J. Geils Band

The J. Geils Band lack the hipster mystique of the Flamin Groovies and other Stones clones that stripped rock 'n' roll to its boogie essentials in the early '70s. But The Morning After, the band's sophomore album, is totally awesome. Wiry guitars fight drunken pianos, while Peter Wolf prances about like the Bronx-bred Mick Jagger that he is. The popular fave is the harmonica throwdown "Whammer Jammer," but the album's peak comes with the cry-in-your-beer RnB of "Cry One More Time."

Call 'em the best new band of 1971, if you will, 'cause that's what they are, and here's the
goods to prove it: The Morning After, a recollection of the sort of things that went down
the Night Before, a hard-core dose from the College of Musical Knowledge that comes on
like rifle fire on a hot summer night. Sound like a bit much? Well, maybe. But ever since
they began to move out of their local Boston environs in January of this year, th... More >

Tight, funky, and what else is new? Well, three good songs: "Looking for a Love," "The Usual Place," and (especially) "So Sharp." All of which are old. (Grade - B-)