Tommy James :: Midnight Train

tommy james

Tommy James went solo in 1970 with a self-titled affair on Roulette Records. The album’s contents are not too far off from the likes of “Crimson and Clover” and “Crystal Blue Persuasion,” some real melodic psychedelic pop. However, side A contains a true outlier, a singular slice of underground cool by the name of “Midnight Train”. Kicking off with a pulsating beat and the wail of a distant guitar, the track sets an ominous tone before sliding into a seductive, almost hypnotic groove. We find James singing in a lower, cooler register than usual…almost cooing. It’s not unlikely that Alan Vega was digging this one hard. Tension boils on the track, as James waits for the titular train after being burned by a ‘devil’ woman, finally lighting into a fiery guitar solo, roaring into the night…   words / c depasquale

Tommy James :: Midnight Train

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