- Greg Attaway -- drums, backing vocals (1973-75)

- Bruce Barlow -- (1976)

- Richard Bowden -- guitar, backing vocals (1973-75)

- Donnie Dacus -- guitar (1974)

- Lance Dickerson -- (1976)

- Paul Harris -- keyboards (1974)

- Charlie Harrison -- bass, backing vocals (1977)  

- Russ Kunkel -- drums (1974)

- Stephen Love -- bass, backing vocals (1973-75)    

- David Lovelace -- keyboards (1973-75)

- Roger McGuinn -- guitar, vocals
- Rick Vito -- guitar, backing vocals (1977)

- Lee Sklar -- bass (1974)
- James Smith -- guitar (1976)

- Greg Thomas -- drums, percussion (1977)

- The Beefeaters

- Blue Steel (Richard Bowen)

- The Byrds

- Cold Steel (Greg Attaway, Richard Bowden, David

  Lovelace)

- The Fabulous Rhinestones (Greg Thomas)

- McGuinn, Clark and Hillman

- New Riders of the Purple Sage (Stephen Love)

- Stone Canyon Band (Stephen Love)

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Peace On You

Company: Columbia

Catalog: KC-32956

Year: 1974

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: cut top right corner; original inner sleeve

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4971

Price: $9.00

Given the lukewarm success of his self titled solo debut, Columbia executives insisted on bringing in producer Bill Halverson who in early 1974 was riding high off of his successes with Crosby, Stills and Nash.  Those commercial successes may have endeared him to Columbia management, but the partnership with McGuinn was apparently rocky.  Adding to the chaos, McGuinn decided not to record with his touring band, instead opting for an all star cast of studio players including guitarist Donnie Dacus, keyboard player Paul Harris and drummer Russ Kunkel.  While not nearly as diverse as his solo debut, the album wasn't exactly a return to The Byrds catalog either.  Instead McGuinn seemed to try to find an artistic midpoint, mixing some of his earlier genre hopping experimentation with a sheen of commerciality.  For what it's worth, the biggest problem seems to be McGuinn's reliance on outside writers and co-writer Jacques Levy's clunky lyrics.  Of the five covers, only Donnie Dacus' pretty country-rocker 'Do What Your Want To' made much of an impression.  Similarly, the McGuinn-Levy collaborations weren't exactly awe inspiring.  One of the few songs to come close to capturing The Byrds signature sound, that left the McGuinn original 'Same Old Sound' as the creative highpoint. Coming close to replicating a late inning Byrds jangle-rock track, 'The Lady' was a close second.   A modest sales success the collection peaked at # 92.  Columbia also tapped the album for a pair of singles:

- 1974's 'Peace On You' b/w 'Without You' (Columbia catalog number 3-10044)
- 1974's 'Same Old Sound' b/w 'Gate of Horn'  (Columbia catalog number 3-10019)

"Peace On You" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) Peace On You   (Charlie Rich) - 

2.) Without You   (Roger McGuinn - Jacques Levy) - 

3.) Going To the Country   (Donnie Dacus) - 

4.) (Please Not) One More Time   (Al Kooper) - 

5.) Same Old Sound   (Roger McGuinn) - 

(side 2)

1.) Do What Your Want To   (Donnie Dacus) - 

2.) Together   (Roger McGuinn - Jacques Levy) - 

3.) Better Change   (Dan Fogelberg) - 

4.) Gate of Horn   (Roger McGuinn - Jacques Levy) - 

5.) The Lady   (Roger McGuinn - Jacques Levy) - 

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Roger McGuinn and Band

Company: Columbia

Catalog: PC-33541

Year: 1975

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: minor ring and edge wear

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4496

Price: $9.00

For some reason Roger McGuinn's solo debut "I Give You Peace" gets strong reviews, while his 1975 sophomore effort gets slammed, or is simply ignored.  I own both albums and while "Roger McGuinn and Band" isn't gonna' shake your world, it isn't half bad.

