eagles.
| Yer' Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The James Gang | ||||
| Released | March 29, 1969 | |||
| Recorded | January 1969 at The Hit Factory in New York | |||
| Genre | Rock, hard rock | |||
| Length | 49:40 | |||
| Label | Bluesway/ABC BLS 6034 | |||
| Producer | Bill Szymczyk | |||
| The James Gang chronology | ||||
| ||||
This album contains three cover songs out of the eleven tracks; Buffalo Springfield's "Bluebird"; "Lost Woman" by the Yardbirds; and "Stop" by Jerry Ragavoy and Mort Schuman, recorded a year earlier by Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield for the Super Session album (albeit without vocals) and Howard Tate.
In the locked groove at the end of side 1 of the LP version of the album (which is normally silent on most phonograph records), the spoken phrase "Turn me over" repeats in a loop, while the locked groove at the end of side 2 repeats the phrase "Play me again". Both phrases were spoken by Walsh. A 'producers note' in the gatefold warns listeners not to spoil these ending to friends who have turntables with automatic return. These messages are removed from CD pressings, but are included on the 8-Track & cassette tape versions.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | B[2] |
Writing for AllMusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote the album "Yer' Album contained much to suggest that the James Gang, in particular its guitarist, had a great future, even if it was more an album of performances than compositions."[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Introduction" (Bert de Coteaux, Jim Fox, Bill Szymczyk) | 0:40 |
| 2. | "Take a Look Around" (Joe Walsh) | 6:18 |
| 3. | "Funk 48" (Fox, Tom Kriss, Walsh) | 2:46 |
| 4. | "Bluebird" (Stephen Stills) | 6:02 |
| 5. | "Lost Woman" (Jeff Beck, Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell-Smith) | 9:06 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stone Rap" (Fox, Kriss, Szymczyk, Walsh) | 1:00 |
| 2. | "Collage" (Patrick Cullie, Walsh) | 4:02 |
| 3. | "I Don't Have the Time" (Fox, Walsh) | 2:49 |
| 4. | "Wrapcity in English" (Walsh) | 0:57 |
| 5. | "Fred" (Walsh) | 4:09 |
| 6. | "Stop" (Jerry Ragovoy, Mort Shuman) | 12:04 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Joe Walsh – guitars, vocals, keyboards, piano
- Tom Kriss – bass guitar, vocals, flute, vibraphone
- Jim Fox – drums, vocals, percussion, keyboards
Production
- Joe Walsh, Bill Szymczyk: Producer
- James Gang, Bill Szymczyk, Bert de Coteaux: Arrangers
- Bill Szymczyk: Engineer
- Denis Minervini: Assistant engineer
- Henry Epstein: Cover design
- Ladimer Jeric: Cover Art
- Bill Szymczyk: Photography
References
- Ruhlman, William. "Yer' Album > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
- Christgau, Robert (January 29, 1970). "Consumer Guide (7)". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 29, 2013.