Flamin’ Groovies – Jumpin’ In The Night [Clear Vinyl] [Limited Edition] (Purp)

The third and last of the Flamin’ Groovies late-’70s albums for Sire, Jumpin’ in the Night storms out of the gate with the title song, a top-shelf rocker that brings the muscle of the Flamingo-era lineup of the Groovies to the more style-conscious British Invasion sonics of Cyril Jordan’s version. Though Jumpin’ in the Night never rocks that hard or that well again, it does sound decidedly tighter and tougher than 1978’s Flamin’ Groovies Now, and guitarist Mike Wilhelm, a new addition to the Now lineup, is much better integrated into their wall of guitars, with the Groovies sounding more solid than they did a year before. But while Jumpin’ in the Night finds the Flamin’ Groovies sounding better than ever, the material unfortunately let’s them down. It’s no wonder why the Flamin’ Groovies loved the Byrds – both were American bands who fell in love with the sounds of British rock and crafted their own variation on the style – but three Byrds covers on t