Produced by John Boylan, McGuinn sounded quite comfortable (if not particularly inspired), returning to a band-oriented environment - in this case he was supported by former Cold Steel members Greg Attaway (drums), Richard Bowden (guitar), David Lovelace (keyboards) and ex-Stone Canyon Band bassist Steven Love.  Musically the set was somewhat of a hodgepodge, featuring a mixture of previously recorded material including a couple of late inning Byrds tracks ('Love of the Bayou' and 'Born To Rock 'n' Roll', while 'Painted Lady' was an old Cold Steel number.  New material from Attaway, Bowden, Love and Lovelace was okay (check out Bowden's 'Bull Dog'), while McGuinn's new stuff was marginally interesting.  At least 'Lisa' had an interesting Caribbean lilt.  That left a cover of Bob Dylan's 'Knocking On Heaven's Door' as the standout track.  Elsewhere, Columbia tapped the album for two unsuccessful singles:

- 1975's 'Somebody Loves You' b/w 'Easy Does It' (Columbia catalog number 3-?????)

- 1975's 'Lover Of The Bayou' b/w 'Easy Does It' (Columbia catalog number 3-10201)

McGuinn and company made some efforts to support the album, including a tour of Europe, but it did little commercially and within a few months the group was history.

"Roger McGuinn and Band" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) Somebody Loves You   (Stephen A. Love - Allen Kemp) 

2.) Knockin' On Heaven's Door    (Bob Dylan) - 

3.) Bull Dog    (Richard Bowden) - 

4.) Painted Lady   (Greg Attaway - David Lovelace) - 

5.) Lover Of The Bayou   (Roger McGuinn - Jacques Levy) -

(side 2)

1.) Lisa   (Roger McGuinn) - 

2.) Circle Song   (David Lovelace) -

3.) So Long   (Richard Bowden) - 

4.) Easy Does It   (Roger McGuinn) - 

5.) Born To Rock 'n' Roll   (Roger McGuinn) - 

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Thunderbyrd

Company: Columbia

Catalog: PC-34656

Year: 1977

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: minor ring and edge wear; original inner sleeve

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4447

Price: $6.00

Thunderbyrd (the band) was an interesting, if short lived venture.  On the heels of the critically acclaimed "Cardiff Rose" album, McGuinn apparently decided he missed the dynamics of a full time band.  He promptly hired formed Bruce Barlow and Lance Dickerson (of the recently disbanded Commander Cody) and guitarist James Smith.  The quartet spent a year touring before going into the studio, but within a matter of weeks McGuinn decided the lineup wasn't working and promptly fired all three.  Bass player Charlie Harrison, guitarist Rick Vito and drummer Greg Thomas were brought in as replacements.

To be honest, the first time I heard 1977's "Thunderbyrd" I was pretty disappointed.  McGuinn's always thin voice seemed exceptionally brittle and uninspired and the thought of him covering a Peter Frampton song ('All Night Long') just didn't cut it.  Sure, there were a couple of mildly entertaining numbers, including McGuinn's cover of Byrd-wannabe Tom Petty's 'American Girl', but the overall feel was less than inspired.  Revisiting the album, years later, my original views may have been a little sharp, but weren't all that far off.  It isn't my favorite McGuinn album, but it isn't quite as bad as I originally thought.  The McGuinn - Jacques Levy rocker 'It's Gone' sports some nice harmonies and his cover of the George Jones classic 'Why Baby Why' actually rocks with some gusto.  As for McGuinn's voice; well it is what it is ... you either like his nasal whine, or it drives you crazy.  Hungry for a hit, Columbia tapped 'American Girl' b/w 'I'm Not Lonely Anymore' (catalog number 31-0543) as a single.  Like the parent album, the single went nowhere.

"Thunderbyrd" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) All Night Long (Peter Frampton - Gallagher)
2.) It's Gone   (Roger McGuinn - Jacques Levy)
3.) Dixie Highway   (Roger McGuinn - Jacques Levy)
4.) American Girl   (Tom Petty)
5.) We Can Do It All Over Again   (Williams - Goldberg)

(side 2)

1.) Why Baby Why   (George Jones - Edwards)
2.) I'm Not Lonely Anymore   (Roger McGuinn - Jacques Levy)
3.) Golden Loom   (Bob Dylan)
4.) Russian Hill   (Roger McGuinn - Jacques Levy)