In Action includes all of
the Mad Lads first recordings, except for their debut "Sidewalk Surf." The waltz tempo, pleading "I Want Someone" went to number ten (R&B) and number 74 (Pop), and is their biggest selling single. Lead singer
John Gary Williams had a pleading, crying singing style that was unmistakably Southern. "Come Closer to Me" features some hokey bass under
Williams' enthusiastic lead. The C.O.D.'s hit the big-time with "Michael the Lover," but listening to
the Mad Lads re-recording, you'd think it was written just for them. Remakes comprise 25-percent of the album. "Don't Have to Shop Around," a slow ballad, features smooth harmonies over
Williams expressive tenor, and has a quirky doo wop sound. It may be the only Southern doo wop record ever; it's also
the Mad Lads second best-selling record, charting at number 11 (R&B) and number 93 (Pop). The most interesting track is the chugging "Nothing Can Break Through"; it features sudden stops and changes and creative harmonies. ~ Andrew Hamilton