[.ca] But Seriously Folks

"Life's Been Good," and then some...:
When he released "But Seriously, Folks..." in 1978, Joe Walsh was in the middle of his first tenure with the Eagles. (The group would split after their 1980 tour to support "The Long Run," and resume in 1994 with "Hell Freezes Over.") Although it looked like Walsh's solo efforts would be on hold indefinitely with him joining the Eagles, this album came as a pleasant surprise to many, and shows a wide diversity in his musical influences. There are hints here of everything from reggae to country to pop to full-blown rock, and it all flows extremely well. "Life's Been Good" is undoubtedly the best known track on this album, and would become a top 10 single and a concert favorite. Walsh's signature slide guitar is present on this album, in the excellent solo on the reggae-tinged "Over And Over," and peppered throughout the nostalgic "Indian Summer," while "Second Hand Store" has a bit of a country feel to it, complete with pedal steel guitar courtesy of Don Felder. A bit of Eagles presence is heard in the harmonies of the laid-back "Tomorrow," with background vocals provided by Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Timothy B. Schmit. "At The Station" features the great double guitar work of Walsh and Felder. The sequence of "Inner Tube" and "Theme From Boat Weirdos" is beautifully done, and is widely considered to be the best of Walsh's instrumental work. The album's closer is the full version of the famous "Life's Been Good," Walsh's hilarious satire on rock stardom and "the silly lifestyle someone in my position leads," as he once put it so well. Produced by Bill Szymczyk, this album features the core of Walsh's touring band from the 1976 live album "You Can't Argue With A Sick Mind," including longtime collaborator Joe Vitale, Jay Ferguson (Spirit), and the great Willie Weeks, as well as the noted appearances by Henley, Frey, Schmit, and Felder. "But Seriously, Folks..." is one of those rare albums that not only doesn't have a bad track on it, but also has a stellar list of supporting musicians behind those songs. This one is truly a classic.

joe at the crossroads?:
But Seriously Folks is a great Album, not necessarily for its lack of resemblance to previous Joe Walsh works but for its quality in terms of the Country Rock genre. People talked of the Joe Walsh influence on Hotel California, this album illustrates the Eagles influence on Joe Walsh. Most typical is the outstanding harmonies on Second Hand Store and Tomorrow, (my fave`s along with Indian Summer)This album apart from Life`s Been Good is a poignant well crafted musical triumph and in my opinion a vastly underrated album. If you like Eagles circa Hotel California, or Walsh tunes like Help me through the night, get this album. Tomorrow, Indian Summer could have been Eagles Tunes. Sadly the jokey theme of Lifes Been Good permeates his later work far too frequently. Even a great riff as on Ordinary Average guy is ruined by an ordinary average lyric.

Joe Walsh Takes A Break From The Eagles- And Strikes Gold:
With BUT SERIOUSLY FOLKS, Joe Walsh took a break from the Eagles and released a great solo album. The album's closer, "Life's Been Good", was a Number 12 hit, but the best song here is "At The Station", which is about being at a crossroads in your life. I highly recommend this album to anyone who loved HOTEL CALIFORNIA or any of the James Gang releases.

IF A CD COULD GET WORN OUT...:
...this one would. Don't make the mistake of thinking that this album contains only one good track ("Life's Been Could"). I listen to this CD every morning on the way to work and never get tired of it. "Second Hand Store" is an amazing piece of pop music writing. It's got a great hook and theme. "Indian Summer" foreshadows other Walsh numbers like "Where I Grew Up" and "School Days." It is embued with a wonderful nostalgic theme and boasts a catchy hook and clever lyrics. This CD is greater than the sum of its parts. There's not a stinker here. Originally I bought this only for the memorable classic "Life's Been Good," but was pleased as punch to get hooked on the other tracks at the first listen. This is a highly underrated CD and one of my top ten all-time favorites. Buy it!

IF A CD COULD GET WORN OUT...:
...this one would. Don't make the mistake of thinking that this album contains only one good track ("Life's Been Could"). I listen to this CD every morning on the way to work and never get tired of it. "Second Hand Store" is an amazing piece of pop music writing. It's got a great hook and theme. "Indian Summer" foreshadows other Walsh numbers like "Where I Grew Up" and "School Days." It is embued with a wonderful nostalgic theme and boasts a catchy hook and clever lyrics. This CD is greater than the sum of its parts. There's not a stinker here. Originally I bought this only for the memorable classic "Life's Been Good," but was pleased as punch to get hooked on the other tracks at the first listen. This is a highly underrated CD and one of my top ten all-time favorites. Buy it!

• Over and Over
• Second Hand Store
• Indian Summer
• At the Station
• Tomorrow
• Inner Tube
• Theme from Boat Weirdos
• Life's Been Good